The Healthy Schools Programme is a national initiative sponsored by the National Health Service (NHS) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Healthy Schools help children and young people to reach their potential by building on a solid foundation of health to do better in learning and in life. The Programme isn't just about physical health, it's about good health and happiness inside and out. And it's not just about pupils either; a Healthy School involves the whole school community - from parents to governors to school staff - in improving their health and their happiness and getting the most out of life.

The National Healthy Schools Programme has four themes, each with a number of criteria that schools need to fulfill in order to achieve National Healthy School Status. These are:

• Healthy Eating
• Physical Activity
• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), including SRE and drugs education
• Emotional Health and Wellbeing, including bullying

Sandhurst School achieved National Healthy School Status in June 2006 and we were delighted in October that year to have been invited by Berkshire Healthy Schools Team to present to a gathering of some fifty delegates Ten Top Tips on how we achieved this standard.

Five of our most active students spoke at the Healthy Schools Conference about the impact of Healthy Schools on Sandhurst School and how many of the activities in the school are student driven, with the revitalised and extended Student Council playing a key role in improvements throughout the school.

A particular strength of Sandhurst School is its ethos of encompassing all members of the school and wider community and indeed providing everyone who attends the school as a student, member of staff or visitor, with the "opportunity to succeed".

For more information on our Healthy Schools initiatives, please click on the menu to the left.

For more information on the National Healthy Schools Programme, please visit www.healthyschools.gov.uk