Local Oldham schools celebrated reaching ‘Healthy Schools, Travel Plans and Eco Schools Status on Friday 2nd February at The Queen Elizabeth Hall.
A total of 56 primary and secondary schools celebrated their achievements together. The healthy schools achieved national standards, focusing on developing personal social and health education, healthy eating, physical activity, and emotional health and wellbeing.
Linda Devlin, Healthy Schools coordinator congratulated the schools in achieving this award, and acknowledged the hard work which schools have shown over recent months, ‘all these schools should be congratulated on the hard work they have undertaken in putting these changes in place, schools are increasingly supporting their pupils emotions, health and well being recognising the link this has with concentration, behaviour, and raised self esteem.'
Pupil representatives from each school were treated to goody bags containing items from Healthy Schools, Eco Schools and Travel Plans, and a buffet before receiving their awards which was presented by His Worshipfulness The Mayor of Oldham Councillor Bernard Judge.
A number of pupils then gave presentations on how their school has improved since working towards these standards these included:
- Failsworth Sports College (Shape PHSE programme)
- Christ Church CE Primary,
- Chadderton (Eco Schools)
A number of schools were also given a ‘eco schools award’ which recognises schools efforts to become more sustainable, promoting an understanding of the resources it takes to run a school and provides an opportunity to make environmental issues part of a school day. Schools which achieved the award carried out an environmental review, looking at litter, waste and recycling amongst other things. They then put these results into an action plan which is developed and improved throughout the school year, ‘pupils who have been involved in this programme grow in confidence, and gain a sense of responsibility towards the environment.’ Says Suzanne Walton, Oldham Eco Schools Coordinator.
Travel plan grants were awarded to 15 schools last year, who managed to develop an approved school travel plan. This involved surveying pupils methods of travelling to school and coming up with an action plan to encourage more sustainable travel, and improve safety. Among the successful schools were Greenfield Primary and Christchurch Chadderton, who spent the grant on security lights and extra pathways in the hope that fewer pupils will be driven to school.
A total of 93 schools have now signed up to the Healthy Schools programme which is a government delivered initiative, which hopes to see all schools signed up to this by 2009. Oldham Healthy Schools programme is delivered by Positive Steps Oldham.
For further information contact Nyree Hood, Marketing and Communications Officer, Positive Steps Oldham on 0161 621 9395, nyreehood@positivestepsoldham.org.uk
For further information on the Healthy schools programme, contact Linda Devlin on 0161 621 9370
For further information on Travel plans contact Oldham MBC’s Travel Advisor on 0161 770 4370 For further information on Eco Schools contact Suzanne Walton 0161 624 1444
