The golden step: how to further develop a healthy lifestyle at school

The full picture

“Structural attention to a healthy lifestyle at school is the key success factor for both schools that are just starting out and more experienced schools. As a school, you should not do something related to a theme only occasionally, but throughout the entire year. It is important that the full picture is right: there is attention to it in lessons, the layout of the school encourages healthy behaviour, the school takes the right measures and identifies health or lifestyle problems. At Healthy School, we call this working on the four pillars. It is wonderful when this is all in place, but of course you cannot then sit back and relax,” Vivian says with a laugh.

Further development in a dynamic environment

“As a school, you will have to continue developing, because the world does not stand still. A war close to home or a pandemic affects everyone, including pupils and students. In addition, new pupils come to the school, with new parents. A supermarket may open nearby, pupils or students may start vaping en masse, or you may have to deal with unwanted sexting among students or the suicide of a pupil. In short, education professionals work in a highly dynamic environment. As a result, health promotion remains tailored to each situation and is never finished.”

Looking back and looking ahead

How can you ensure further development in the area of a healthy lifestyle? Vivian explains that a school can both deepen and broaden its approach. “It is important for a school to know where the energy lies within the team, among the pupils or students and – depending on the type of education – among the parents and carers. What is going on? This is the first step when you start working with Healthy School, but at the same time it is also the final step. Looking back at what went well and what could be improved, while also deciding whether you want to deepen your work or tackle new themes,” Vivian explains.

Deepening

“Deepening remains necessary for every theme. You can always explore a theme in greater depth by providing even more information about it and continuing to give it attention. Deepening also means responding to current events. If Nutrition is your theme, you can return to what healthy nutrition is, for example, if there has been a feature about eating disorders on the children’s news programme. Make sure the team understands once again how they can identify eating disorders and what they can do in response.”

Broadening

How can a school broaden its approach most effectively? “There are two routes to broadening,” Vivian explains. “The first route is to consider whether you can use the skills you have learned or a Healthy School activity you have used more broadly. Perhaps your school has the Relationships and Sexuality theme certificate and the pupils or students have learned how to say ‘no’. This skill can also be applied to the themes Media Literacy and Smoking and Alcohol or Smoking, Alcohol and Drug Prevention. By practising setting boundaries in relation to new health themes, the pupils and students immediately learn something from it.

You can also consider whether a Healthy School activity that you already use can be applied to several themes. Some Healthy School activities, for example, are suitable for both Wellbeing and Relationships and Sexuality.”

More impact

“The second route is to look at your objective,” Vivian continues. “Perhaps your school chose the Nutrition theme because many pupils or students are overweight. If you then also work on the theme of Exercise and Sport, you will have an even greater impact. Sleep is another theme you could choose in this situation, because it has a major influence on energy levels.”

Maintain a flow

The best way to implement the golden step differs from one school to another. “In any case, look at what is happening at your school. Which theme has the most support among the team, parents, carers and pupils and students? It is also good to look at what you have already achieved. Building on successes often allows you to make an impact quickly.

Do I have one final tip when it comes to broadening or deepening? Absolutely: schools should make sure that teachers do not experience it as a lot of extra work. If it is and remains enjoyable, you will achieve more. It is important to keep the momentum going together.”