The six lessons from the Healthy School Iceland study visit

At the end of the study visit, we always make a list of ‘takeaways’ together with the participants. What are the key content highlights, and what are we therefore taking home with us? A list...

1 A healthy school in a healthy neighbourhood in a healthy municipality

The approach is most effective when a healthy school does not stand alone, but is part of a healthy neighbourhood, which in turn is part of a healthy municipality. The advantages of such an approach are that you can work with collective branding and that everyone speaks the same language.

2 Data-driven instead of theme-driven

In Iceland, the health and well-being of students are examined annually through questionnaires. This has been happening for decades, so there is also a great deal of historical data. The data are processed quickly and collected on a single website. This enables schools to respond flexibly to changing needs with appropriate measures. In the Netherlands, the approach is theme-driven.

3 Put well-being in first place in education

In Iceland, well-being is part of the curriculum. Great importance is attached to the well-being of students, school staff and parents alike. The balance between learning and well-being is essential. In Iceland, this is reflected both in what is offered – attention to matters such as mindfulness, sleep and yoga – and in specialised well-being staff, such as a school psychologist, counsellor and school nurse. The motto is: ‘If you are not happy, you cannot learn’.

4 Make social skills part of the school’s DNA

In Icelandic education, social skills such as approaching students positively, taking pride in diversity, resilience, learning from mistakes and a buddy system play an important role. Classrooms also display posters showing desired behaviour (green) and undesired behaviour (red). See the photo below.

5 Focus on enabling students to become independent and take ownership of their own learning process

In Icelandic education, ‘formative assessment’ is an important element. The learning objectives are written on the board for each subject, and students may use colours to indicate the extent to which they feel they have achieved the objectives. The board also shows tangible results of this. See the photo below.

6 We are also doing a good job in the Netherlands

A study visit is a suitable opportunity to look beyond your own borders and make comparisons, as well as to take a critical look at your own performance in relation to healthy schools. The conclusion is that, although there is still much room for improvement, we can nevertheless conclude that we are also doing a good job in the Netherlands.

The group photo was taken by photographer Ad Snelderwaard.