Three local schools across Southampton are being recognised for their commitment to the Healthy High 5 Award, an initiative designed to create healthier learning environments for children and young people.
This week, Shirley Infant School, Beechwood Junior School and Mansel Park Primary School, came together to celebrate their achievement at a special event for schools who are working towards, or have already received, the award.
The event was attended by children and teachers from the awarded schools, as well as Dazza Curtis, a representative from Zactiv, an organisation that supports schools and pupils to build healthy habits through an online platform.
The Healthy High 5 Award is part of a vibrant programme delivered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Southampton City Council. At its core is a strong focus on prevention and early intervention, with the aim of supporting education settings to embed health and wellbeing activities and learning into everyday school life.
To achieve the award, schools focus on a five ‘star’ framework:
- Physical activity - Building an extra 10 minutes of movement into the school day.
- Access to water - Ensuring children stay hydrated and have access to water throughout the day.
- Healthy lunch, breakfast and after school clubs - Supporting nutritious foods, so every meal counts.
- Mindfulness Minute - Encouraging pupils to increase focus and concentration through simple mindfulness techniques.
- Nurturing Nature - Providing opportunities to grow and learn about plants to build awareness and life skills.
The joint programme continues to support more schools across the city. Since its launch in 2018, over 100 Healthy High Five certificates have been awarded.
Katie Furby, Assistant Headteacher at Beechwood Junior School, attended the event. She said: “Our school has been working incredibly hard to ensure the wellbeing and health of our children and staff are put first. That’s never been more important than it is today, and we’ve worked hard with all the children across the school.
“We managed to skip the bronze and silver award and go straight to gold, which we’re incredibly proud of. We’ll continue to work with the team next year and see what exciting things it will bring.”
Dr Debbie Chase, Director of Public Health at Southampton City Council said: “Every child deserves the best start in life. The Healthy High 5 Award is a great example of how schools can support children’s health and wellbeing in a meaningful and lasting way, and we are delighted to work with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to deliver it across Southampton.
“I’d like to congratulate Shirley Infant School, Beechwood Junior School and Mansel Park Primary School on this fantastic achievement on receiving the award. Their dedication to creating healthier school communities should be celebrated. I encourage other schools to sign up and join them in making a positive difference for children and young people.”
Southampton schools can get involved by visiting the website.