Through a close working relationship, parents and school managers must work together to ensure a healthy lifestyle is achieved through a balanced diet, physical activity and emotional well-being in order to maintain the optimum weight for each age group. Government groups the Department of Health and Department for Children Schools and Families have joined together to create the National Health Schools program aimed at creating a whole school approach to health. This initiative, which was rolled out in 1999, is aimed at improving health and reducing health inequalities, raising pupil achievement, improving the working relationship between health promotion providers and education establishments and upping social inclusion.
Since the launch of this campaign several national and regional organisations have been launched with these criteria in mind. Tasked with reaching 75% healthy schools status by 2009 (the white paper was published in 2004) the organisations had a huge job in trying to challenge food served in school kitchens and at homes throughout the UK. This campaign is running with success and notably organisations such as Health 4 Schools in Gloucestershire are driving healthy living forward. Within the next few pages are healthy food options, hygiene and environmental products for your school to help achieve these goals.
