Health For Life – Primary Schools in Birmingham

The Health for Life programme promotes an ethos and environment which encourages a proactive approach to developing a healthy lifestyle. The programme is funded by Mondelēz International and delivered by Services For Education. It aims to make a sustained and demonstrable improvement in healthy lifestyles across Birmingham.

The programme supports primary schools in engaging their community in healthy active lifestyles and embeds the work in the school culture and curriculum to promote sustainability. It is intended to increase pupils’ knowledge and skills and effect changes in healthy lifestyle attitudes and behaviour.

A Celebration Event is held halfway through the implementation phase (around June) and is a great way to share ideas; to motivate participants to continue, and to showcase the programme to VIPs like the Lord Mayor, MPs, people from the Local Authority, Public Health and the next cohort of schools. At the end of the implementation phase, there is an Awards Ceremony to celebrate and recognise the work that has been done. Two members of staff and up to four children are invited to each event to showcase what they’ve accomplished.

Around 12 schools are selected each year to take part in the programme to ensure that each school has a sufficient level of support. Selected schools will participate in the programme for a period of four terms, during which they will receive support to plan and implement the programme to suit their particular circumstances. A level of commitment is required from each school joining the programme, as if a school drops out halfway through, their place cannot be offered to another school.

Services For Education recruits schools in the summer term to start the programme the following September. Information is sent out by email, post, and during an online briefing session to eligible schools.

With the help of a Services For Education Adviser, schools will:

• Ascertain starting points and record them
• Get children involved to review current practice
• Complete online baseline surveys with pupils
• Complete a baseline audit of school practice
• Identify barriers and factors that hinder progress
• Develop ideas that will promote change
• Nominate a member of staff to attend the two funded training days
• Prepare an Action Plan that will structure and keep track of resources required, jobs, dates for completion, and success criteria

By the start of December, the action plan must be submitted to the steering group for approval, triggering the first part of the grant (£3,500 to be paid in two stages).

With the help of the Services For Education Adviser, schools will:

• Start to implement the Action Plan
• Engage the whole school community in progress and change
• Address all strands in a way to encourage engagement
• Collect evidence of impact (ongoing)

With the help of the Services For Education Adviser, schools will:

• Continue implementing the Action Plan
• Attend the celebration event in June to help share good ideas (compulsory)
• Take part in BBC Gardeners’ World wheelbarrow event (optional)
• Continue to engage the whole school community in progress and change
• Collect evidence of impact (ongoing)

With the help of the Services For Education Adviser, schools will:

• Continue implementing the Action Plan
• Engage the whole school community in progress and change
• Take part in the ‘Cookathon’ (optional)
• Collect evidence of impact (ongoing)
• Repeat the online surveys with pupils
• Repeat the school audit
• Collate evidence of impact

Schools will:

• Continue with sustainable activities in the Action Plan
• Attend the Awards ceremony

During the Autumn and Spring terms, there are four courses to be attended by an appropriate member of staff from each school.

The objective is to make a measurable increase in the amount of regular physical activity of pupils to promote a healthy lifestyle:

• Active play in school grounds
• Play leader training (and implementation) for pupils

The objective is to make a measurable improvement in the diet of school children through cooking and healthy eating activities:

• Development of a recipe book for use in schools and at home
• Making healthy soups, drinks, picnics, snack foods
• Cooking competitions between schools (with a focus on healthy eating)
• Practical cooking lessons (with a focus on healthy eating) with pupils
• Practical lessons on cooking through the ages (with a focus on healthy eating)

The objective is to actively involve parents and families in promoting and adopting healthy, active lifestyles:

• Use of parent partnership workers
• Sharing of information through letters/emails/school website
• Train as walk leaders
• Family bike rides/family picnics
• Sending recipes home to cook as part of homework
• Sending seedlings home to grow at home

The programme supports Change4Life and offers a range of opportunities to encourage families towards leading healthier lifestyles and works in partnership with various organisations.

“In less than 12 months of running the Health for Life programme, we’ve exceeded everything we hoped to achieve. It’s brought a whole community spirit back into school.” – Teacher, Lakey Lane Primary

“In light of the statistics, it’s so important that children are educated on the importance of being active and eating healthily now more than ever. The Health for Life programme effectively engages young people in a fun and educational way.” – Dr Adrian Phillips, Director of Public Health, Birmingham

“You feel really proud that you’ve helped to grow the foods that you’re eating.” – Y5 pupil

“Health for Life has a really beneficial impact on the life of the school. This learning will stay with our children for the rest of their lives and hopefully they will build on what they’ve started here and it will be something that really will be health for life.” – Teacher, Sladefield Infants School

The main documents needed throughout the course of the programme can be downloaded by clicking on the links below.

The Cookathon is an exciting event that offers a chance to celebrate and promote healthy lifestyles while working safely and collaboratively. Schools can use the Cookathon to:

• Create or strengthen links with parents and families
• Offer pupils a real-life opportunity to embed the DT curriculum in an inspiring way
• Promote the school to the rest of the community
• Promote healthy eating to others
• Share successes

Schools are encouraged to share pictures and stories to create a healthy eating buzz on social media.

Any schools can take part, and the more, the merrier! The recipe and instructions will be made accessible to all.

We understand the thought and preparation that go into organising school events, so we will make this as easy as possible for all to participate. Schools vary in facilities, and it is up to each school to determine where it is best to do the cooking, ensuring safety and enjoyment for pupils.

When cooking in schools, a risk assessment must be conducted ahead of the event, checking for food allergies of any guests that might be invited.