Tackling Obesity in England - National Audit Office

TACKLING OBESITY IN ENGLANDpart four404.37 The objective of personal, social and health education isto provide a foundation for the personal development ofyoung people in preparing them for adult life. Thissubject became part of the core curriculum for the firsttime in September 2000. In developing this subject, thecurriculum division within the Department forEducation and Employment liaised with the Departmentof Health, in part through the Medical Advisor, to definethe necessary elements that would provide a balancedcoverage of health issues. As regards obesity, thepersonal, social and health education curriculumincludes coverage of the components, such as diet andexercise, that constitute a healthy lifestyle, and of thehealth risks associated with a body weight which isabove or below the healthy range. Case Study 9provides an example of the benefits of personal, socialand health education in schools.v. Promoting a healthy school environment4.38 Beyond the formal curriculum, the Department forEducation and Employment also has a role in ensuringthat the environment in schools reinforces healtheducation messages by encouraging appropriate extracurricularactivities and promoting healthy living.4.39 The Department for Education and Employment and theDepartment of Health have worked closely to promotegood practice. In May 1998, Ministers from the twodepartments jointly launched the Healthy SchoolsProgramme, designed to encourage and promotehealthy lifestyles through the school culture andenvironment. They announced a commitment to workacross Government, the private and voluntary sectors, andwith local agencies and communities, to help schoolsbecome healthier schools through supporting thedevelopment and improvement of local programmes.Case study 9: Personal, Social and Health Educationacross the curriculum - Chapel Break First SchoolAt Chapel Break First School in Norfolk, acentral plank of its strategy to become a HealthySchool was to build its personal, social andhealth education into other curriculum areas.The reception class worked on a different healthrelatedtopic each term, including "me andlooking after my body".Over four years in which it worked towards theHealthy Norfolk Schools Award (achieved in1998), the school's academic results steadilyimproved. In Science, it attained the highestgrading compared with equivalent primaryschools nationally. Teachers felt the boost inresults, particularly Science, was thanks tointegrating health issues into the curriculum.Source:National Healthy School Standard: Getting Started - AGuide for Schools’ 354.40 A key part of the Healthy Schools Programme is theNational Healthy School Standard, which was launchedin October 1999 to offer support for local programme coordinatorsand provide an accreditation process foreducation and health partnerships. The Standard,managed by the Health Development Agency, has beendisseminated to schools, local authorities and healthauthorities through guidance 35,36 , which providesexamples of good practice. Key components of theStandard are to encourage physical activity, throughschool travel and physical recreation, and healthy eating.vi. Promoting healthy travel to school4.41 The number of children walking or cycling to school hasdeclined dramatically over the last two decades. In themid-1980s, two thirds of children aged between 5 and 10years walked to school, and more than six per cent of11-16 year-olds cycled to school. By the late 1990s, thishad fallen to just over half of children (5-10 years)walking to school, and less than two per cent of pupils(11-16 years) cycling 37 .4.42 The Department of Health, the Department forEducation and Employment and the Department of theEnvironment, Transport and the Regions have workedtogether to promote healthy school travel. Figure 23illustrates the intersecting policy responsibilities of thesedepartments for school travel, and the key initiatives thathave emerged from their collaboration.4.43 As a central forum for debate and joint working betweenthe departments, the School Travel Advisory Group wasset up in 1998, including representatives of the health,transport and education sectors. The Group includes thethree key Government departments and a wide range ofstakeholders from local Government, voluntary andprivate organisations. In 1999, the Group reported toMinisters on a range of measures intended to improvesafety on the journey to and from school, provide avariety of healthier travel choices and encourage moreyoungsters to walk, cycle or take public transport.4.44 In 1999, the three departments worked together tocommission the Transport 2000 Trust to produce guidanceon school travel, entitled 'A Safer Journey to School' 38 . Thisguidance advises local authorities, schools and parents onbuilding a safe environment for pupils to walk and cycle ortake public transport to school, including measures to calmroad traffic, enhance footpaths and cycle lanes, andprovide facilities for the storage of bicycles and accessories.4.45 A further incentive for schools is that promoting safe andhealthy school travel can also be a key component inachieving accreditation under the National Healthy SchoolStandard developed by the Department of Health and theDepartment for Education and Employment. At primaryschool level, this is backed up by a training guide helpingtrainee teachers to teach children about physically activemodes of travel as part of the primary school curriculum. To