Essential Healthy Schools Award
Welcome to the Bristol Healthy Schools Essential Award
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What is the Essential Award?

The Essential Award acts as a valuable tool to help schools establish the foundations for creating a healthy and happy school, centred around the whole school approach. The benefits of a whole school approach involve having a robust, strategic offer in place for improving health and wellbeing of the whole school community. The evidence regarding this approach indicates benefits for overall health and wellbeing, as well as for achievement, attendance, behaviour, and fostering a sense of belonging.
How does it work?

The application is completed online. You can log in and out as many times as you like, updating your evidence as you go. 
Most of the criteria require a Yes/No response, others ask for more detail via a text box. You are not required to provide additional documents or evidence. Only the online application form is needed.
You are provided with guidance throughout the application. Where extra guidance is needed the Healthy Schools team of specialists are available for support: healthy.schools@bristol.gov.uk. Drop-in sessions, webinars, and network meetings are also offered throughout the year for support.

The criteria are divided into five sections: 1) Establishing a Healthy Schools Foundation, 2) Mental Health and Wellbeing, 3) Food and Nutrition, 4) Physical Activity, and 5) PSHE.

After you have completed the first section and have established your Healthy Schools foundation (Healthy Schools coordinator, Steering Group, and establishing support from senior leadership), you can complete the following sections in any order you like. Your Steering Group is there to support.

We recommend that you complete the application within one year, so that your answers stay up to date.

How is it assessed?

Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. If required, the criteria can be adaptable to meet the specific requirements of your setting (e.g., for special schools). Please use this application process as a guide and do not feel discouraged if there is something you do not have in place just yet. The aim of the process is to work through it step-by-step and support can be provided where needed.

For unanswerable questions or “no” responses, you can briefly explain in the last section. Need more help? Please reach out. The Healthy Schools team offer drop-in sessions and network meetings throughout the year for support.

After you submit your application the Healthy Schools team will be in touch to let you know the outcome. It may be that you need some extra time to put the required practice in place. If this is the case, additional support will be provided.
At any point, you can email healthy.schools@bristol.gov.uk

IMPORTANT: 
Please keep saving your changes as you go.

Do not click the back button at the top left of your browser as you complete the form. To go back to the previous section, click ‘previous page’ at the bottom of the survey.