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It is therefore important to provide children and young people with a positive learning environment with accessible information and support to enable them to make informed health choices.

A key feature of our Education Programme is to support health promotion in schools.

Quick links on this page:
Policy initiatives and planning groups
Relevant policy documents
Key networks
Key partners

Policy initiatives and planning groups

Health Scotland’s Education Programme is informed by key issues for Schools in Scotland.

These include:

Health promoting schools
In 2002, Scottish Ministers set a target that all schools in Scotland are to be health promoting by 2007. This target underpins the work of the Education programme and provides direction for future developments.

The Partners Policy and Strategy Group
This group has collaborated to produce a strategic plan for the health promoting school in Scotland 2006-2008.

The plan aims to address key challenges identified by the partners in taking this agenda forward. Within this plan, Health Scotland has several responsibilities with regards to leadership and direction in shaping future agendas and monitoring and evaluating the impact of health promoting schools. These priorities are reflected in the work of the Education programme.

The National Accreditation Framework
It has been recognised that a framework for national accreditation in relation to the health promoting school agenda would help in achieving an appropriate degree of consistency across local accreditation arrangements, identify progress made at local and national levels and provide a focus for those areas in Scotland in which health promotion in schools is less well developed.

Health Scotland sits on the National Endorsement Team (NET) as an observer to oversee the process of National Accreditation.

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Relevant policy documents

There are a number of key policies and documents which shape and direct the work of the Education Programme. These include:

Improving Health in Scotland: The Challenge (The Scottish Executive, 2003) (external link)
This paper provides a strategic framework for delivering a more rapid rate of health improvement in Scotland through the integration of work in four areas: 'Early Years', the 'Teenage Transition', the 'Workplace', and 'Communities'.

Our National Health – A plan for action, a plan for change (The Scottish Executive, 2000) (external link)
This action plan sets out a challenge for the Scottish Executive, the NHS, local authorities and others to 'build a national effort to improve health and reduce inequalities in health'. To help achieve these aims it required community planning partnerships to prepare joint health improvement plans.

Towards a Healthier Scotland: A White Paper on Health (The Scottish Executive, 1999) (external link)
This paper underlines the importance of health and health promotion.

Tackling Drugs in Scotland – Action in Partnership (The Scottish Executive, 1999) (external link)
This paper is structured around four main aims.

• 'Young People' – To help young people resist drug misuse in order to achieve their full potential in society.
• 'Communities' – To protect our communities from drug-related, anti-social and criminal behaviour.
• 'Treatment' – To enable people with drug problems to overcome them and live healthy and crime-free lives.
• 'Availability' – To stifle the availability of illegal drugs on our streets.

National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being: Action Plan (The Scottish Executive, 2003–2006) (external link)
The programme was launched in 2001. The four main aims for action during 2003–2006 are:

• Raising awareness and promoting mental health and well-being.
• Eliminating stigma and discrimination.
• Preventing suicide.
• Promoting and supporting recovery.

Let’s make Scotland more active – A strategy for physical activity (The Scottish Executive, 2003) (external link)
This paper outlines a strategy for encouraging people of all ages to be more physically active and sets national targets for physical activity in Scotland.

Hungry for Success – A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland (The Scottish Executive, 2003) (external link)
Setting national nutrient-based standards for school meals in Scotland, Hungry for Success follows up recommendations in the Scottish Diet Action Plan. It emphasises the need for catering and the provision of drinks and food in schools to be seen as an important whole-school issue that requires careful planning and effective partnerships.

Enhancing Sexual Well-being In Scotland – A Sexual Health and Relationships Strategy (The Scottish Executive, 2003) (external link)
This paper outlines a proposal for a sexual health and relationship strategy for Scotland. It lists a number of recommendations, some of which identify the role of local authorities and schools, for delivering an integrated approach to sexual health and relationships through partnership working.

Alcohol Action Plan – Hidden Harm – Next Steps: Supporting Children Working with Parents (external link)
This paper address the issues for children and young people affected by parental substance misuse. It identifies and brings together a range of actions and initiatives for the Scottish Executive and local partner agencies to take forward in order to improve the way in which agencies identify, support and protect children and young people living with parental substance misuse.

Ambitious, excellent schools (external link)
This document outlines the next set of actions to help schools achieve excellence. It is driven by an agenda for action, which involves:

• Heightened expectations, stronger leadership and ambition.
• More freedom for teachers and schools.
• Greater choice and opportunity for pupils.
• Better support for learning.
• Tougher, intelligent accountabilities.

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Key Networks

Key networks the Education team are involved with include:

Health Promotion Schools Specialist Group
Aims to bring together health promotion specialists who work within the schools setting to share local and national information and discuss emerging issues in relation to health promoting schools.

UK Counterparts
Meetings take place twice a year with UK-wide partners to discuss National health promoting schools' issues.

Policy Partners Strategic Group

Health Promoting Schools Network Group
Established to facilitate the flow of information on health promoting schools between national and local levels, between schools and councils, NHS boards and other key agencies.

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Key Partners

COSLA – The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (external link)
COSLA is the representative voice of Scottish local government.

Learning and Teaching Scotland (external link)
Learning and Teaching Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Scottish Executive Education Department.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (external link)
HMIE’s core objective is to promote sustainable improvements in standards, quality and achievements for all learners in a Scottish education system which is inclusive.

Scottish Executive Health and Education Departments (external link)
The Scottish Executive Health and Education Departments have jointly committed to the development of the health promoting school throughout Scotland.

Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit (external link)
The Health Promoting Schools Unit’s role is to champion and promote the development of health promoting schools in order to meet the target of all schools in Scotland being health promoting by 2007.

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