Health promoting schools in England - a way forward in development

Schools are identified as a key setting for health promotion in the UK Gove rnment's consultation report on the public health strategy for England. The concept of the 'healthy' or 'health promoting school' provides the basis f or a broad settings approach to health promotion in schools. The approach e xtends beyond the formal health education curriculum to include a considera tion of the physical and social environment of schools and their links and partnerships with parents and the wider community, in pursuit of better hea lth. There is growing evidence that the health promoting school approach is effective in influencing outcomes related to health and education. Initiat ives in the form of projects and schemes are commonly used by Health Promot ion Specialist services and health partnerships, to stimulate and support t he adoption of the approach by schools. A national healthy school scheme is to be launched alongside these local initiatives in 1999. The paper review s research and practice in this area and makes recommendations to inform th e future development of schools as health promoting organizations.