Healthy Schools Award

As a result of completing and meeting all the criteria on the Camden and Islington Health and Wellbeing Review, The Gower School is now recognised as a Camden and Islington Healthy School, and we have also been awarded the Healthy Schools London Silver award.

A ‘Healthy School’ is one that demonstrates that an effective foundation to support pupils’ health and wellbeing is provided. This recognition lasts for three years, until December 2021.

The quality assurance process checked the review against the criteria and identified the following examples of good practice at The Gower School:

• we provide a wealth of opportunities for pupils to be physically active; both as part of the curriculum and after school hours
• we foster excellent engagement with parents shown in the variety of ways we approach this
• we work to encourage pupil voice and peer support with School Council, Eco-Committee, the buddy reading scheme, new starter buddies and the use of peace tables
• we advise parents and pupils on healthy food choices for special helper snacks and packed lunches
• our menus are well balanced and drawn from a range of cultures providing pupils with a wide range of tastes and flavours

Helen Cameron, Health and Wellbeing Manager at School Improvement Service for Children, Employment and Skills, Islington Council said: “Miss Haigh has done a great job in ensuring the school meets all the relevant criteria. The completed review clearly reflects the range of activities and practices you have in place to support pupils and your school community. It is a very useful source of evidence.”

We are always reviewing our practices to ensure that we help our pupils to achieve and maintain good health and wellbeing and are working our way towards achieving The Healthy Schools London Gold Award.