Farrington Gurney Primary School has become the first school to achieve the top ‘green grading’ in every category of the Healthy Schools Certificate, awarded by NHS B&NES and the Council.
The accolade is a major step towards the school’s goal of achieving the prestigious Director of Public Health Award.
Farrington Gurney Primary achieved the Healthy Schools Certificate by reviewing all their health related work and setting new targets. The pupils demonstrated current successes by producing a review of a selection of the health work going on in the school including the new allotments at Farrington Farm where all the children grow their own vegetables. The pumpkins they grew also won prizes in a Bath & North East Somerset Council competition and were used to make pumpkin soup for the entire school.
Paul Scott, Acting Director of Public Health for Bath and North East Somerset, who chairs the Awarding body, said: “I would like to congratulate Farrington Gurney Primary School for all the work they have put into achieving their Healthy Schools Certificate as part of the Director of Public Health Award. The school achieved the highest category for the certificate and we regard them as an outstanding example of a healthy school in Bath and North East Somerset. The children are regularly involved in whole school activities such as cooking and cycling as well as having special projects going on such as ukulele classes. Many congratulations!”
The Director of Public Health Award is a health and wellbeing programme commissioned by NHS B&NES for all educational settings. The schools programme is developed and delivered by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The Award was launched in April 2012 and has been developed locally to recognize and reward schools, early years settings and further education colleges which support the health and wellbeing of their children and young people.
Councillor Dine Romero (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council is proud to support schools working towards the Director of Public Health Award as a method for school improvement through tackling key health issues and reducing inequalities. Everyone at Farrington Gurney Primary School has performed incredibly well to achieve top marks right across the board with their Healthy Schools Certificate. We hope the positive examples they continue to set will inspire others to consider how they may improve too.”
Paul Scott will present the Healthy Schools Certificate to Farrington Gurney Primary School at a special assembly on Friday 11th January 2013.
The school can now focus on obtaining the Healthy Outcomes Certificate. To gain this it has to show how is has improved the health and wellbeing of its pupils. Once Farrington Gurney Primary School has achieved both certificates, it will qualify for the Director of Public Health Award.
