Health Education

Introduced in April 2021, children across the school take part in Health Education. Through this teaching, children learn about physical health and mental wellbeing and learn how to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing. Children are taught that mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life in the same way as physical health. Health Education enables pupils to recognise what is normal and what is an issue in themselves and others, and when issues arise, where and how to seek appropriate support.

Children learn that physical health and mental wellbeing are interlinked and they understand that good physical health contributes to good mental health.

Cross-curricular teaching takes place through other curriculum areas such as Physical Education, Science and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), as well as Health Education specific teaching. Key themes from Health Education are also addressed through whole school assemblies and themed days and weeks such as Safer Internet Week. Each class uses Zones of Regulations to help provide children with the language, knowledge and understanding to articulate their own feelings and understand the feelings of others.

Teaching around mental wellbeing encourages children to recognise and talk about their own emotions and to learn simple self-care techniques such as rest, hobbies and socialising with family and friends to help maintain positive mental health.

Through education on physical health children learn about the importance and benefits of sleep, regular physical exercise, healthy eating, personal hygiene, dental hygiene and sun safety. When learning about physical and mental health, children learn about healthy routines and patterns in their online life such as appropriate and healthy use of social media and gaming; the importance of rationing time online and discerning information online. At an age appropriate level, pupils at Eversley learn about the harmful effects and risks to health from smoking, drinking alcohol and taking illegal drugs.

In Years 3-6, children undertake basic first aid training through the British Heart Foundation’s Heartstart course. Here, children learn how to deal with common injuries such as head injuries, placing casualties into the recovery position and performing CPR.

Our Health Education teaching aims to give children knowledge about their own health so that can make informed decisions and build good habits and routines to promote positive physical and mental wellbeing.