Millbrook Junior School Celebrates Healthy Schools Award
Millbrook Junior School are excited that they have earned the status of a ‘Bronze Healthy School’.
The school have been working hard over the last few years to ensure that the school meets the criteria for being a healthy school.
The award looks at physical education as well as healthy eating, mental health and wellbeing. The whole of the curriculum reflects this. Millbrook Junior School follows the Jigsaw PSHE scheme which encourages mindfulness and an understanding of how to get on with others but also how to deal with any disagreements that might happen offering strategies to solve any issues. This is added to by taking part in Anti-Bullying Weeks as well Children’s Mental Health Week annually. The children are taught that everyone has ‘mental health’. The mindful strategies that they are taught help them to build resilience and ways to deal with the feeling they might have.
Mrs Green leads PSHE and said: “Our children speak enthusiastically about their PSHE lessons. They enjoy the lessons and understand how what they are learning now will help them after they have left Millbrook and go to their next school and beyond.”
Children are asked to bring in healthy lunch boxes and a fruit snack. They also have access to hot and cold school meals from Love Food who provide a variety of healthy lunches including jacket potatoes, soups, hot and cold wraps as well as a sandwiches. Healthy diet is part of the curriculum, with each year group cooking healthy food as part of Design and Technology lessons.
Pupils at Millbrook Junior School are also taught the importance of staying hydrated, they have access to chilled water throughout the day.
The children are encouraged to walk or ride a bike or scooter to school, if this is not possible ‘walk and stride’ is always a good alternative. The children are provided with PE lessons across the week, including swimming in Year 5, as well as extracurricular activities taking part in sporting events at different schools. There are also exciting residentials that strive to get the children experiencing different outdoor activities.
The school also loves to celebrate sporting achievements outside of school, from swimming to dancing or martial arts.
The Bronze Healthy Schools Award is not just about the children, it is also about staff and ensuring their wellbeing. Staff surveys at Millbrook Junior School are positive as people feel well supported and have access to a variety of wellbeing services as well as a staff team that are there to support each other.
Well done Millbrook Junior School!