Healthy Schools at Ysgol Y Castell

At Ysgol Y Castell, we are proud to be part of the Healthy Schools Wales / Ysgolion Iach initiative. This programme helps us ensure that all pupils grow up healthy, confident, safe and ready to learn. We are committed to embedding health and wellbeing across everything we do — in lessons, in the way our school works, and in the relationships between home, school, and our wider community.

Below are the seven key health topic areas that we focus on. They guide our policies, our curriculum, our school environment and the support we provide to pupils and families.

 

The Seven Key Areas

1. Food and Fitness We aim to ensure that children have access to nutritious meals and healthy snacks, enjoy regular physical activity, and learn about how to make healthy food choices. Our playgrounds, lunch menu, and outdoor learning spaces all support movement and exercise.

2. Mental and Emotional Health and Well-Being We recognise that emotional wellbeing is just as important as physical health. We support children in building resilience, managing their feelings, developing good self-esteem, and responding to challenges. We provide pastoral care, opportunities for talking, mindfulness or breathing exercises, and a caring school atmosphere.

3. Personal Development and Relationships This includes helping pupils grow in confidence, independence, respect for themselves and others. We cover topics such as friendships, respect, responsibility, diversity, and relationships. We also help children develop life skills such as decision-making, empathy, teamwork, and personal responsibility.

4. Substance Use and Misuse We educate children about the risks of substance misuse, including legal, illegal or prescription drugs, and we support them to make informed choices. Our aim is prevention: giving accurate information, helping them to understand the effects, and ensuring they know where to find help.

5. Environment We believe that a healthy school includes a healthy environment. This covers both the physical environment (clean, well-maintained buildings and grounds, opportunities for outdoor learning) and wider environmental awareness (recycling, caring for nature, sustainable practice).

6. Safety Our school is committed to keeping every child safe in every way. This includes safety in the classroom and playground, online safety (internet use), first aid, sun safety, safeguarding procedures, and promoting safety awareness throughout the school.

7. Hygiene Good hygiene is fundamental. We teach and practice healthy habits—hand-washing, clean toilets, food hygiene, managing illness, teeth cleaning, etc. We also make sure the school environment is kept clean and that pupils understand good hygiene routines.

 

How We Do It

To make these seven areas a reality, Ysgol Y Castell uses a whole-school approach. This means:

· Leadership and communication: our senior staff and governors support health and wellbeing; we keep everyone informed and involved.

· Curriculum: we include health topics in lessons, assemblies, and extra-curricular activities.

· Ethos and environment: we try to create a school culture and setting where health and wellbeing are lived values.

· Family & community involvement: we believe parents, carers, and local community are essential partners in helping children stay healthy and confident.

 

Why It Matters

· Healthy children learn better—physically well, emotionally well, and socially well.

· Building good habits early helps children lead healthy lives in adulthood.

· We want our pupils to become caring, responsible citizens who look after themselves, each other, and the environment.

 

Useful Resources & Further Information

Here are some websites you may find helpful for families, children, and staff:

· Welsh Network of Healthy School Schemes (Public Health Wales) – general information about the Healthy Schools Wales programme. Public Health Wales

· Curriculum for Wales: Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience – shows how health and wellbeing are woven into what pupils learn in school. Health and Care Standards Wales

· Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales Delivery Plan 2025-2027 – includes school-based goals around food and physical activity. GOV.WALES

· The Health Challenge (NHS Wales) – resources and lesson plans for schools to support health topics. NHS Wales Performance and Improvement

· Play Wales – Play and Health – about how play supports children’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. play.wales