Health promotion in Welsh primary schools, 1998

This paper presents findings from a self-completion questionnaire survey of primary schools in Wales conducted in the spring of 1998. The survey provides data on the organisation and provision of health education teaching, the implementation of health related policies, the involvement of outside agencies and professionals in the planning and delivery of health promotion, and the extent to which respondents perceive their schools to fulfil the role of a ‘health promoting school’. The results from the responding 450 schools (80% response rate) show a continued commitment and expansion of health promotion activity since an earlier survey in 1993. Notable improvements include an increase in the number of schools reporting policies relating to bullying, sex education, and adult smoking on school premises. Fifteen per cent of respondents considered their school to be health promoting and it was encouraging to find that some health promoting practices were reported more often by these schools than others. However, the results also suggest that the concept of a ‘health promoting’ school may not yet be completely understood. It is recommended that greater attention in all schools should be given to: written health policies for both pupils and staff, in particular those regarding nutrition; the amount of in-service training devoted to health education topics; and further integration of community resources into school health promotion programmes.