Belvoir Park Primary School
Belvoir Park
Belfast
BT8 7DL
Belvoir
Park Primary School is a medium-sized urban school serving the local
community of the Belvoir Park area, and it is located on the edge of
the largest urban forest in Europe. The school consists of a double
unit nursery department, the main primary school, an integral Speech
and Language Department and a separate youth club on site. The school
has a register of 311 pupils, 76 of whom are registered as having
special needs and 33 of whom have speech and language difficulties.
Sixteen percent of pupils are entitled to free school meals. The school
teaching staff consists of the principal, a vice-principal, 11
teachers, four speech and language teachers, and 10 classroom
assistants. A number of health professionals are associated with the
school including the South Eastern Area Health Promoting Schools
Coordinator, three Speech and Language Therapists, NSPCC counsellor,
South and East Belfast Health Trust staff, school nurse, Queen’s
University, Belfast, Primary Movement research team and Life Education
staff.
How did you identify actions for school
development planning?
The
Health Promoting School team consisted of the principal, the vice
principal, the physical education coordinator and two classroom
assistants. The SEELB area Health Promoting Schools Coordinator
provided support and health professionals, parents, the school nurse
and other support agencies were co-opted when required.
A variety of audit tools provided by the Health Promoting Schools
initiative were used to survey pupils and parents and informal feedback
was obtained from staff. The audit was conducted by the principal in
the first instance and agreed with the Health Promoting School team.
The actions identified were incorporated into the school development
plan and endorsed by the school board of governors.
Actions:
- Increase healthy eating, exercise and drugs awareness.
- Improve hygiene and litter in school.
- Establish staff vetting in relation to child protection.
- Reintroduce pastoral care assemblies.
- Promote pupil and parental consultation.
- Increase staff and pupil wellbeing.
- Develop wider community links with outside agencies.
Why were these actions chosen?
- To have a proactive approach to litter collection around school.
- To create a forum for the children to express their views.
- To ensure all staff vetted in relation to Child Protection.
- To restart pastoral assembly.
- To carry out a pupil needs analysis.
- To carry out a parental consultation process.
- To reintroduce extracurricular activities into school.
- To encourage the community to use the school hall for sport.
- To redefine the playground rules.
- To raise the standard of hygiene in the toilet areas.
- To provide health-related staff development.
- To focus on the issue of drugs awareness for staff, children and parents.
- To seek funding to support the Health Promoting School Initiative within the school.
- To raise the profile of healthy eating in school.
- To close the school tuck shop.
How was each action implemented?
- A
review was carried out with the buildings supervisor in relation to the
purchase of extra bins for the school. A new procedure for collecting
and emptying rubbish was agreed and pupils were made aware of their
responsibilities in the matter.
- A school council was established as a forum for pupils to express
their views on a range of issues. A boy and girl from year 4 though to
year 7 and a member of teaching staff are chosen each year to represent
the views, ideas and concerns of pupils.
- All school staff were vetted using the updated criminal records check.
- The pastoral assembly was reintroduced to allow pupils to celebrate success related to in-school and out-of-school activities.
- A wide range of extracurricular activities including ICT, cookery,
football and hockey were reintroduced into the school programme for KS2
pupils.
- The school hall is now used by a local soccer club and this
provides a sporting outlet for a number of our children on a Monday
night.
- A review of playground rules was conducted by classroom assistants and a new set of rules was agreed.
- Playground markings were applied to two areas of the school to
provide a more stimulating and challenging area for the children. The
children and classroom assistants were at the heart of the design
process.
- All the toilet areas in school have been fitted with neutralising sprays, new soap dispensers and towel holders.
- The Life Education Project was brought into school to address the
issue of drugs awareness information for staff, parents and children.
The programme is based on the Life Education Project spending one week
in school teaching children about issues related to health and
wellbeing.
- The school nurse trained all staff in the emergency use of EpiPen
for severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) which may become fatal
within minutes if untreated. [Further information for schools on how to
help children with serious allergies may be found on the Allergy in
Schools website www.allergyinschools.org.uk.]
- The SEELB HPS Coordinator has worked with staff both after school and on two INSET days to raise the profile of HPS.
- The NSPCC counselling service was brought into school to address issues of wellbeing for children and their families.
- The PSNI have initiated a community-based information point in
school on each Thursday to raise the profile of community safety in
Belvoir. Two officers have been working with the children on the
project. They have also talked with parents as part of a community
safety programme.
- The Living Willows for Shade Project has provided a sun-shade area
for pupils in school. This was carried out in conjunction with the
Trust Health Promotion Department, South Eastern Education and Library
Board (SEELB) and Conservation Volunteers.
- Conservation Volunteers came into school and planted some trees to
enhance the local environment. They have also involved the pupils in a
number of seed gathering and planting projects in the Belvoir Forest.
- Sainsbury’s provided a community development worker who worked in
school to promote the advantages of healthy eating and cooking using
local produce.
Which aspects went particularly well?
- The
markings on the playground were a great success and have been widely
praised by children, parents and staff. The children were actively
involved in trying out the suggested designs and choosing the one they
worked best.
- The Life Education Project was greatly enjoyed both by staff and pupils.
- The Living Willows for Shade Project produced a great deal of
interest among both staff and pupils. The true impact will only be
realised next summer.
- The PSNI project has been very successful and was nominated for a community award.
- The incidents of bullying and poor behaviour in the playground have
diminished greatly and this can be attributed to the work of teachers
and classroom assistants but also to the more responsible attitude of
pupils.
- We have had a most positive response to the upgrading of the toilet
areas as identified on the pupil and parent audit and have installed
new fittings for towels and soap and slow release odour systems.
- Reintroduction of the “Clubs and Games” afternoon has been very successful.
- The visits by Sainsbury’s community development worker have been an
incredible success. It has provided support by arranging visits for
pupils (eg to a fish factory), providing produce from all the major
food groups for sampling in school and helping with the cookery club,
which has become a star attraction!
- The pastoral assembly is very popular with the children and staff.
It has allowed pupils to develop self-esteem and celebrate both
individual and group success.
- The NSPCC counselling service is a confidential service. However,
those parents and children who have been in contact with the counsellor
have provided very positive feedback on this work.
What problems were encountered and how were these overcome?
- Our
main problem has been the difficulty in obtaining funding for the
Newtownbreda and Belvoir Extended Schools Project. The SEHT and the
three schools have tried to overcome this by seeking a grant from the
lottery funding for young people.
- The staff at school have been working extremely hard on staff
development across a number of areas and this has proved difficult. The
self-evaluation process has enabled us to set up a four year plan for
achieving targets at a more realistic pace.
- Involving the parents in meetings in relation to HPS has been difficult.
What new or enhanced networks/partnerships have been developed?
- The SEELB Health Promoting Schools Coordinator has helped staff to use audit tools in a non-threatening manner.
- Our link with the PSNI has led to a number of collaborative events,
including specific classes for pupils and helping them look at safety
issues for the Belvoir Estate.
- Enhanced links to the Youth Club in school in relation to HPS were beneficial.
- Enhanced links with the SEHT have been invaluable in relation to community resources and signposting to funding.
- We have developed an excellent relationship with Conservation Volunteers and Belvoir Forest which has been mutually beneficial.
- The link with Sainsbury’s and the local food-chain suppliers has been massive.
- The whole school approach to Health Promoting Schools has been tremendous.
How has success been measured?
- The whole school approach to Health Promoting Schools has been tremendous.
- The Health Promoting Schools audit tools provided by SEELB Health
Promoting Schools Coordinator have been most valuable in collating
responses to issues related to health.
- Children are occupied during break times and new playground rules
have contributed to a marked reduction in behavioural problems in the
playground.
- There has been a vast increase in the number of pupils participating in games related activities in school.
- There is a demand from parents and pupils for more cookery classes.
- We have used the audit tools provided by PSNI to survey staff and
pupils in evaluation of PSNI help in school, but we do not yet have the
results.
- The the support staff are committed to HPS.
- The support from SEHT in providing a team of specialised staff to
baseline our programme and develop a specialised bid for the lottery
funders.
- The enjoyment of the children involved in the Life Education Project.
Does this action link to other activities?
- The
playground markings will be developed over the next school year as an
integral part of the Physical Education programme in school.
- The Living Willows for Shade Project will be integrated into the World Around Us modules of work.
- The Sainsbury’s Project will be integrated into the World Around Us modules of work.
- The PSNI initiative will be expanded into the three schools within the Extended Schools Project.
- The school council will be grown and developed next year, as part of pastoral care.
- Environmental studies will be introduced into school as part of
Clubs and Societies. The school grounds will be developed by pupils.
- A new HPS policy will be integrated into our existing health policy, which is now out of date.
In general, what has the school gained from involvement in
the Health Promoting Schools initiative?
- An increased awareness of promoting health on an integrated and coordinated basis within Belvoir community.
- A greater emphasis has been placed on pupil activity at playtime.
- A focus on the wellbeing of both staff and pupils.
- Concentrating on nutritional standards, as part of a whole school programme.
- Developing links with external agencies and other providers who could help us with HPS events.
The Health Promoting Schools self-evaluation process was a
challenging, and at the same time, rewarding process. The audit tools
provided by the initiative have enabled us to clearly identify and
address gaps in our provision and thus move forward as a Health
Promoting School. The results have motivated staff to a deeper
commitment in being a Health Promoting School.
What are the key plans for the future?
Belvoir Park Primary has been awarded funding through the extended
schools programme, whereby the school will provide additional services
during or beyond the school day to help meet the needs of the children,
families and the wider community.
In the future we also aim:
- To develop a new Health Promoting Schools policy.
- To develop the school council into a meaningful consultation group.
- To seek ways to involve parents in Health Promoting Schools.
- To build on and extend existing community services, programmes and external links.
- To address issues related to food in packed lunches and school snacks.
- To further address issues related to litter and recycling.
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