Prioritising for healthy schools activities: an initial review exercise

This paper focuses on one aspect of Health Promotion Service Avon’s Schools for Health Project 1997/98, which is the development, implementation, analysis and evaluation of an initial review questionnaire completed by teachers, non‐teaching staff, parents and pupils. This provided a baseline audit tool in 13 schools. The initial review questionnaire covered topics within the areas of environment, school ethos, staff and pupil wellbeing, curriculum and community. This helped schools to identify areas for development via the project. Benefits arising from the initial review exercise identified by schools included: giving all school members the chance to put their views across; engaging people in the project and raising awareness of the school’s involvement in the project; and giving legitimacy to concerns raised informally by staff. The importance of ensuring that any questionnaire given to non‐teaching staff and pupils is “jargon‐free” and “user‐friendly” was highlighted by some of the teachers involved.