Council grant helps primary school children understand how to make healthy choices
A Test Valley Borough Council councillor community grant of £430 has helped over 200 primary school children at Anton Junior School to make healthy choices in life.
Age-appropriate lessons focusing on children’s emotional health and wellbeing were delivered by a specialist educator from Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley, using Coram Life Education models. The charity also brought along resources including videos, an interactive body and a pop-up tent space to help the children learn about:
- healthy eating, including the problems of obesity,
- dealing with feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger and conflict,
- the importance of exercise, sleep, personal hygiene,
- friendship skills and coping strategies,
- respecting themselves and others online and in the real world,
- building confidence and self-esteem,
- building resilience to risk, assertiveness and decision-making skills,
- tackling peer group pressure and bullying,
- correcting the misperceptions and dangers about alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
Teachers at the school commented that children were really engaged by the workshop visuals, that the pop-up tent created a cosy and relaxed learning environment and that the sessions were inclusive, with lots of opportunity for ideas to be shared during discussions.
Councillor Lisa Matthews, one of the ward councillors for Winton ward, said: “By providing age-appropriate health, well-being and drug prevention education, children gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to make positive, healthy choices.
“As well as helping the children who took part, the benefits also cascade out to the wider community, as children who make the right healthy choices grow up as citizens who are more likely to make positive contributions to society.”
Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley has been working with young children since the 1990s and is the only charity providing an eight-year health, well-being and drug education programme.