Source: City of Westminster
Twenty-five schools in Westminster have received up to £8,000 in grant funding to improve pupils’ health and wellbeing.
The school health and wellbeing survey, a Westminster City Council initiative administered by the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU), was implemented in 25 schools across the city in 2024. The survey, covering topics such as emotional health and wellbeing, safety, food and diet and physical activity, collected responses from 1,357 pupils.
The survey results have helped the council understand what children need to improve their health and wellbeing and it has given schools a valuable insight into their pupils’ lives.
Following the survey, each school has received their confidential report and a grant to act on the findings relevant to their pupils – £5,000 for primaries and £8,000 for secondaries and special schools.
Gabby Woolf, Vice Principal of King Solomon Academy, said:
“King Solomon Academy is very grateful to have received a grant from Westminster after participating in the school health and wellbeing survey, which is especially crucial in these times of scarcity. Our findings have shown supporting pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing is important for their health and education. The grant has allowed us to better fund our therapeutic counselling provision, which is run by Place 2 Be and has been a huge support for pupils’ emotional wellbeing and mental health.”
Cllr Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector, said:
“The voices of children and young people are crucial for designing comprehensive health and wellbeing programmes that answer to their needs. This survey and funding will give schools the knowledge and resources needed to act on the issues that matter most to their pupils, whether that is online safety, mental wellbeing or physical health. It reflects our continued commitment to building a healthier and fairer community for our children in Westminster.”
The council currently leads on a range of health and wellbeing services and initiatives for children and young people:
- The School Health Service has been enhanced with a wider emotional and mental health offer. It has been delivering asthma training (as part of the Asthma Friendly School initiative) and developing school partnership agreements.
- The funding for the Mental Health Youth Worker service has been extended for two years to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people attending Youth Hubs in Westminster.
- The Edward Wilson Primary School Superzone has been created to help school children play safely, breathe clean air, be active, enjoy a healthy diet and thrive.