Healthy High Five Award at Bitterne CE Primary School

We are extremely proud to say that in Autumn 2022 we achieved the Gold award for the Healthy High 5 Award in recognition for our consistent approach to implementing the different aspects of this award. The key aim is to provide healthy and fun activities for all pupils to improve their wellbeing. In order to achieve this, we ensure that the following activities take place each half term.

Daily Physical Activity 
We are dedicated to ensuring that our children are leading healthy and active lifestyles. When physical activity forms part of the day children often eat and sleep better. It can improve children’s focus and their readiness to learn. It helps them build relationships, with children often helping and encouraging their peers. Physical activity also improves perception of exercise, and promotes the idea of self-care. 

As a school we offer this in a variety of ways such as the daily mile, dance videos and other exercise videos dependent on the weather. We have also introduced play ambassadors that have been trained to engage pupils in physical activities during lunch time.

Access to water
All children are encouraged to bring in a water bottle and to drink regularly from this. They are able to fill up their bottles throughout the day and are supplied with a water bottle if they have forgotten their own.

Healthy lunch, breakfast and after school clubs
As a school we aim to teach our children to make sensible choices in their diet. Not only to breakfast and after school clubs offer healthy options, City Catering have worked hard to ensure that lunches offered are of a high quality and provide a balanced diet. We also provide a curriculum that teaches children to think about what they are eating and how different food groups contribute to healthy living.

Mindfulness minute
Mindfulness means to focus on ‘now’ and promotes a feeling of calm. This is turn helps to develops concentration, increases focus, attention and listening skills. We use a range of mindful exercises such as breathing techniques, drawing and colouring and focusing on sights and sounds around them.

Nurturing nature
All classes throughout the school will grow something once each half term. This can promote a feeling of mindfulness and well-being within pupils. Also, it teaches them the importance of taking caring of things in the environment and how precious our environment is. Pupils also learn how to look after nature, equipping them with skills for life. Over the course of last year, we grew marigolds, Californian poppies, impatiens and are currently growing violas.