Health & Wellbeing in Integrated Learning Communities

If you’re wondering about the title all will be revealed in a paragraph or two! I was asked to present a bit about how Health Promoting Schools is being mainstreamed as ‘health and wellbeing’ by a good friend and colleague Alan Clark at a PE Inset he expertly organised as the Subject Supporter for P.E and Active Schools Manager for Highland.

As well as P.E teachers there was a good mix of Active School Co-ordinators and volunteers. Presenters included Iain Stanger National Development Officer P.E. for LTS. Richard Bailey, Professor, Roehampton Institute and  Morna Crombie, LTS.

There was a real emphasis on uplifting staff and promoting a lively day with a mix of presenters, a market place and have a go activities including shinty, golf and cricket with the regional development officers. NHS Highland’s Oral Health Promoter was there to present their new ‘Tooth Trauma Kit’, a little tupperware type box with everything you need to rescue a knocked out tooth. A must for anyone working with young people (or grown ups) doing contact sports, it’s a new approach but given the amount of grown men I see with knocked out teeth in Badenoch & Strathspey, it’s surely going to be a welcome addition to the usual first aid kit.

One participant, Bryan Gregg has given his view about the day in his blog which I was really pleased to see. Richard Bailey presented an inspiring problem solving approach to P.E. taking a pedagogical view. He urged the audience to dwell on their own recollections of P.E. at school. For me, the links he made to seeing P.E. and Physical Activity in the context of health and wellbeing and lifestyle attitudes for life, struck chords with the direction of our current work, CfE cross-curricular approaches and the new School Act.

A muddy behind? - well whilst carrying the enormous amount of kit I seem to generate in going to training days I decided to be cheeky and pull my car in beside the back entrance of the P.E hall. I have to say I was warned at this point about the muddy bank, but being a hardy Highlander now I thought I take the risk. (ahem) Yes, I did manage to fall over and had to present to 80+ staff with my back firmly to the wall.

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