Health & Wellbeing in Integrated Learning Communities

I’ve had a whole heap of surveys to do this week, I’m sure you get asked to too. I do these things because (mostly) I’m happy to contribute and don’t want to let the side down, as mostly I respond on behalf on The Highland Council.

This week I’ve participated in a range of surveys, 6 to be exact, from on-line 5 minute ones, paper based exercises and some that take about 2 hours. The only survey I’ve felt comfortable with is Terry Freedman’s looking at the difference between blogging and writing. This survey is a great example of an easy yet rich response gathering exercise. The rest this week have been from universities, college students, Scottish Government and Highland Council ones, some that took over 2 hours! Seriously, I could have spent my whole week doing these things.

My advice to any survey writer is to keep it short! Keep it relevant. Tell people how long it is going to take and tell them how you’re going to give them feedback and give them a way to say they disagree with questions!

The nutritional regulations in schools have now been agreed by Scottish Parliament, this is just a facet of the more holistic Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act  The new Act is a massive step forward that incorporates the work of Hungry for Success, Active Schools and Health Promoting Schools.  

The new nutritional regs are explained here. As always,  I’m keen to promote resources that enable school staff to teach young people about all aspects of nutrition. Chewonthis is a great resource for all to use.

I still speak to a lot of schools who are worried about the loss of revenue from tuckshops, I guess in some ways this shines a light on the fact we still have much education to do in enabling school staff to see that crisps, chocolate and fizzy blue juice / sweets = hyperative and unfocussed pupils. Really, is it that difficult to understand?? Where’s the ethics here?!

I have huge amounts of evidence to show the impacts of sugar-crashes/additives on attention span. ‘Food, Mood, Learning and Behaviour’ is one of our courses in Highland led by Dave Rex, a UK-wide respected professional in ADHD and nutrition.

My other view is that if we impose (will impose) these regulations, how soon will it be before food manufacturers cotton on and produce products that schools can sell that meet the regulations, not long I bet. Believe me the writing has been on the wall for a veerry long time. Why else did Coca-Cola buy out Tropicana?

In Highland, we’re producing guidance to support schools in purchasing tuck shop items that comply with the regulations, I’d be keen to hear what’s happening elsewhere?!