St Illtyd Primary School Achieves Healthy Success

In 2019 we were presented with the prestigious National Quality Award of the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools Scheme.

The achievement of this award is the culmination of 16 years of work, as the school has developed and improved its approach to improve the health of children, staff and parents. St Illtyd became only the 9th school in the Vale of Glamorgan to have reached this important milestone.

Welsh Government assessors visited St Illtyd in December 2018, and assessed the school against wide ranging criteria across the following health topic areas:

Food and Fitness

Mental and Emotional Health and Well Being

Environment

Safety

Hygiene

Personal Development and Relationships

Substances

Among many highlights of their visit, the assessors congratulated the school on their exceptional whole school approach regarding the emotional health and wellbeing of the school community. Pupils were adamant that if they had any concerns then staff would help them.

The school’s environmental work was noted as being particularly strong. The wild walk, raised beds, mud kitchen and log circle are well looked after and make the outside environment interesting and attractive.

Weekly enrichment sessions in KS2 provide pupils with an opportunity to learn a variety of different skills based on various different topics. For example, vegetable and fruit is grown on the school grounds and maintained by the children. The produce is eaten in school or sold back to parents with the money being channelled back into the school garden. Parents and members of the local community offer their skills to enable this to happen.

St Illtyd Primary School also excels in many activities to promote healthy eating, has taken up numerous opportunities to encourage pupils to be more physically active, and ensures all pupils are aware of e safety, through the activities of the Digital Leaders Pupil Voice Group.

This award needs to renewed every 2 years and I am pleased to say that St Illtyd Primary School has maintained this award after passing the re-assessment in February 2021.