Table 3 Academy trust respondents: the role of schools in student health promotion

No responsibility

Fundamentally, we are charged to educate children. Whilst we clearly have a strong interest in promoting health that is not actually our core business. It’s not that we don’t want to do it. It’s just the available time and capacity and resource. (AS1)

Functional approach

Healthy children will have fewer absences and absences are linked to GSCE grades.

They have to be here to learn. (AS2)

Removal of barriers to learning

Unless we can remove those barriers to learning, they are not going to access the curriculum. They’re not in an emotionally sound place, they’re not feeling secure enough. (AS7)

If you have healthy, happy children they hopefully will go on to have the better potential to attain. (AS8)

Duty to promote good health

There is [no point] being successful, academically, if you have a short life span. It’s a bit of a pointless exercise, so our conclusion we have come to is that, actually, the most important thing for these children is their wellbeing. (AS13)

There is a big commitment in the trust to ensure young people are fit and healthy, because we recognise that that is a driver to them being happy and successful (AS10)