College acknowledged for commitment to improve health services

Hopwood Hall College's students dress up to promote Health Week

Hopwood Hall College has been named as a recognised Healthy FE College.

The Healthy Further Education programme was set up 2008 and, as part of this programme, a national standard, the Healthy FE recognition award, was developed for colleges to achieve.

Healthy FE recognition is an award for colleges that are committed to developing healthy services for staff and students, in partnership arrangements with local and regional health services, local authorities and others. Potentially, the award provides contributory evidence to Ofsted and Every Child Matters requirements and supports improved student performance and achievement.

The College gained the recognition due to a number of strategies and initiatives it has developed over the past year, these included: employment of a Healthy College Coordinator, coordinating the Rochdale Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Sexual Health Survey amongst 800 students and development of positive relationships with local health and wellbeing service providers.

They also organised a varied calendar of engaging events for staff and students throughout the year which included; Summer Safety Days, eight cross college focus weeks, a Health Week Healthy Mile event and sexual health awareness training sessions for staff.

Kris Skelton, Director for students is thrilled that their work has been recognised, saying, “I am delighted that the college has been formally recognised for its hard work and commitment to improve health promotion and health services”.