Making every school a health promoting school
Health and education experts commit to scale up the Health Promoting School approach in Europe
Schools are not just places for learning; they are places for living, shaping children and young people’s health, habits, and opportunities. Yet across Europe, students show declining skills, rising obesity, worsening mental health and wellbeing, all amid growing inequalities. Schools struggle to deal with challenges that extend beyond the classroom.
In the face of these challenges, the Health Promoting School (HPS) approach offers practical, evidence-based solutions. Through collaboration with students, staff, and professionals across different sectors, a health promoting school integrates health and wellbeing into its policies and culture. It continually strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning, and working and empowers young people with essential life skills.
From awareness to action
The Schools4Health conference ‘From Awareness to Action: Making Every School a Health Promoting School,’ held on 2 December in Brussels, gathered policy experts from WHO/Europe, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the European Commission, alongside public health professionals and school leaders from across Europe. The message was clear: more collaboration and stronger policies are needed at all levels to structurally embed, support, and scale up the Health Promoting School approach to improve learning, wellbeing and social outcomes for all children and youth.
"Schools are places where habits influencing young people's health and wellbeing quickly become ingrained. This is why it is so important that schools provide healthy environments for young people to learn and grow. At the European level, wellbeing in schools is high on the agenda."
- Glenn Micallef,
Commissioner on Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, and Culture
European Commission
Watch the Commissioner's video address
Speakers showcased how they implemented the Health Promoting Schools approach through initiatives in physical activity, nutrition, and mental wellbeing in school structures, as well as engaging the neighbouring community.
At the follow-up high-level meeting on 3 December, European and national policy experts provided examples and discussed what kinds of policies, investments and initiatives are needed to improve school environments in ways that generate better health and educational outcomes.
"With the newly adopted WHO/UNICEF Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Well-being in the WHO European Region, we have a clear mandate to make every school a place where children can learn, thrive, and stay healthy. Health promoting schools are essential to giving every child the chance to reach their full potential."
- Sophie Jullien,
Technical Officer for Child and Adolescent Health - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
The events led to a shared recognition that policy and governance must catch up with the evidence. Participants called for a renewed political commitment at the European and national levels, stronger alignment across sectors, as well as targeted investment to ensure that every school can become a health promoting school - not just a motivated few.
"Many schools think they cannot afford to focus on health because it takes time away from other subjects. There is clear evidence, however, that investing in health and wellbeing improves learning outcomes. In addition, when students grow up in schools that encourage participation, wellbeing, and respect, they carry those values with them into society."
- Caroline Costongs
Director of EuroHealthNet
The conference and policy expert meeting closed with a commitment to build a WHO-associated European Network of Health Promoting Schools, and strengthen cooperation, exchange policies, engage schools, and sustain momentum around school health in Europe. A new EuroHealthNet Thematic Working Group will facilitate continued collaboration among EuroHealthNet members.
Interested to learn more? Visit Schools4Health's website and LinkedIn, and get in touch to see how you can join our growing movement in making every school a health promoting school in Europe.
Commissioner Glenn Micallef addresses participants at the Schools4Health conference
Video on promoting health schools in Spain
Video on promoting health schools in Spain
Led by EuroHealthNet, Schools4Health (2023-2025) is an EU4Health-funded project which aims to introduce, strengthen, and sustain the adoption of the Health Promoting School (HPS) approach and other whole-school approaches to health.
Schools4Health works with 16 schools across the EU to implement good practices in healthy nutrition, physical activity, and mental health as entry points to introduce or reinforce the Health Promoting School model.
Have a look at Schools4Health's resources on the website.
