What the Specialist Awards are, what topics you can do specialist awards in and how your school can achieve them.

Specialist awards focus on specific health and wellbeing topics. 

You can start working on Specialist Awards before achieving the Essential Award. However, we encourage all schools to complete the Essential Award before or alongside the Specialist Awards.

How your school can achieve a specialist award

The specialist awards encourage schools to make changes, such as: 

  • changes to the school's physical environment
  • making improvements to the curriculum 
  • investing in leadership and training

How long it takes

We recommend that you complete the application within one year, so that your answers stay up to date.

How we support you

We'll:

  • work with you and with your school nurse, giving guidance over email
  • provide a directory of advice, guidance and resources
  • give extra support to schools working in the most deprived areas or with the most vulnerable pupils

How we assess your work

After you submit your application the Healthy Schools team will be in touch to let you know the outcome.

It may be that you need some extra time to put the required practice in place. If this is the case, additional support will be provided.

What you'll get

When your school achieves a specialist award, your school will:

  • receive a Healthy Schools certificate,
  • be able to use award logos on your website or letterheads
  • be added to our Healthy Schools website, so your local community and other schools can learn about the work you do as a Healthy School
  • receive continued support from the Bristol Healthy Schools Team

Award topics

Logo mental health and wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing

Creating a school culture that supports positive pupil and staff mental health and helps those with poor mental health.

Logo food environment

Food environment

Creating a culture that promotes healthy eating and drinking, supports cooking and growing food and makes healthy choices possible and attractive.

Logo Bristol ideal

Bristol ideal award

Tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence (the Bristol ideal award): promoting healthy relationships and gender equality and supporting those at risk of or experiencing abuse.

Logo physical activity

Physical activity

Encouraging physical activity and reducing barriers to being active.

Logo understanding substances

Understanding substances

Preventing, delaying and reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Logo dental health

Dental health

Encouraging good dental health among Bristol school children.