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Describes schools’ obligations under UK health and safety legislation, and the challenge posed to schools by the Health of the Nation targets on accident prevention. Schools’ relative lack of awareness of these obligations caused the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to initiate a project aimed at producing a training resource for schools, which would help them address their responsibilities. The project received funding from the Department for Education and Employment, the Department of Health, the then Department of Transport, the Health and Safety Executive and The Scottish Office. The result was the resource, Together Safely: Developing a Whole School Approach to Health and Safety. This aims to encourage schools to develop an ethos that promotes health and safety, and to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist to promote and develop health and safety skills and strategies both through the curriculum and good practice.

Schools are recognised as key settings for health promotion. This has resulted in resources being allocated specifically for the development of Health Promoting Schools. If the existing level of resourcing is to continue, mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of Health Promoting Schools need to be designed that are appropriate for the concept. Currently, there is an emphasis on evidence‐based practice, but the difficulty lies in determining what is acceptable as evidence in the context of Health Promoting Schools, and what are the most appropriate methods for collecting this evidence. The disease‐prevention approach, with its emphasis on controlled trials and discrete outcomes is not appropriate. New models must be developed that reflect the multi‐variant and dynamic nature of the processes involved. Outlines principles that could guide this work and includes consideration of the some key health‐promotion principles, including equity, consultation, collaboration, ownership and sustainability, linking these with some newer concepts, such as capacity building and social capital, which are proving useful in the development, monitoring and evaluation of Health Promoting Schools.

Operating within the “settings” approach of the Ottawa Charter, the European Network of Health Promoting Schools has, since its launch in 1992, been the most powerful catalyst for the development of the health‐promoting school concept across Europe. Founded on a partnership between the European Union, Council of Europe and the World Health Organization, it is now established in 40 countries right across Europe. Its principles have been determined by a range of key meetings, conferences and documents, while the evaluation of its practice increasingly suggests that it is highly effective. The network is based on the principles of empowerment, partnership, democracy, equity, action competence and sustainability, and sees key areas for action as being teacher education, links with parents and the community, and evaluation, to move health promotion in schools on to a sound evidence base. Targets for the future development of the network include extending it to the few remaining countries that still fall outside it, and the widespread dissemination of its learning and goals, so that every child in Europe can have the benefits of being educated in a health‐promoting school.

Highlights the challenge of evaluating the healthy or health‐promoting school and describes the development of an instrument for profiling and monitoring the development of such institutions. The adaptability and scope of the instrument is discussed at length and this includes use of the instrument to undertake valuations of existing health‐promotion assets within schools and evaluation of the health‐promoting school. Examples of how the instrument has been used, both nationally and internationally, are provided. A detailed description of the methodology introduces the notion of profiling the health‐promoting/healthy school, and health‐promoting assets in schools, using a multiple‐axes radial profile graph. Discusses the challenges of creating an evaluation instrument that recognises the practical difficulties of undertaking evaluation in schools, the complex nature of the health‐promoting school, and the underlying principles of evaluating health promotion.

Summarizes the difficulties facing today’s adolescents and data on the prevalence of risk‐taking behaviour which threatens their health. Describes how the school nurse is in a unique position to influence the health of school age children, and is often perceived by them as a caring, listening person whom they can trust. Suggests that school health services are in a rut, straddling the boundary between health and education services and failing to fit neatly into the primary health care team. Outlines how this is having a weakening effect, as providers and purchasers are unwilling to support a service which appears expensive and of questionable value. Deplores the lack of documented evidence on the effectiveness of school health services. Applauds authorities which have replaced routine medical examinations with more appropriate services. Urges the school health service to design services which recognize adolescents as a group with specific health needs. Makes a list of recommendations for achieving this aim.

The development of a Health Promoting School concept in Hong Kong has faced many challenges, as in other countries. However, there is strong evidence from research findings that there is a need for this development to promote the health of young people effectively. Strategies are currently being developed in Hong Kong to address the key issues and challenges inherent in developing Health Promoting Schools. They include work on teacher training, funding and resources, policy making, the re‐orientation of the education system, participation by the community and parents, and the formation of healthy alliances. All these issues need to be addressed before a school‐based health promotion programme can be developed further. This paper describes current strategies being used by the authors of this paper to tackle these issues to develop a more comprehensive Health Promoting School programme in Hong Kong.

Presents data from a 1995 self‐completion questionnaire survey of secondary schools in Wales on the organization and provision of health education teaching, the implementation of health‐related policies and the involvement of outside agencies in the planning and delivery of health promotion. The results from the 187 responding schools (82 per cent) show that a firm base exists for further developing health‐promoting secondary schools in Wales. Recommends that health education co‐ordinators devote preparation time to promote best practice in the subject and that schools put more effort into developing broadly based policies for health covering all those who use school premises. Advocates the structured integration of community resources into school programmes and improved understanding within schools of the concept of the health‐promoting school.

The health promoting school concept is now a well‐established framework for the development of health promotion initiatives in schools. Increasingly, attention has focused on the evaluation of school‐based health promotion and debate continues over appropriate evaluation designs for the school setting. The authors argue that the case study design provides a useful approach because of its ability to explore the real‐life complexities of social contexts using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, with a strong emphasis on process as well as outcome measures. The current ENHPS project in Scotland uses a multiple‐case study design to evaluate healthy eating initiatives in four schools, based on the principles of the health promoting school. Provides a description of the project and highlights the advantages of case study methodology in addressing key issues around effectiveness of school‐based health promotion based on the health promoting school concept.

The purpose of this editorial is to provide an overview and brief commentary concerning the present contributions to this third special issue on “Healthy schools and colleges”.

Authors working in the field of school or college health education were invited to submit their work to Health Education for purposes of review by their peers. After undergoing the traditional peer review process, five submissions that fulfilled the basic criteria relevant to this issue were selected for publication.

While reasonably diverse, these five contributions all confirm that, while the evidence base as well as the support for using the school as a venue to promote health are increasing, multiple considerations as well as approaches are required in order to successfully implement health‐oriented programs in the school and/or college setting. In addition to careful planning, and allocation of resources, in line with the first part of this 2010 series, all authors concur that multiple rather than single strategies are needed at all phases of program planning and implementation if sustainable efficacious programs are sought. Key strategies include having a socio‐ecological perspective, adequate teacher training, effective partnerships, policy support, and parental “buy‐in”.

While more research is needed, the ideas embedded in this special issue can assist stakeholders who wish to develop or improve the sustainability of school‐ and college‐based health promotion programs. The data specifically provide some direction about what is needed to do collectively to foster the health of the young people in the context of the health‐promoting school or college.

The purpose of this editorial is to provide an overview and brief summary of the present contributions to this third volume of recent Health Education Special Issue submissions on Healthy Schools and Colleges, commissioned early in 2010.

Authors working in the health education arena in either the school or college venues were invited to submit papers concerning current research‐related findings that addressed the topic of “what works, what is needed, and why?” as regards school‐based health education and health promotion efforts. After undergoing traditional peer review, five submissions fulfilling the basic criteria relevant to this volume were selected.

As in earlier volumes, the five papers reported here are reasonably diverse, and cover both the nature of common health problems and/or their solutions in schools, as well as college venues. In line with the first and second volumes of the 2010 series, all authors concur that multiple, rather than single, strategies are needed to support school‐based health programmes and health‐promoting behaviors. They also highlight the fact that health in schools is determined by both individual and collective health behaviors, and multiple rather than single stakeholders are needed to promote the implementation of efficacious programs and their sustainability.

While more research is needed, the ideas embedded in this special issue can assist stakeholders to develop or improve the efficacy and sustainability of school‐ and college‐based health promotion programs. The data specifically provide some direction about what is needed collectively to foster the health of the young people in the context of the health promoting school or college.