Healthy Schools


How Healthy Is Your School?

Here are some survey/checklist available on-line that students, school councils, parents, staff, community partners and others can use to help assess how healthy their schools already are and zero-in on ways to improve.

1. Voices and Choices Planning for School Health (Health Canada)

This survey was developed by Health Canada. It is accessible on the Health Canada website and can be self-administered. The survey is one component within a comprehensive Planning for Healthy Schools Guide. The survey is directed at students and takes approximately 50  75 minutes to complete. The survey is broken into 14 sections and contains 75 questions. These sections are: Your Background, Your Health, Your Feelings, Your Work, Your Family, Your School Environment, Physical Environment, Social Environment, Personal Resources, Health Related Personal Health Behaviours Physical and Social Activities, Smoking, Alcohol, Medication and Other Drugs, Health and Safety, Spiritual Life and How Your School Can Help.

These characteristics are:

  • health-minded school administration
  • holistic view of health
  • safe and healthy learning environment
  • community participation and collaboration
  • meaningful student involvement
  • coordinated plan or framework
  • health policies
  • quality health instruction
  • access to current quality health resources
  • inclusive school health programs and services
  • spirit of lifelong learning
  • regular evaluation