Living Well Schools
Welcome Back Newsletter 2026-27
Article 1: Living Well Schools Grants 2026-27
Article 2: Free Staff Training Days from the PSHE Association
Article 3: Catch Your Breath: Ditch the Vape
Article 4: Free Self-Harm Training for Professionals
Article 5: Nearly New School Resources Provision
Article 6: Secondary School Food Priorities Survey
Article 7: Bang in Some Beans: Boosting Fibre in Schools
Article 8: JU:MP Autumn 1 Opportunities for Your School
Article 9: Healthy Families Programme
Article 10: Check Out These Other Quick Links
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Living Well Schools
Grants 2026-27 |
An amazing response to the Living Well Schools Grants for this academic year and a huge well done to the successful schools from 2025-26.
Last year (2025-26), we launched our Living Well School grants programme for secondary schools and saw some fantastic outcomes and engagement throughout the academic year (case studies linked below).
This year, we extended the opportunity to primary schools, special schools, independent schools and alternative provisions, alongside secondary schools, and received 49 applications.
With a limited budget, we have been able to support 16 schools across Bradford District to deliver a range of exciting and innovative projects linked to the Living Well Schools outcomes: Pupil Voice, Physical Activity, Eating Well, Mental Health, Poverty and Wider Priorities (including Vaping, PSHE, Nature, Community and Online Safety).
Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified during September, with grant funding being released in early October.
The Living Well Schools Lead assigned to each successful school will work closely with them to support the delivery of their project. We will also engage with schools that were not successful this year. While we would have liked to fund many more applications, we will offer support where possible to help move projects forward through local services, resources and partnerships.
Project ideas from both successful and unsuccessful applications included Secret Garden, Cook and Share Kitchen, Woodland Learning Journey, Growing Club, Together Space, Transforming Opportunities for Child-Led Play, Sensory Nurture Garden and Calming Space, and Chatterbuddies, to name just a few.
Check out last years grant projects:
Free Staff Training Days from the PSHE Association |
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In-person training to support the use of the free PSHE Association resources.
Bradford Council and Living Well Schools have commissioned the PSHE Association School Plus membership for your school until 31st August 2027.
As well as full access to the PSHE Association’s resources, this upgraded membership type gives your school additional access to on-demand training and termly live events. Your whole staff team can access a library of fully compliant, evidence-based lesson plans spanning statutory RSHE – from healthy eating to relationships – and more; complete with easily shareable parent copies.
To support this offer we have planned an in-person training day. This is an opportunity to receive training from PSHE Association as well as meet and network with other PSHE Leads from across the district.
Register by scanning the QR code above or:
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Catch Your Breath:
Ditch the Vape |
Catch Your Breath is a youth-led anti-vaping campaign that raises awareness of the impact of nicotine addiction on young people's health, wellbeing, and everyday lives.
Bradford Council's Public Health Team, in partnership with Bradford City FC Community Foundation, Oasis Academy Lister Park and Talk Your Walk, has launched Phase 2 of the Catch Your Breath youth vaping prevention campaign.
Building on the success of Phase 1, this latest phase focuses on the impact vaping, and nicotine addiction can have on young people's everyday lives, including concentration, mood, wellbeing and mental health. Developed with young people, the campaign aims to encourage informed conversations, challenge misconceptions and raise awareness of the realities of nicotine addiction.
The campaign was launched at Oasis Academy Lister Park through a school screening event, student-led panel discussion and Q&A session. Since launch, the campaign has received positive feedback from schools, young people and partners, alongside local and national media coverage.
As youth vaping continues to be a concern for many schools, the campaign provides a useful resource to support prevention and education activity. Schools are encouraged to share the campaign film and resources with staff, pupils and parents to help promote healthy, informed choices.
Please see below further information and campaign links:
View the Phase 2 #CatchYourBreath campaign video:
Free Self-harm Training for Professionals |
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Delivered once a month from Sept 2026 – March 2027.
Sign up for the new “Understanding self-harm” training offer for professionals working with children and young people who have self-harmed. The training has been designed to give professionals the opportunity to demystify and ask questions around self-harming behaviour as well as develop strategies for responding to young people who have self-harmed. It has been coproduced by young people in Bradford and includes insights from those with lived experience as well as being underpinned by the latest evidence from the University of York and the NICE guidelines.
The training delivers on:
- Why people self-harm
- Risks associated with self-harm
- Challenging myths
- Impacts of social media and the internet
- Safety planning
- How to start conversations
To reserve your place please complete this form:
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Nearly New School Resources Provision |
Does your school have provision for second-hand school resources?
This month, new statutory guidance came into effect requiring schools to be able to signpost families to second-hand school uniform provision. This can be through an in-school uniform exchange or by directing families to a community-based provider.
If you would like to set up in-school provision:
Information about local community organisations providing nearly new school resources can also be found at the bottom of this webpage. Please continue to regularly check this webpage as new providers are added regularly.
For more information on compliance with the new legal requirements, a Uniform Policy Checklist can also be accessed using the link below. This document summarises the statutory guidance and is organised into five key areas; governance, accessibility, uniform branding, costs, and purchasing.
Finally, if your school is already doing great work in this area, we would love to hear from you! Please either complete the Case Study Template on the webpage or contact schools@mylivingwell.co.uk with the subject ‘NNSR Case Study – *School Name*’.
For more information on nearly new school resources provision:
Secondary School Food Priorities Survey |
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Share your insights – secondary school food challenges and priorities.
Are you a school leader, public health professional, teacher, someone who works within the school food sector, advocate or someone who is just really passionate about this area? We need your expertise!
Join our Expert Stakeholder Panel for an online priority-setting survey to help transform secondary school food environments and improve teenage dietary health.
What does taking part involve?
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A Single Survey: You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire.
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The Task: You will view a list of school food policy issues (covering individual schools, local councils, and national government levels) and rate them on level of importance.
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Time Commitment: The survey should take ~10 minutes, and you can save your progress and complete it at a time that suits you. Complete by Monday 14th September 2026.
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Optional Second Survey: You can choose to participate in a second survey (~10 mins) that will ask you to rank a shorter list of school food priorities based on what you think is most important to tackle.
As a token of our appreciation for your time, you will have the option to enter a prize draw to win a £200 donation/voucher for a secondary school of your choice.
What happens to my feedback?
Once the survey closes, we will share the collective results with our public advisory groups consisting of parents, secondary school pupils, and school stakeholders. Together, we will use your priorities to co-design a major new research proposal to build a healthier, fairer school food system.
If you have any questions please contact: sundus.mahdi@york.ac.uk.
For more information and to get involved:
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Bang in Some Beans: Boosting Fibre in Schools |
Helping schools support healthy eating, increase fibre intake and engage pupils and families with affordable, bean-based food education and activities.
Veg Power has launched its new Bang in Some Beans: Discover Beans schools' programme for primary and special schools, which will be available from Autumn 2026. Designed to support the adoption of new school food standards, the programme focuses on increasing bean, pulse and fibre consumption among children through engaging activities for pupils, parents and schools.
Working in partnership with ProVeg UK, The Food Foundation and Beans is How, the initiative aims to help address the UK's fibre gap. Currently, 86% of primary school-aged children do not meet recommended fibre intakes, yet only 46% of parents recognise that their child needs more fibre. By promoting beans and pulses as affordable, versatile and nutritious foods, the programme seeks to improve dietary health both at school and at home.
Recruitment is now open, with Veg Power encouraging schools and caterers to get involved and increase the availability of bean-based meals. A comprehensive toolkit will be available from 28 September, including resources for parents, assembly materials, lesson plans and lunchtime activities designed to make learning about fibre fun and engaging.
As part of the programme, ProVeg UK will provide access to a range of bean-based recipes to support caterers and families in creating healthy, flavoursome dishes.
Key features:
- Focus on increasing fibre intake through beans and pulses.
- Supports implementation of new school food standards.
- Resources for schools, parents and caterers.
- Bean-based recipes provided through ProVeg UK.
- Designed for primary and special schools.
To register your interest:
JU:MP Autumn 1 Opportunities for your School |
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JU:MP Schools provides resources, learning opportunities and tailored support to strengthen physical activity, wellbeing, family engagement, and whole-school change.
In-School CAS Lead Training 17 September 2026 | 12:30pm-3:30pm | University of Bradford
Whether you're new to JU:MP Schools or have been involved for several years, this training will strengthen your understanding of the Creating Active Schools (CAS) approach and support sustainable change through physical activity. Participants will explore the CAS framework, profiling, action planning, implementation and evaluation, while learning about available support. The session also offers opportunities to network, share ideas and learn from other schools.
Learn More and Sign-Up Here
Headteacher and School Improvement Lead Briefing 6 October 2026 | 8:30am-1pm | University of Bradford
Designed for Headteachers, CEOs, School Improvement Directors and Local Authority Advisers, this briefing will provide strategic insight into emerging national developments in physical activity, PE, school sport and enrichment. Attendees will explore how physical activity can support whole-school improvement, wellbeing, inclusion and achievement, while learning about the free support and funded opportunities available through the JU:MP Schools Programme.
JU:MP Schools Professional Development Day 6 October 2026 | 8:30am-4pm | University of Bradford
Open to all school staff, this event offers the opportunity to explore the latest developments in physical activity, PE, school sport and enrichment. The day will include national and local updates, professional development opportunities, access to funded projects and support, action planning time, and networking with colleagues from across Bradford.
Learn More and Sign-Up Here
To read JU:MP schools welcome back newsletter 2026-27:
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Healthy Families Programme |
Empowering families to make healthier choices together through fun, practical and engaging learning.
The Healthy Families Programme is a fun, interactive healthy lifestyle programme delivered by the Children and Families Living Well Service Team. Designed for Key Stage 2 pupils (aged 8-10) and their parents/carers, the programme takes place in primary schools, with up to eight families attending each group.
Sessions focus on key healthy lifestyle topics, including physical activity, food groups, portion sizes, food labels, healthy lunchboxes and snacking, and sleep.
Since launching in April 2026, three programmes have been delivered across the Bradford district, with 70% of families completing the programme. End-of-programme feedback has demonstrated a positive impact:
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100% of families enjoyed the sessions.
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100% were signposted to relevant Bradford partnership services.
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77% of parents felt very confident in supporting their child to be more active.
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62% reported that their child's physical activity had increased significantly.
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62% said they now regularly check food labels and feel more confident about healthy portion sizes and preparing balanced meals.
Families described the programme as welcoming, engaging and motivating. One child shared, "Thank you for including me and my mum," while another commented, "I like that we were motivated to move more." Parents praised the supportive environment, describing it as "a very warm, welcoming and engaging class" and saying, "It's really nice to spend time with my child in a school setting and build relationships with others." Another participant added, "I enjoyed the session, thank you for the opportunity."
Delivery will resume in September 2026, with programmes running in two schools per term. Following participant feedback, the programme will be adapted from six to five sessions and will continue to be delivered in partnership with Living Well Schools, Children's Services, Bradford headteachers and school staff.
For more information or any questions please:
Check Out These Other Quick Links:
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