About the Healthy School Child Programme
Overview
The Healthy School Child Programme (HSC) is an elearning programme for all healthcare professionals working with children aged 5-12 years.
It is the second programme in the Healthy Child Programme 0-18 series of elearning resources and has been written to fill the age gap between the Healthy Child Programme (0-5 years) and the Adolescent Health Programme (12-18 years).
This resource is suitable for GPs, school nurses, trainee paediatricians and the child health team as part of blended learning for those in training or wishing to update their knowledge and skills.
The programme is not intended to replace core learning or textbooks on these subjects, but rather to focus on their impact on the health and wellbeing of the school-aged child. The programme equally is not designed to address in any detail the specialist needs of children with very complex problems.
What it covers?
The Adolescent Health Programme aims to ensure that all health professionals have essential youth communication skills and understand young people’s rights to consent and confidentiality.
This work was commissioned by the Department of Health and delivered by Health Education England (HEE)/elearning for healthcare (e-lfh) in collaboration with a consortium of professional bodies. The materials have been written by subject specialists and experts in their particular field and have been subjected to extensive and ongoing peer review. The sessions have undergone a review within the last 3 years and as a result have an improved design as well as having been updated in line with current guidance and references.
More information
The Healthy School Child Programme comprises 41 elearning sessions, grouped together by topic into 7 learning modules. Sessions will signpost the learner to other learning where appropriate. The modules comprise of individual e-learning sessions, which take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. The sessions include interactive elements, case studies and self-assessments to reinforce learning and there are a range of resources signposted at the end of each session.
Healthy Child Programme and other resources
The Healthy School Child programme can also be used as a browsable resource in conjunction with a number of other elearning programmes including MindEd. Select here to find out more.
HSC curriculum
The HSC curriculum is based on the RCPCH’s Paediatric curriculum. Find out more about the HSC curriculum by selecting the modules below.
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Module 1
Introduction to 21st century schoolModule 1
Module 1 Introduction to 21st century school
This module sets the context for the Healthy School Child programme and describes the wider team supporting children of primary school age and reviews the skills and approaches needed for engaging with children and families.
This module includes sessions on:
- 01_01 The Healthy School Child Programme in context
- 01_02 How environment affects children’s mental health
- 01_03 Communicating with families
- 01_04 Listening skills
- 01_05 Engaging children and young people
- 01_06 The school health team
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Module 2
The Healthy Child Programme in primary schoolsModule 2
The Healthy Child Programme in primary schools
This module describes the approach of the school health team and the school nurse to supporting the health needs of the primary school child. This includes surveillance and targeted support e.g. the identification of the vulnerable child and the child with extra needs and the team approach to the provision of the support needed, particularly for the new entrant to school. It also deals with issues around the transition to secondary education.
This module includes sessions on:
- 02_01 Meeting the health needs of the school age child
- 02_02 Surveillance and health promotion
- 02_03 School entry assessment
- 02_04 Moving up
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Module 3
Key child public health and mental health issues for 5-12 yearsModule 3
Key child public health and mental health issues for 5-12 years
This module describes the common public health issues affecting primary school children, including emotional development, infections, safety and accidents. It also summarises the issues around medication in school and offers an overview of child growth, nutrition, puberty, and obesity.
This module includes sessions on:
- 03_01 Emotional development
- 03_03 Infection
- 03_04 Injury prevention, safety and medication in school
- 03_05 Growth and nutrition
- 03_06 Understanding and tackling obesity
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Module 4
The child with additional needsModule 4
The child with additional needs
This module reviews the spectrum of learning and behavioural disabilities and their assessment. It particularly looks at the identification, assessment and support of the child with additional needs including learning difficulties, neurodevelopmental problems such as attention deficit disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and tics and Tourettes. It also examines the presentation and management of behaviour problems and issues around grief and loss and the needs of socially vulnerable children, including young carers are reviewed.
This module includes sessions on:
- 04_01 Introduction to special educational needs
- 04_02 Presentation and assessment of children with special educational needs
- 04_03 Primary school presentations
- 04_04 Behavioural management in special educational needs
- 04_05 Loss and grief
- 04_06 Vulnerable children
- 04_07 Poor concentration and overactivity 1
- 04_08 Poor concentration and overactivity 2
- 04_09 Introduction to autism spectrum disorder
- 04_10 Supporting autism spectrum disorder
- 04_11 Tics and twitches
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Module 5
The child with additional needs - long-standing illness or disabilityModule 5
The child with additional needs – long-standing illness or disability
This module looks at common medical problems, how they affect children of primary school age and how they can be supported. This includes epilepsy, faints, funny turns, physical disabilities, cerebral palsy, asthma, hayfever, allergies and diabetes.
This module includes sessions on:
- 05_01 Non-epileptic attack disorders
- 05_02 Epilepsy
- 05_03 Physical disability
- 05_04 Asthma, eczema and other allergies
- 05_05 Diabetes and rare serious conditions
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Module 6
Common developmental and health issues in school children 5-12Module 6
Common developmental and health issues in school children 5-12
This module describes the support needed by children with common developmental problems with continence, wetting, soiling, hearing loss and vision problems. The management and support of children with eye infections and injuries, and bone, joint and muscle problems is reviewed; and an approach to headaches and migraine and sleep problems is described.
This module includes sessions on:
- 06_01 Wetting
- 06_02 Constipation and soiling
- 06_03 Hearing
- 06_04 Vision
- 06_05 Musculoskeletal problems
- 06_06 Headaches
- 06_07 Sleep difficulties
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Module 7
Other problems and issuesModule 7
Other problems and issues
This module offers an overview of the reasons for, consequences of, and management of school attendance. It also looks at some common or serious conditions that can be easily missed.
This module includes sessions on:
- 07_01 The child not at school
- 07_02 Common or serious problems that are easily missed
- 07_03 Acquired brain injury
Sample sessions
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School health service
This session will explore the key aspects of a 21st century school health service, describing the multidisciplinary team involved in achieving optimum health for all school children aged between 5 and 12 years. It will contextualise the development of the school health team and its transition to modern day public health practice.
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Educational needs and barriers to learning
This session gives an overview of the different types of special educational needs and barriers to learning.
Project team
- Daniel Waeland, Executive Director of Education and Training, RCPCH
- Dr Anu Raykundalia, Project Clinical Lead
- Dr Fatima Kagalwala, Project Clinical Lead
- Dr Raph Kelvin, MindEd Clinical Education Lead, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
- Ian O’Donoghue, Education and Professional Development Lead, RCPCH
- Harry Weber-Brown, Programme Manager, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
- Jen Van Iwaarden, Senior Project Manager, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
- Jasmine Deol, Lead Learning Designer, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
How to access
In order to access the Healthy School Child programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below.
To view the Healthy School Child programme, select the View button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.
NHS healthcare staff in England
The Healthy School Child programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this elearning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.
Further details are available here.
Adding ‘Healthy Child Programme 0-18’ content to your account
When registering for the ‘Healthy School Child Programme’, it is possible to add other programmes to your account. If you would like to view content from all programmes in the Healthy Child Programme 0-18 (Healthy Child Programme, Healthy School Child Programme and Adolescent Health Programme), then please follow this link, where it will illustrate how you can easily add elearning content to your account, at any time.
Not an NHS organisation?
If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access elfh Hub, you may be able to access the service by creating an OpenAthens account.
To check whether or not you qualify for free access via OpenAthens, you can view the eligibility criteria and register on the ‘OpenAthens’ portal.
Registering large numbers of users
If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Healthy School Child programme, please contact elfh directly.
Organisations wishing to use their own LMS
For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.
How to license
In the event that you do not qualify for free access to the Healthy School Child programme, you are able to license access through eIntegrity, a community-interest company established for this purpose.
You can check whether or not you qualify for free access by clicking on the ‘Register’ button above.
For more information on the licensing options available for the Healthy School Child programme, please visit the eIntegrity website.
More information
Please select the following link for more information on how to use the elfh Hub.