Why Choose This Project?

The school were aware that tooth decay figures for Tower Hamlets were very high with 39% of 5 year olds having “experience of tooth decay” making the Borough the fifth worst London.  Coupled with observational evidence of the pupil’s teeth in the school, particularly in Early Years, and the school’s continuing commitment around healthy eating and lifestyles; they felt that a project around oral health would be appropriate for renewing their Advanced Healthy Schools Award.

What Did The School Want To Achieve Through This Project?

1. To increase the number of children registered at a dentist
2. To increase the frequency that children visit the dentist
3. To decrease the amount of sweets and sugary drinks pupils consume

What Did The School Do To Achieve These Aims?

The project was supported throughout by the Healthy Lives team to discuss aims, objectives, means of collecting data and designing a survey, and the practicalities of carrying out the project.  It was decided the project would be concentrated in Early Years although work would still be done with the rest of the school where appropriate.  A staff meeting was held to discuss the project with the Early Years staff, who were keen to contribute as they had all witnessed first-hand pupils with teeth removed due to decay.  The Oral Hygienist ran workshops with all year groups including a parent workshop in the Early Years, and there was a high parent turn-out, particularly in Nursery.  The school ran three more healthy eating workshops for parents over three consecutive weeks based on the Healthy Lives Champions model, which again received a high turn-out.  This work was incorporated into the classroom and a dental surgery was set up in the home corner.  Children were also asked to fill in a tooth diary, which helped them to see which healthy and unhealthy food they eat and reminded them of the importance of brushing their teeth.

What data did the school collect and what was the result?

 Reulsts of a parents survey showed that the amount of parents taking their children to the dentist every 6 months had almost doubled from 20% to 39%. 

  Conclusion

  “I really think a lot of our parents and children have benefited from the project and being an Advanced Healthy School.  Our children now know what drinks they should be drinking and love to try different types of healthy foods... (The) project highlighted the importance of parental involvement and parent workshops and the need to continue next year.”

Kathy Blake, Healthy Schools Coordinator