Tudor First joins the award-winning project

Tudor First School has become one of the latest schools to join the Merton Healthy Schools Scheme.

The school launched its involvement in the scheme with a special assembly where the pupils talked about what makes a school a healthy school and a new Friendship Bench was also unveiled as part of the scheme.

The Friendship Bench will be a place where children who are feeling lonely or unhappy at playtime can go. Specially chosen Playground Friends will be a friendly face who will make sure they find someone to play with. The Playground Friends will have special badges and training so that they know what to do.

The Merton Healthy Schools Scheme aims to help schools promote the health and well-being of pupils, parents and staff. It was launched in September 2000 and has achieved the National Healthy School Standard.

In Merton, nearly 30 schools are currently involved with the scheme and have developed a wide range of activities including healthier snacks at playtime, drug education projects, anti-bullying projects, walking buses (to promote walking to school), staff well-being and environmental improvements.

The Healthy Schools Scheme has the full support of the Health Authority, the LEA and a wide range of local organisations that want to work with schools.

Councillor Maxi Martin, Cabinet Member of Primary Education and Children?s Services, said: ?The Healthy Schools scheme is such a great project and I?m very pleased another school has joined in.

?The Friendship bench and Playground Friends are both really good ideas-this scheme just keeps getting better and better.?