What a year of the School’s Pledge taught us about healthier schools

Our new evaluation, carried out with The Open University, shows how primary schools in some of Cheshire and Merseyside’s most deprived communities turned ambition into everyday practice.

Children in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to live with obesity as those in the least deprived. That gap is unfair, and it’s avoidable. Schools are one of the best places to start closing it.

That’s why we developed the School’s Pledge for a Healthier and Active Future. It was funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside through its Population Health Programme. We delivered it with public health teams in all nine local authorities, working with schools between January 2025 and March 2026.

The Pledge isn’t a fixed programme. It gives schools nine commitments covering food and drink, physical activity, active travel, wellbeing, family engagement and leadership. Each school then  reviews what they already had in place, identifies gaps and focuses on realistic priorities for their own communities. Practical support, strong leadership and opportunities to involve pupils and families were particularly important in helping turn plans into visible action. The findings provide practical learning for future delivery, showing how a whole-school framework can help embed health and wellbeing within everyday school routines.

We onboarded 70 schools from the 20% most deprived areas of each local authority. By March 2026, 63 were still engaged and 54 had formally adopted or launched the Pledge. On average, 39% of their pupils were eligible for free school meals.

What schools told us

• More water, less squash: Seven in ten survey respondents with a water-only policy reported significant or major change.
• More movement: Schools added active play, clubs and Daily Mile-style activity across the school day.
• Better food and dining: Schools reported healthier packed lunches and snacks, and calmer, more positive lunchtimes.
• Pupils leading the way: Many schools appointed Health Ambassadors. At Westvale Primary in Knowsley, pupils researched and helped choose new outdoor water fountains.
• Families getting involved: At Kings Meadow Primary in Sefton, families queued to get into the school’s Healthy Marketplace launch.

What happens next

Five local authorities in Cheshire and Merseyside will continue with the Pledge entering the 2026/27 school year. We’re using what we’ve learned to make it simpler, with lighter action planning, clearer guidance on SEND and inclusion, and regular check-ins.

New School Food Standards are due to take effect from September 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval. For the first time, they’ll cover breakfast. Schools will also need a lead governor for school food and must publish their food policy and menus online. The Pledge is already helping schools put much of this in place, giving schools a head start in supporting their children and reducing health inequalities.

David Wearing, Headteacher at The Oaks Community Primary School, said:

“It brings together the work we already do and makes our expectations clear and consistent for the whole community.”

You can read more about the impact of the School’s Pledge here:

• Evaluation summary
• Full evaluation report

Want to bring the School’s Pledge to schools in your area? Contact Karen Bone at karen.bone@heg.org.uk.