Water Friendly school ideas

Leadership, commitment and culture

• Gain support from your school’s leadership, board and broader community to commit to being a Water Friendly school.
• Have healthy drinks policy in place that is communicated and reviewed regularly
• Do not allow sponsorship, advertising or marketing of sugary drinks on your premises, at events and in school sporting activities.
• Promote tap water as the preferred drink option e.g. in lesson plans, newsletters, meetings and assemblies.
• Implement a whole-of-school challenge e.g.  drinking tap water for one month.
• Ask your school leaders to model healthy drinks behaviours. e.g. be ‘sweet drink free’ for a week. Publicise throughout the school community, and encourage other staff, administrators and students to do the same.
• Permit students to drink water at any time, and to bring water bottles into the classroom.

Healthy physical environment

• Consider ways to improve student and staff access to free water, e.g. water coolers, water fountains.
• Review school canteen menus and try to remove any sugary soft drinks, fruit drinks or sports drinks and introduce healthier options. You can use the traffic light system to help you.
• Ensure healthy drink options are available and promoted on premises and at events, e.g. vending machines, canteens, fundraising and catering.

Child teaching and learning and supported staff

• Ensure teachers and staff have access to curriculum resources (see resource list below).
• Schools may like to participate in the VicHealth H3O Challenge by creating a staff team.
• Spread the word about the health effects of regular sugary drink consumption: Use this PowerPoint presentation to raise awareness among staff

Family and community partnerships

• Source Water Friendly ideas and solutions from your broader school community.
• Promote the VicHealth H3O Challenge among the broader school community.
• Get more resources by becoming an Achievement Program School and working with the Healthy Eating Advisory Service.