Start well

Health of school age children

Children and young people between the ages of five and 19 years of age spend a large proportion of their time in school. A wealth of evidence has demonstrated that there is a strong link between children’s health status and their capacity to learn. Creating positive and healthy school environments can therefore have significant benefits in improving health, wellbeing and academic achievement, and reducing inequalities.

Southwark has a large and diverse population of children and young people, with over 60% from black and minority ethnic groups. Our children are also more deprived than the London average with approximately 15,000 children aged under 16 living in low income families and 23% of school pupils claiming free school meals.

Southwark Council and NHS Southwark CCG, along with key partners in education, health, social care and the voluntary community sector are committed to ensuring that services for school-aged children and young people are effective, integrated and responsive to their health and wellbeing needs.

Below you can find many documents identifying the health and wellbeing needs of our children and young people. Please note that this list will be updated when new information becomes available.

Southwark JSNA reports

• School Age Children JSNA 2017 ^{(PDF, 753kb)}
• JSNA Factsheet 2018-19 Demography ^{(PDF, 765kb)}

Other local plans and strategies

• Southwark Children and Young People’s Plan 2013-18 ^{(PDF, 355kb)}

External resources

• Healthy Child Programme (HCP) from 5-19 years old (2009)
• Improving young people’s health and wellbeing – a framework for public health
• OHID, School-Age Children: Southwark Profile

Page last updated: 02 January 2024