Our School : Healthy and EcoSchool

We are the only independent school in Cornwall to have fully embraced the government's new Healthy Schools standard.

Not only that, we have done so to such a high level that we are being used as an example of good practice at national conferences. The standard - which promotes the need to have a healthy mind and body in order to attain academic excellence - has four required strands: physical activity, healthy eating, emotional well-being and PSHE (personal, social and health education).

We have also added a confidential student mentoring system too. It's called CHAT and was set up by the Sixth Formers to provide a unique student mentoring system. Sixth Formers are professionally trained and available for girls in Prep 6 up. If a younger student wishes to chat something over she can either email or text her favourite mentor and arrange to meet in the CHAT room which comes fully equipped with comfy beanbags, hot chocolate and yummy biscuits! The chat is completely confidential unless there is something of real concern which should be brought to the Deputy Head Pastoral's notice. Not only has the scheme proved popular with those in need of a listening ear but it also adds to the mentor's portfolio of skills and experience.

At Truro High School we firmly believe 'you are what you eat'. That's why you'll find lots of rice, pasta, salads and fresh fruit on our daily menus and very little in the way of fried or convenience food. Even our vending machine (available to senior girls only) harbours healthy treats - no chocolate bars or fizzy drinks but muesli bars, mineral water and - hooray - smoothies! Our catering team takes pride in providing quality food with a good mix of more cosmopolitan meals alongside good British fayre.

The Eco Schools initiative is a fairly new one. We have already been awarded Bronze status and are keenly working towards Silver. So, how have we achieved Bronze? Well, there's been the Great Tidy Up (complete with dayglo jackets and litter-pickers!), the designing of posters to encourage the switching off of lights and taps, the planting of - too many to count - saplings of both Cornish and national species to counter our carbon footprint, a whole Green survey of the school to find out just what we're already doing, what should be done and how we might do it! There's much to do but we are keen...and green!