Creating Confident, Healthy Decision-Makers
Developing healthy habits early is key to supporting children’s long-term wellbeing. At 1decision, our Keeping and Staying Healthy learning area provides a carefully sequenced, age-appropriate progression that builds pupils’ knowledge, understanding and confidence year on year.
Pupils explore healthy routines such as brushing teeth, washing hands and healthy eating, alongside medicine safety and the impact of everyday choices. As they progress, they learn about influences and pressures linked to health and substances that can harm the body. Immersive, alternative-ending video scenarios support real-life decision making, while embedded assessments help schools identify gaps and track progress, ensuring every child can make informed, healthy choices now and in the future.
Click below to review the knowledge organisers for this area.
In Year 1, children begin to develop an early understanding of how to stay healthy in everyday life. They explore their ideas about what helps keep their bodies and minds well, recognising healthy and less healthy choices at home, at school and in the community. Children learn simple habits that support good health, such as eating balanced foods, being active and keeping clean. They also learn how germs can spread and the importance of routines like washing hands.
In Year 2, children deepen their understanding of how everyday choices help keep their bodies healthy. They explore the importance of food for growth and wellbeing, recognising that some foods support good health more than others. Pupils learn to identify a range of healthy foods and how these choices support a balanced lifestyle. They also develop their understanding of personal hygiene, particularly the importance of brushing teeth and following simple routines to care for their teeth.
In Year 3, children broaden their understanding of how to stay healthy by learning about medicines and how they help when used safely. They explore simple safety rules, including when it is safe to take medicine and who they should accept it from. Pupils continue developing their understanding of healthy and less healthy choices and recognise habits that support wellbeing. Through discussion and activities, they consolidate their knowledge of routines that help keep their bodies healthy.
In Year 4, children revisit and reflect on their understanding of how to keep their bodies healthy before exploring more complex aspects of health and wellbeing. They develop their knowledge of balanced diets, learning how different foods contribute to a healthy lifestyle and how too much sugar, salt and saturated fat can affect their bodies now and in the future. Pupils also begin to interpret nutritional information on food packaging and consider how everyday choices support long-term health and wellbeing
In Year 5, children further develop their understanding of how choices and influences affect health and wellbeing by exploring the risks associated with smoking and vaping. They learn about the physical, social and legal consequences and the addictive substances involved, and consider why some people may start or continue to smoke. Pupils also revisit a range of health topics, reflecting on the views of adults and children beyond the school setting to support healthy decision making.
In Year 6, children consolidate and extend their understanding of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle by exploring the risks associated with alcohol and how it can affect immediate and future health. They learn to recognise risky choices and evaluate how situations and influences may affect decision making. As they prepare for greater independence, pupils develop strategies to make responsible, healthy choices and reflect on how their actions can support their own wellbeing and that of others.