Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Young People in Three Rivers A summary report of the Health Related Behaviour Survey 2012

These results were collected from a questionnaire appropriate for their sample. sample of primary pupils aged 9 to age group. A total of 7222 pupils took 11 and secondary pupils aged 12 to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils completed part in 50 primary schools and 15 in Three Rivers in the summer the Primary version of the 21 secondary schools in term 2012. questionnaire. Pupils in Years 8 and Hertfordshire. This work was commissioned and 10 completed the Secondary co-ordinated by the Joint version of the questionnaire. All Cross-phase links Commissioning Group for Young were undertaken anonymously. Many of the questions in each People’s Substance Misuse and the Completed questionnaires were version of the questionnaire are Health and Well Being Team. The then returned to SHEU in Exeter for identical or very similar. Some of data will be used to support the processing. the results of these questions are Hertfordshire Healthy Schools This survey was part of a wider presented on pages 6 and 7 of Programme. Teachers were Hertfordshire survey and where this document, so that behaviour informed on how to collect the appropriate comparisons have been can be seen across the age most reliable data and then pupils made between the local range. completed a version of the Three Rivers results and the wider

7222 young people were involved in the survey, 862 of these were in Three Rivers: TOPICS INCLUDE: School Background Year Year 5 Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 Total Age 9-10 10-11 12-13 14-15 Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Boys 87 114 108 135 444 Girls 77 110 115 116 418 Emotional Health and Wellbeing Total 164 224 223 251 862 Healthy Eating Reference sample Three Rivers data has been compared with the wider Hertfordshire Leisure and Money survey sample. A separate report compares the entire Hertfordshire data with the SHEU wider database. Confidence intervals (at 95%) for Three Rivers data are, at worst, primary ± 4.4 and secondary ± 4.0. Physical Activity

A selection of some of the differences, where the level seen in the Three Relationships and Sexual Health Rivers data is either 5% above or below that in the wider Hertfordshire data, is indicated on pages 3 and 5. Safety For more details please contact SHEU Tel. (01392 667272) www.sheu.org.uk School and Career Three Rivers primary school DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 Drugs q 72% of pupils reported that they would like their parents to talk to them about drugs while 51% said they would like it (ages 9 - 11) to come from their teachers. q 83% of pupils describe themselves as White. 78% describe q 17% say they are ‘fairly sure’ or ‘certain’ they know themselves as White British. 4% describe themselves as someone who uses drugs (not as medicines), in the Three Asian, 9% describe themselves as Mixed race and 2% Rivers where they live. describe themselves as Black. q 76% of pupils live with their mother and father together; Alcohol 16% live with one parent. 7% of boys and 4% of girls said that HEALTHY EATING they drank an q 3% had nothing to eat or drink for breakfast on the day of alcoholic drink on the survey. 91% had their breakfast at home. at least one day in q 44% of pupils had cereal for breakfast, 13% had sugar- the week before the coated cereals and 31% toast or bread on the morning of survey. the survey. q Pupils were asked to identify, from a list, the foods which they ate ‘on most days’. 60% of pupils said they have fresh fruit and 63% said vegetables. 27% said crisps and 26% q 55% of pupils say that they don’t drink alcohol. 2% of said sweets ‘on most days’. pupils reported that their parents ‘never’ or only ‘sometimes’ q 28% of pupils said that they ‘rarely or never’ ate fish or fish know if they drink alcohol. fingers. 27% said they ‘rarely or never’ had salads. q 40% of pupils reported that their parents always knew if q 40% of pupils had eaten 5 or more portions of fruit and they drank alcohol. vegetables on the day before the survey, 3% had eaten q 2% of pupils drank beer or lager, 2% said wine, 1% said none. spirits in the week before the survey. q 67% drank between 1 and 5 cups of water on the day before the survey, 27% said they drank a litre or more while Tobacco 5% said they drank none. q 2% of pupils said they had tried smoking once or twice. Dental Care q 3% of boys and 1% of girls said they had tried smoking in q 84% of pupils reported that they cleaned their teeth at least the past or smoke now. twice on the day before the survey (the recommended q 0% said they had smoked at least one cigarette in the seven frequency). 1% said they did not clean their teeth at all the days before the survey. day before the survey. q 33% of pupils said their parents/carers smoke. 11% of q 86% of pupils had visited the dentist in the past 6 months. pupils report that people smoke indoors at home in rooms 1% of pupils said they have never been to the dentist. that they use and 18% said people smoke in a car when they are in it. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY q 42% of pupils said that, in their home, smoking only 90% of pupils reported that they happens outside or in certain rooms. 2% say that smokers enjoyed physical activities can smoke anywhere. ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a lot’. q 95% said they find it ‘quite PUBERTY AND GROWING UP easy’ or ‘very easy’ to be as q When asked who the pupils would like to talk to them physically active as they like about growing up and body changes, the top responses from at playtimes. 1% find it ‘not a list were: at all easy’. Boys Girls q 79% reported that they had exercised three times or more, in the last week, which made them breathe harder and Parents/carers 76% Parents/carers 78% faster. 43% said five times or more. Teachers 39% School Nurse 43% The top four physical activities were: Doctor 38% Teachers 37% School Nurse 22% Doctor 25% Boys Girls Visitors in lessons 13% Visitors in lessons 9% Football 75% Dancing/gymnastics 64% q 19% of boys and 34% of girls reported that they worried Running for exercise 65% Running for exercise 56% ‘quite often’ or ‘very often’ about the way they looked. 16% Keep-fit 54% Going for walks 54% of boys and 26% of girls said they worried ‘quite often’ or Going for walks 45% Keep-fit 48% ‘very often’ about growing up. q 73% feel that they know enough, 20% are not sure and 8% (The table shows the percentage of pupils taking part at least say they don’t know enough about how their body changes weekly) as they get older.

2 EMOTIONAL HEALTH & WELLBEING q 95% of pupils said they had spent time chatting/talking during playtimes (including dinner times). 88% said they q 48% of boys and played running/skipping/games of tag. 33% of girls had q 67% of pupils said that in their school people with different high self-esteem backgrounds were valued. scores. q 78% said that their school encouraged everyone to take part q 4% of pupils had in decisions e.g. school council. low self-esteem q 65% said that their school encouraged them to take part in scores. community events. LEISURE & MONEY q After school yesterday, 79% of pupils spent time watching q 84% of pupils said they worried about at least one of the television. 46% played with friends, 46% played computer items listed in the questionnaire at least ‘quite often’. games and 47% listened to music. The top 6 worries for Year 6 pupils were as follows: q 53% played sport on the evening before the survey. 49% used the Internet and 21% went to a club. Boys Girls q 13% of pupils said they read quietly at playtimes at least SATs/tests 37% Moving on to 58% sometimes while 43% said they are a playground secondary school pal/buddy. Moving on to 33% SATs/tests 45% q 58% report getting pocket money at least monthly. secondary school War and terrorists 32% War and terrorists 39% The main items that pupils spent money on were: Family 29% Family 37% Boys Girls School-work / 24% Keeping safe outside 35% Sweets, Chocolate, etc 37% Sweets, Chocolate, etc 33% homework Fizzy drinks 28% Mobile phones etc 25% Keeping safe outside 21% The way you look 34% Computer (games, 28% Snacks 20% equipment) SAFETYYING SAFE Mobile phones etc 24% Toys 19% q 4% of pupils reported that they felt afraid of going to school because of bullying ‘often’ or ‘very often’. 24% said ‘sometimes’ while 71% said ‘never’. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN q When asked if they had ever been bullied at school, 44% of THE THREE RIVERS 2012 SURVEY AND primary pupils said ‘yes’; 6% said this had happened in the THE HERTFORDSHIRE REFERENCE past 4 weeks and 24% in the past year. SAMPLE q 79% said that their school takes bullying seriously. 60% think their school deals with bullying at least ‘quite well’. For most of the questions in the questionnaire, Three q 21% of pupils said that they had been bullied when they Rivers primary pupils give similar responses to the wider were not in school; 7% said it had happened in the past 4 Hertfordshire sample. Some differences (more than 5%) weeks and 17% in the past year. include: q 19% of pupils reported that they thought they were bullied q 41% of Three Rivers pupils said they had at least 5 portions because of the way they looked and 14% because of their of fruit and vegetables the day before compared with 34% size or weight. of the wider Hertfordshire sample. q 5% thought they were bullied because of their colour or q 46% of pupils said that they feel their views and opinions race and 3% because of their religion or faith. are listened to during circle time at school compared with q 31% of pupils reported that they had an accident in the last 38% of the wider sample. twelve months that was treated by a doctor or at a hospital. q 49% of pupils said they enjoy ‘most’ or ‘all’ of their lessons q 28% of pupils reported that an adult, who scared or made at school. This compared with 60% saying the same in the them upset, had approached them. 13% said they knew this wider sample. person. q 42% of Three Rivers pupils said that they walked to school q 8% of pupils said they told an adult straight away while 6% on the day of the survey compared with 52% of the wider said they kept it to themselves. 2% told the police. sample. q Unsurprisingly, 51% of pupils said they travelled to school SCHOOL by car/van on the day of the survey compared with 43% of q the wider sample. 93% of pupils think it is q important to go to school 51% of pupils said they would like their teachers to talk to regularly. 97% of pupils say them about drugs compared with 44% of the wider sample. that if they are away from q 48% of pupils said that they have tasted beer or lager school for any reason, their compared with 43% of the wider sample. parents/carers always know. q 21% of Three Rivers pupils said that they chat to people q 24% of boys and 30% of online who they have never met compared with 16% of the girls spent time doing wider sample. homework on the evening before the survey.

3 Three Rivers secondary RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUAL HEALTH q 10% believe there is a special sexual health service for school pupils in Year 8 and young people available locally. q 35% of pupils say they know where they can get condoms Year 10 (ages 12 - 15) free of charge. q 39% of pupils agreed that there is a lot of pressure on q 87% of pupils described themselves as white. 76% said young people to have sex. they were White British. 4% described themselves as Asian q and 6% as Mixed race. 79% of pupils agreed that it is illegal for someone over 16 to have sex with someone under 16. q 75% of pupils live with their mother and father together, q 13% live with one parent while 0% don’t live with either 72% think it is illegal for two teenagers under 16 to have parent. sex with each other. HEALTHY EATING DRUGS, ALCOHOL & TOBACCO 8% of pupils reported having nothing to eat or Drugs drink for breakfast on the q 46% of Hertfordshire secondary pupils are ‘fairly sure’ or day of the survey. ‘certain’ that they know someone who takes drugs. q 7% of pupils reported ‘never’ q 24% of pupils have been offered cannabis. considering their health q By far the most commonly taken drug is cannabis, with when choosing what to eat. 10% saying that they have taken cannabis. 21% of pupils consider their q health ‘very often’ or 10% of pupils have ever taken an illegal drug. 7% of pupils ‘always’. say they have taken an illegal drug within the last month. q q 9% of the pupils would like to put on weight while 43% 9% of pupils reported taking an illegal drug and alcohol on would like to lose weight. 48% of pupils are happy with the same occasion. their weight as it is. Of the most common drugs, the percentage of pupils q 10% of pupils said they had no lunch on the day before the saying they had taken them were: survey. 52% of pupils ate a packed lunch from home or went home for lunch, 37% had school food and 1% bought Year 8 Year 10 lunch from a takeaway or shop. Cannabis 2% 17% q 22% of pupils said they eat sweets and chocolates ‘on most Ecstasy 0% 2% days’. 22% said they ate crisps ‘on most days’. Ampetamines 0% 2% q 57% said they eat fresh fruit and 66% vegetables ‘on most days’. Alcohol q 33% said they ‘rarely or never’ ate any fish. q 28% of pupils drank alcohol on at least one day in the week q 23% of pupils had eaten 5 or more portions of fruit and before the survey. 8% of pupils said that they got drunk on vegetables on the day before the survey, 5% had eaten at least one day in the last week. none. q 5% of boys and 2% of girls in Year 10 drank over 14 units. q 56% drank between 1 and 5 cups of water on the day q 3% of pupils bought alcohol from a supermarket and 5% before the survey, 36% said they drank a litre or more from an off-licence who should only sell to over-eighteens. while 8% said they drank none. q 2% of pupils drank alcoholic drinks in a pub or bar who should not be serving alcohol to under-eighteens. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY q q 15% of pupils drank alcohol at home and 14% drank at a 78% of pupils reported that they enjoyed physical activities friend’s or relation’s home. 7% of pupils drank alcohol ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a lot’. outside in a public place. q 72% said they find it at least ‘quite easy’ to be as physically active as they like. 6% find it ‘not at all easy’. Tobacco q 39% of boys and 18% of pupils said they had 28% of girls played tried smoking once or twice. sport the night 4% said they used to but before the survey. don’t now. 91% said they had not smoked a cigarette in the seven days before the survey. q Boys: 6% of Year 8 boys and 13% of Year 10 boys say they smoke ‘regularly’ or ‘occasionally’. q Outside school hours, football, riding a bike and jogging q Girls: 4% of Year 8 girls and 24% of Year 10 girls say they were the most popular forms of physical activity for boys smoke ‘regularly’ or ‘occasionally’. and going for walks, dancing and jogging for girls. q 24% of pupils said their parents/carers smoke. 9% of pupils q When asked what they would like to do more of, girls said report that people smoke indoors at home in rooms that ice skating, dancing and swimming. they use and 17% said people smoke in a car when they are in it. 4 EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING q 37% said that their school encouraged them to take part in community events. q 71% of pupils reported they are, in general, ‘quite a lot’ or q 63% of pupils said they want to continue in full-time ‘very much’ happy with their life at the moment. education after leaving school. q 53% of boys and 44% of girls had high self-esteem scores. q 27% of pupils said they wanted to find a job as soon as q 4% of pupils had low self-esteem scores. possible. q 83% of pupils said they worried about at least one of the q 39% of pupils said they want to get training for a skilled job. items listed in the questionnaire at least ‘quite a lot’. q The top 3 worries were as follows: LEISURE AND MONEY q Boys Girls 19% of pupils reported reading a book for enjoyment on the evening before the survey. Exams and tests 53% Exams and tests 68% q 88% watched some TV on the evening before the survey Physical health 33% The way you look 62% and 9% watched for over 3 hours. 48% played computer School-work 28% Physical health 43% games and 8% for more than 3 hours. problems q 36% of pupils spent over £10 in the week before the survey. The top five items pupils spent money on were: SAFETY Boys Girls q 6% of pupils reported that they felt afraid of going to school Sweets 35% Clothes & footwear 33% because of bullying ‘often’ Soft drinks 27% Sweets 32% or ‘very often’. 15% said ‘sometimes’ while 78% said Fast food 20% Cosmetics/Toiletries 22% ‘never’. DVDs, downloads etc 19% Soft drinks 20% q When asked if they had Clothes & footwear 18% Fares 15% ever been bullied at school, (The table shows the percentages of pupils who said they had 41% of secondary pupils spent money on these items in the seven days before the survey) said ‘yes’; 6% said this had happened in the past 4 weeks and 16% in the past SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN year. THE THREE RIVERS 2012 SURVEY AND q 73% of pupils think that their school takes bullying seriously and 47% think their school deals with bullying at least THE HERTFORDSHIRE REFERENCE ‘quite well’. SAMPLE q 12% of pupils said that they had been bullied when they For most of the questions in the questionnaire, Three were not in school; 3% said it had happened in the past 4 weeks and 7% in the past year. Rivers secondary pupils give similar responses to the wider Hertfordshire sample. Some differences (more q 22% of pupils reported that they thought they were bullied than 5%) include: because of the way they looked and 14% because of their q size or weight. 63% of Three Rivers pupils said that they want to continue in full-time education at the end of Year 11 q 4% thought they were bullied because of their colour or compared with 56% of pupils in the wider Hertfordshire race and 3% because of their religion or faith. sample. q 31% said they were treated for an accident at a health q 79% of pupils said they spent time doing homework after centre or a hospital within the last 12 months. school on the day before the survey compared with 72% q 86% have visited their doctor within the last year. 49% of pupils in the wider sample. were ‘at ease’ with their doctor on this last visit. q 35% of pupils said they are a practising member of a q 19% of pupils rate the safety of their area when going out religion compared with 22% of pupils in the wider after dark as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. 3% say their safety when sample. going to and from school is ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ and 3% say q 75% of Three Rivers pupils said they live with their mum the same about their safety at school. and dad together compared with 65% of pupils in the wider sample. SCHOOL & CAREER q 40% of pupils said that their parents/carers have rules q 68% of pupils report enjoying at least half of their school about what Internet sites they can use compared with lessons. 13% of pupils enjoy hardly any of them. 36% of pupils in the wider sample. q 92% of pupils think it is important to go to school regularly. q 64% of pupils said they have heard of ‘FRANK’ or ‘Talk to 4% of pupils say that if they are away from school for any FRANK’ compared with 71% of pupils in the wider reason, their parents/carers don’t always know. sample. q 79% of pupils did homework on the previous evening. 39% q 10% of pupils said that there was is a sexual health reported they did more than an hour. service for young people locally compared with 15% of q 55% of pupils said that in their school people with different the wider sample. backgrounds were valued. q Similarly, 35% of pupils said that they know where they q 53% said that their school encouraged everyone to take part can get condoms free of charge compared with 41% of in decisions e.g. school council. the wider sample.

5 Pyramid data: Questions ALCOHOL Have you had an alcoholic drink in the week before included in both the primary the survey? 6% of the Year 6 pupils had an alcoholic drink on at least and secondary versions of one day in the week before the survey. 15% of Year 8 and the 2012 questionnaire 40% of Year 10 pupils said the same. Cross-phase data The following is a selection of data relating to the set of questions found in the primary and secondary versions of the questionnaire. It is always interesting to see how young people change as they grow up.

HEALTHY EATING Five a day? Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 Secondary school pupils are less likely to say that they had at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables on the day before Are young people aware of the dangers of drinking the survey, compared with primary aged pupils who said alcohol? the same. 36% of Year 6 pupils compared with 24% of Year 8 and 21% of Year 10 pupils. ILLEGAL DRUGS 20% of Year 6 pupils said that they were ‘fairly sure’ or ‘certain’ that they knew someone personally who used drugs (not as medicines). 30% of Year 8 and 60% of Year 10 school pupils said the same.

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 q Primary aged girls were less likely to report having nothing to eat or drink for breakfast: Year 6 girls 2%; Year 8 girls 16% and Year 10 girls 9%. q Primary aged pupils were more like to have crisps ‘on most days’ across the age groups: 27% of Year 6 pupils, Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 compared with, 24% of Year 8 and 21% of Year 10 pupils said this. EMOTIONAL HEALTH & WELLBEING Can any more be done to encourage young people to Self-esteem adopt healthy eating habits? q Self-esteem normally appears to increase with age. In Three Rivers, 44% of Year 6 pupils had high self-esteem. This rises TOBACCO to 45% of Year 8 pupils and in Three Rivers this rises again Did you smoke last week? to 52% of Year 10 pupils in the highest bracket. 0% of the Year 6 pupils smoked a cigarette in the week before the survey. 3% of Year 8 pupils and 14% of Year 10 pupils said the same.

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 Fewer girls appear in the highest bracket for self- esteem, can more be done to help girls with this? q 98% of primary pupils said that they had ‘never smoked at all’. 66% of secondary pupils said the same.

6 How much do you worry about problems? q 6% of Year 6 pupils said they had been bullied at school in the last 4 weeks. This rises slightly to 8% in Year 8 before 31% of Year 6 pupils said they worried about school tests dropping to 5% in Year 10. ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a lot’, this rises to 55% of Year 8 and 64% of Year 10 pupils. Are the methods of bullying changing, are young people supported through this new era of cyber bullying?

Internet safety 81% of Year 6 pupils said they had been told how to stay safe while chatting online, 82% of Year 8 and 76% of Year 10 pupils said the same.

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10

q 41% of secondary pupils worried about the way they looked, only 26% said the same in the primary survey.

Do young people have someone they can talk to about their worries? Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES 7% of Year 6 pupils said they had received a chat message What did you do after school? that scared them or made them upset, 5% of Year 8 and 4% of Year 10 pupils said the same. 65% of primary aged boys and 40% of primary aged girls played sport last night. This compares with 39% of secondary aged boys and 28% of secondary aged girls.

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10

Primary Boys Primary Girls Secondary Boys Secondary Girls Can any more be done to teach young people how to protect themselves while using the Internet? q 90% of primary pupils said that they enjoy physical activities ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a lot’. 78% of secondary pupils said the same. Have you ever been approached by an adult who q 95% of primary pupils said that they find it ‘quite easy’ or scared you or made you upset? ‘very easy’ to be as physically active as they like, 72% of q 28% of primary aged pupils said they had been approached secondary pupils said the same. by an adult who scared or upset them. 32% of secondary STAYING SAFE - including Bullying pupils said the same. 13% of primary pupils said they knew the adult and 8% told an adult straightaway. 9% of Are you ever afraid of going to school because you secondary pupils knew the adult who had approached them may be bullied? and 11% told an adult about it. 29% of Year 6 pupils said they felt afraid of going to Girls reporting that they had been scared: school at least sometimes. This remains roughly the same at 31% in Year 8 and drops to 13% in Year 10.

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10

Year 6 Year 8 Year 10 7 The Way Forward – over to you

This work was commissioned and co-ordinated by the Joint Commissioning Group for Young People’s Substance Misuse and the Health and Well Being Team. We are grateful to the teachers, schools, and young people for their time and contributions to this survey. As a result of their work we have excellent data to be used by schools, as well as both statutory and voluntary agencies that support the health of young people in Hertfordshire. This work will inform action plans for joint working between and within organisations involved in improving the health and well being of pupils in schools. The data will also be used to help support the Hertfordshire Healthy School programme and Young People’s Substance Misuse plans.

Hertfordshire Schools who took part in the survey: Hertfordshire secondary schools: Hertfordshire primary schools: Francis Bacon M & C College, Francis Combe Aboyne Lodge JMI School, Andrews Lane Primary Academy, Hitchin Boys' School, Hockerill Anglo- School, Ashtree Primary School, Bernards Heath Junior European College, , , Bromet Primary School, Burleigh Primary School, Queens' School, , School, Bushey Manor JM School, Chater Junior School, , Roysia Middle School, Cranborne Primary School, Cuffley Primary School, Sir Frederic Osborn School, Dewhurst St. Mary CE Primary School, Divine Saviour RC , St. Albans Girls' School, Primary School, Flamstead End Primary School, St. Clement Danes School, St. Joan of Arc RC School, George Street Primary School, Grange Junior School , , The Barclay School, Hertford Heath Primary School, Howe Dell Primary The Cavendish School, The Hemel Hempstead School, School, Laurance Haines Combined School, The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Lime Walk Primary School, Little Green Junior School, Little Heath Primary School, Maple Grove Primary School, Northgate Primary School, Oak View Primary and Nursery School, Offley Endowed Primary School , For more information about the survey Priors Wood Primary School , Reedings Junior School , please contact: Roundwood Primary School , Roysia Middle School, Shepherd Primary School, South Hill Primary School, Danika Amos Springmead Primary School, St. Albert the Great Research and Information Manager Primary School, St. Dominic Catholic Primary School, Services for Children & Young People St. Joseph RC Primary School, St. Joseph's RC Primary SFAR145 School, Swallow Dell Primary School , Tanners Wood JMI School, Templewood Primary School, The Cranbourne Farnham House, Primary School, The Grove Junior School, Six Hills Way, The Holy Family RC Primary School, Tower CP School, Stevenage SG1 2FQ Welwyn St. Mary's Primary School, Wheatfields Junior Tel: 01438 843878 Mixed School, Widford Primary School, Wilbury Junior School, Wood End School, Yewtree Primary School Elizabeth Biggs and Yorke Mead Primary School Team Leader – Health and Wellbeing SROB205 Robertson House Six Hills Way Stevenage SG1 2FQ Tel: 01438 844044