Council Partnerships

Bringing body respect education to every school, with your support.

We help local authorities commission high-impact, ready-to-go body image education—because every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and respected in their body.

Why body image education matters

Body image isn’t just about how children feel—it affects how they learn, how they behave, and how they grow.

“I have been able to identify and change my practice in a positive manner for the young people.” - School Nurse

Poor body image is linked to rising mental health concerns, eating difficulties, school disengagement and low self-worth. It is a public health and educational inclusion issue—and one that many schools feel unprepared to tackle.

Local authorities have a vital role to play in shifting this.

The case for action

61% of 11–16-year-olds worry about the way they look - rising to 74% of 15-year-old girls (Girlguiding, 2023).

Appearance-based bullying is common, particularly for higher-weight children and those with protected characteristics.

Poor body image is associated with low self-esteem, anxiety and disordered eating (NHS Digital, 2022).

NHS treatment of eating disorders costs an estimated £9.4 billion per year (PwC for BEAT, 2020) – but prevention is cheaper, faster, and more sustainable

Children with low body confidence are less likely to participate in physical activity or classroom life (YMCA, 2020).

Body image education is a low-cost, early intervention that cuts across health, education, and inclusion

Our council-facing offer

We support councils to fund and commission our Body Happy Schools Programme, or strands of it, into local primary and secondary schools.

Designed to be scalable, flexible, and grounded in research, the programme helps schools:

  • Embed inclusive body image education across the curriculum

  • Boost teacher confidence through training and practical tools

  • Build school cultures of belonging and respect

  • Measure and evaluate impact with built-in feedback tools

Already commissioned by councils and loved by teachers, our programme is evidence-informed, classroom-ready, and made for schools of every type.

What’s included?

Commissioned schools can get immediate access to high-quality resources:

✔️ KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 body image schemes of work (PSHE
aligned)

✔️ A digital workshop for Year 5–6 pupils with teacher
guidance and printable activities

✔️ Optional CPD for school staff

✔️ Access to our secure online portal, The Body Happy Hub (we
manage the relationships and admin with schools so you~
don’t have to)

✔️Evaluation tools to support impact reporting

All materials are inclusive and designed with SEND, EAL and diverse learner needs in mind.

CPD for Public Health and Health Teams

In addition to our school-based offer, we provide CPD training for public health professionals, school nurses, youth services and health teams.

These sessions are designed to:

  • Enhance understanding of body image issues among children and young people

  • Equip professionals with tools to support positive body image in their everyday practice

  • Align with public health goals, including Compassionate Care approaches and weight-inclusive strategies

The Body Happy Skills

Our programme helps children build four essential lifelong skills:

  • Body Happy Literacy – Understanding what body respect is and why it matters

  • Body Happy Resilience – Thinking critically about appearance messages and media

  • Body Happy Kindness – Appreciating and caring for our bodies holistically

  • Body Happy Advocacy – Celebrating difference and standing up for others

These skills support children to thrive - not just now, but long into adulthood.

Training options include:

  • Introductory webinar – £395
    A one-hour online session for teams wanting a practical introduction

  • Full CPD session – £595
    A 90-minute to 2-hour session (online or in person), with tailored examples, follow-up resources, and an optional feedback summary

  • Bespoke workshop or co-design – from £750
    Tailored support for teams designing services or embedding inclusive practice

Impact and evaluation

All sessions include optional pre- and post-reflection questions to capture learning. Summary reports can be provided on request to support internal reporting, funding, or strategy development.

Why work with us?

We’re a small but mighty social enterprise, combining classroom insight with national reach.

  • Multi-disciplinary team with education, health and media literacy practitioner professionals

  • Delivered in schools across the UK, from cities to rural villages

  • Research-led, with a PhD partnership through the University of Lincoln

  • Trusted by teachers, councils, and families

  • Asset-locked Community Interest Company—any surplus goes straight back into schools

“The programme gave us the confidence and language to talk about body image in an inclusive, supportive way.”
— Secondary school teacher, pilot school

Download our Council Info Pack

What to share this with your commissioning team or colleagues?

Let’s work together

Whether you're looking to commission support for a single cluster or roll out across your region, we’d love to chat.

📩 Email us at: hello@bodyhappy.org

🔗 Or use our short contact form