Air-quality alerts for school children.

WHAT is airAlert-4-schools :

airALERT-4-schools was piloted in 2007 for selected schools across Sussex. We invited a number of schools to participate in a pilot to test the service for school children over summer term (2007). This year (2008) we want to recruit as many schools as possible to participate in the service from May .

KEY OBJECTIVES of airAlert-4-schools:

1. To reach out and inform vulnerable young people.
2. To establish an effective delivery service for health and environmental information for schools.
3. Engage young people and education professionals in health and environmental information.

HOW does it work:

Each time we produce an airAlert for a specific area of Sussex, we also produce an e-Alert (email) for schools in that area. The e-Alert are sent the day before a predicted pollution episode to the school office or head, so that the school is informed. Each school will receive an information pack, providing information on what the e-Alert means, what air pollution alert levels we forecast for, health information and advice for asthma sufferers.

Each school will use this information as it deems best to monitor, inform or observe pupils. The e-Alert can be useful for teachers, staff, parents/guardians and children by:

Informing children (and parents) with asthma.	Monitor children during out-door activities
Be informed about conditions during out-door activities , such as "Sports-Days" or trips.	Prepare school health practitioners on-site.
Ensuring medication is prepared or bought with vulnerable children on alert days.

WHO can be involved:

Any school in Sussex can recieve the e-alerts including pre-school, primary/junoir and secondary schools. Schools that were involved in the 2007 pilot are listed below:

Barnham Primary School	Bognor Regis
Birdham CE Primary School	Chichester
Elm Grove Infant School	Worthing
Milton Mount Primary School	Crawley
South Bersted CE Primary School	Bognor Regis
Southwater Junior School	Horsham
Central Junior School	Chichester
Copthorne CE Junior School	Copthorne
Davison CE High School	Worthing
West Chiltington Community School	Pulborough
Oakmeeds Community College	Burgess Hill
Somerhill Junior School	Hove
Rodmell Primary	Rodmell
Manor Green Primary	Crawley
Manor Green College	Crawley
Aldrington CE Primary School	Hove

airAlert is a service provided by the Sussex Air Quality Partnership and is supported by the Sussex Primary Care Trusts, Health Protection Agency and Sussex Authorities.