A COUNTY-WIDE programme to get Surrey's schoolchildren healthy has received the official stamp of approval.

Three members of Surrey's Healthy Schools team visited the House of Lords yesterday (Nov 21) to receive official accreditation following a successful assessment of their campaign earlier this year.

Rachel Pottinger, local education service advisor for the group, made the trip with her partners Eleonora Lockwood, health promotions specialist with West Surrey Health Authority, and Clare Moonan, health promotion specialist for East Surrey Health Authority.

Ms Pottinger said: "Every authority must be accredited before it can claim the national healthy schools standard.

"Achieving it means that any school in the programme also gets a national standard through us, which is important for schools in the programme as it reinforces the fact that we have all got it right about being a healthy school."