Table 1 Interview schedule for telephone interviews with local Healthy Schools programme coordinators

Introduction of interviewer

Confirmation of interviewees name

Confirmation that interviewee is happy for interview to be taped

Explanation of research

Confirmation of interview confidentiality and anonymity in reporting the data

Confirmation of the interview length

Questions

I'd like to start by asking you your feelings about oral health being promoted as part of an intervention like Healthy Schools?

Prompts:

What do you see as the relationship between oral health and general health?

Who do you think should have responsibility for promoting oral health in schools?

Are there any oral health promoting activities that you think could be incorporated within a Healthy Schools programme?

Prompts:

What are the differences between what would be appropriate or possible in a primary or a secondary school?

Are you aware whether oral health is covered in the curriculum?

Are you aware whether staff receive training to teach oral health?

Do you know whether oral disease is a particular problem in the local area covered by your Healthy Schools scheme?

Prompt:

What is the extent of this problem?

Are there any members of your team who include oral health within their remit?

Prompts:

Who are they and what is their role?

Have you or they any particular experience in any aspects of oral health promotion?

Does your local area have its own Healthy Schools manual? If so, is oral health explicitly or implicitly discussed within it?

Prompts:

Where and how is it discussed?

Are you aware of any local directives that support the promotion of oral health in Healthy Schools?

Are you aware of any national directives that support the promotion of oral health in Healthy Schools?

Do you have any local partners that have a role in supporting oral health promotion within schools?

Prompts:

What is the current activity of these partners?

Is this activity carried out in all schools or selected schools? If selected schools, how are these selected?

Are parents or the wider community involved in any school oral health initiatives?

Are you aware of any oral health promotion programmes for school staff?

Are you aware of any schools-based oral health promotion that takes place outside the Healthy Schools umbrella in your area?

Prompt:

Perhaps carried out by the Community Dental Service in schools that are not involved with the Healthy Schools scheme?

Does consideration of the safety of the physical environment of the school environment form part of the local Healthy Schools programme?

Prompt:

Would schools have a policy that covers the safety of the school environment?

Is the local Healthy Schools scheme promoting the use of cycle helmets and mouthguards for sports?

Prompt:

Would schools have a trauma and emergency care policy?

Are you aware of any schools that have an oral health policy or an oral health education policy?

Prompt:

Or would these be covered by more general policies?

In your opinion, what influences how and whether local Healthy Schools schemes engage with oral health promotion?

I now want to ask you some more about the activities that are perhaps more integral to the national Healthy Schools scheme and that could promote oral health.

Are schools involved with the local Healthy Schools programme expected to have a healthy eating policy?

Prompts

Are they expected to follow this through by having healthy foods and drinks available?

What about sugar-free foods and drinks?

And drinking water?

Would they be expected to try and control outside vendors?

Do schools or the local area have a SNAG (School Nutrition Action Group)

What sort of involvement with anti-smoking initiatives are Healthy Schools expected to have?

Prompts:

What about school smoking and tobacco policy?

Or school antismoking programmes?

How about involvement with alcohol programmes?

Prompts:

Would schools have an alcohol policy?

And alcohol programmes?

To what extent is student participation a part of the local Healthy Schools scheme?

Could I ask finally about the numbers of schools in your area involved with the Healthy Schools programme?

Prompts:

What percentage of these has achieved Healthy School status?

What percentage of these are primary schools?

What percentage of these are secondary schools?

Concluding comments

Would it be useful for you to have a copy of the report and recommendations from this study?

Thank you for your time. If I find that I need further clarification on any of the issues that we have talked about today, would it be OK to contact you again?