Schools provide a key platform for promoting health literacy in young people. Despite a long history of initiatives to create health promoting schools, and extensive literature on the construct of health literacy, there is much less research on using the school nursing workforce to promote health literacy, particularly in the English school context. In this paper we review the relevant literature and distil key messages. The school nursing workforce is small, and needs to work in partnership with other agencies. While there are clear opportunities there are also constraints on what can be achieved. As well as providing basic health information, for real health literacy to develop young people need to learn skills and become empowered to take action. More research is needed to establish how school nurses can contribute to this in the broader context of health promoting schools.

Ann Hagell - Chartered psychologist and research lead, Association for Young People's Health, London

Emma Rigby - Chief executive, Association for Young People's Health, London

Frances Perrow - Health literacy project lead, Association for Young People's Health