If only we could run schools better then children and adolescents would become more mature, less vulnerable, more socially accomplished, more successful, healthier, and happier people. It’s an attractive thought but is it workable? Do school development programmes produce measurable results? The Health Promoting Schools framework was introduced by the World Health Organization in 1995, stressing the quality of the school environment and the importance of community health programmes in schools. Several programmes of school change have been described but they have not been subjected to rigorous objective assessment. The Gatehouse Project in Melbourne, Australia aims to promote the emotional and …