A sexual health and relationships programme credited with reducing teenage pregnancies in the Bradford district has won a national award.

The team behind the Ur Choice (pronounced Your Choice) programme was winner of the 2012 GP Practice Award for Clinical Team of the Year for Sexual Health, beating competition from 20 other finalists throughout the country.

The judges, a panel of health experts, were impressed by the way different organisations in the Bradford area work together, as well as the programme’s impressive results with young people.

The programme is delivered in secondary schools by a health professional and a teacher to all classes in years Nine and Ten, aged 13 to 15, with additional coaching from trained sixth- form peer educators.

The sessions encourage young people to develop communication skills and to delay having a sexual relationship until they are emotionally mature. Subjects covered include healthy and abusive relationships, gender, consent, safe use of new technologies and the law. Sessions explore how young people can handle situations they might encounter. Peer educators teach practical assertiveness skills for saying no.

Kate McIver, public health relationships and sex education programmes co-ordinator, who wrote and leads Ur Choice, said: “It is fantastic to have this recognition for the hard work done by everyone involved. Many partners have contributed to developing Ur Choice for young people and a committed group of workers in different agencies co-deliver the programme to the highest standard in schools.

“This award is shared with all these workers and with the Ur Choice schools. Congratulations and a big thank you to everyone who’s been involved in making Ur Choice so successful.”

Penny Wild, clinical lead of school nursing at Bradford District Care Trust, said: “We are really pleased to be recognised for our part in Ur Choice and for School Nursing’s contribution to both the development of the programme and the support our teams give to its delivery.”

Work on Ur Choice started five years ago in response to high levels of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The programme is now in its fourth year in pilot schools in Bradford and Keighley.

The push succeeded in reducing teenage pregnancies by 38 per cent between 1998 and 2010, taking it below the English average for the first time.

Anita Parkin, director of public health, said: “It’s thanks to their innovation, skill and dedication that young people in the district are benefiting from valuable support and advice that enables them to make informed decisions about their lives.”