Background and context: Healthy school communities aim to optimise student health and educational achievement. Various models, terms and resources have been used to describe healthy school communities. Policy makers and practitioners have reported confusion around many of the key concepts involved because of the varying models and terms. Importantly, practitioners have reported that the lack of clarity impedes progress related to advancing healthy school work. To address these issues and work towards a common understanding of healthy school communities within the Canadian context, a collaborative process involving practitioners, policy makers and researchers culminated in the production of a concept paper. Objective: Here, we describe the process used to develop the concept paper and summarise what is known about healthy school communities and the effectiveness of the approach. Method: Guided by a steering committee and expert panel, we identified, reviewed and summarised key resources to identify common components and principles necessary for a healthy school communities approach. Results: Core components of healthy school communities that emerged include the presence of education, social and physical environments, policy, community partnerships and the use of evidence. Fundamental principles for creating healthy school communities include the adoption of a whole school approach, education and health service synergy, planning and assessment, leadership and sustainability. Here, we describe the iterative and collaborative process to identify these key components and principles. Conclusion: Beyond the Canadian context, this discussion paper describes a process for enhancing communication among organisations and stakeholders invested in healthy school communities internationally.