The article notes that the result of reforming the modern system of general secondary education in Ukraine is the reorientation and transition of general secondary education institutions from the traditional form of education to competency-based education. The emphasis has been placed on the need for substantive and functional changes regarding the formation of health-preserving and health-developing competencies in students of secondary education. The analysis of the formation of health-preserving and health-developing competences as a social and pedagogical problem has been carried out. It has been studied that scientists discuss a social problem related to the low level of health of Ukrainian youth. It requires a detailed analysis of its condition, the search and implementation of new approaches to the formation of value orientations of young people regarding their own health and issues of its preservation. The peculiarities of the formation of health-preserving and health-developing competences during the study of the subjects «Social and Health-Preserving», «Health and Physical Education» of educational sectors of the State Standard of Basic Secondary Education have been analyzed. It has been determined the basis of the formation of health-preserving and health-developing competencies of students of general secondary education in the adaptive cycle (5 – 6 grades) through personal needs to preserve one’s health and the health of others, to preserve one’s kind, the people, the environment, the ability to implementation of one’s own health-preserving behavior, one’s own health-preserving lifestyle.