Basingstoke ObserverNORTH Waltham Primary School has achieved the School Mental Health Award.
Delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, North Waltham Primary School were awarded a Bronze standard for its outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.
North Waltham Primary School provides a wide range of activities to boost the wellbeing of pupils and staff, including Golden Mile, mindfulness sessions and continual professional development for staff.
The written report recognised that the leadership team have developed clear and transparent systems to increase awareness and create a strong culture within the school and the staff team have undertaken a wide range of mental health training which has also been cascaded by the senior management team and the Headteacher in particular.
The school recently achieved a Good OFSTED inspection which involved canvassing staff and pupils regarding their mental health and wellbeing. The inspectors were very complimentary.
North Waltham Primary School head teacher Jeff Maidment said: “We are delighted to be one of the first primary schools in the county to receive this award, which recognises the hard work of both students and staff, on what is an incredibly important issue. As a school at the heart of its community, we work tirelessly to support our students and aim to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing.”
The award was established in 2017 by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – part of Leeds Beckett University – and social enterprise Minds Ahead.
Doctor Steve Burton, Interim Dean of Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education, said: “Achieving this award is not just recognition of a whole-school approach to mental health, it’s a recognition of the school’s commitment to improving the life chances of children and engaging with the wider community including staff and parents/carers. We’re truly proud to have worked with North Waltham Primary School in this vital work and look forward to further collaboration.”
Dean Johnstone, founder and CEO of Minds Ahead said: “This award shines a light on the excellent work schools are doing to promote mental health for their community of children and adults. It is thrilling and humbling to learn about North Waltham Primary School and the many other schools engaged in the quality award process. I’d like to offer my congratulations on this deserved recognition.”
