Oldham school scoops pioneering mental health award

An Oldham school has achieved the School Mental Health Award which is delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools.

St Anne’s RC Primary School were awarded a Silver standard for its outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.

St Anne’s RC Primary School provides a wide range of activities to boost the wellbeing of pupils and staff.

Universal provision supports all pupils through initiatives like calm corner, worry buttons, Jigsaw PSHE and meet and greets when pupils arrive at school.

Of particular note is the Mental Health Ambassador programme which has allowed the pupils to take the initiatives forward - they have delivered assemblies, been visible at break times and lead fundraising events.

For pupils who need more specific support, there is a breathtaking array of options such as Forest School, Lego Therapy, 101 self-esteem, to name a few.

It is really clear that the school is a community supporting parents as much as pupils.

In addition, the school runs coffee mornings/afternoons with external agencies coming in to help with advice on parenting, mental health and much more.

The school has shared its good practice in a number of ways in the local area.

St Anne’s RC Primary School head teacher Amy Wainwright said: “I want to take a moment to express how incredibly proud I am of the ongoing support for mental health and wellbeing at our school.

"We are committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment where every pupil feels valued, heard, and supported.

"It’s heartening to see our community come together to prioritise mental health, and I’m excited to continue working with our mental health team in school to continue to strengthen these efforts for the benefit of all our pupils.”

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.

The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools aims to strengthen pupils’ mental health by supporting schools to make a positive change at all levels of the UK's education system, improving students’ outcomes and life chances.

Rachel C Boyle, Dean of Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education, said: “The achievement of the Mental Health award is a demonstration of the school's significant commitment to improving children's and staff’s mental health and wellbeing.

"It is also a commitment to developing practices in school that seek to improve awareness and expertise in creating safe and secure learning environments in which all children can truly fulfil their potential.

"This award is one that all staff can be truly proud of."

Nationally, more than 1,400 schools have signed up to take part in the mental health award.

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 St Anne’s RC Primary School and the many other schools engaged in the quality award process.

"I’d like to offer my congratulations on this deserved recognition.”

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