A handful of schools across Keighley and Wharfedale have been given awards for how well they support the emotional health and wellbeing of their pupils and staff.
The schools were recognised as part of a pioneering project set up jointly between Bradford Council and health partners called the Healthy Minds Charter Mark. Under the scheme, schools can earn a silver, gold and then platinum award depending on how well they support children, young people, parents and staff.
The project launched last year and the first six schools to achieve awards were handed trophies at a ceremony in Bradford on Tuesday (5th July).
Locally, the schools picking up the award were East Morton C of E Primary School, Parkwood Primary School in Keighley, Riddlesden St Mary's C of E Primary School, and Burley and Woodhead C of E Primary School.
There were also awards for Fagley Primary and Bowling Park Primary - both in Bradford.
The awards shone a light on the excellent work the schools are doing to promote mental health including staff training and development, student-led initiatives, supporting parents and carers and linking with outside school support services.
Cllr Imran Khan, Bradford Council's executive member for education, employment and skills, said: “We all want children to do their best at school and reach their potential. Good mental health and emotional wellbeing is essential to that.
“Huge congratulations to the six schools on earning their awards and for the hard work and dedication which led up to them.
“Achieving charter mark status is impressive, well-deserved and shows that they support and champion efforts that promote the emotional health and wellbeing of their students, staff and the whole school community.
“We look forward to supporting many more schools to achieve this recognition in the future.”
Dr Ruth Dennis, Principal Educational Psychologist at Bradford Council, said: “The Healthy Minds Charter Mark is an opportunity for schools to develop their support around wellbeing and mental health needs, and to demonstrate their outstanding practice. We are very proud of the six schools who have achieved the silver award today, which recognises their commitment to meeting the needs of their communities. The schools have all taken different paths, drawing on resources from within their own communities and working closely with colleagues in the Educational Psychology Team and council and NHS services. All the schools have worked hard to improve what they do and have shown excellence in delivering wellbeing and mental health support, which has been demonstrated through moderation and with clear evidence at every stage. We are delighted that all have achieved the Healthy Minds Charter Mark award.
“The six schools who have achieved the silver award are all continuing with the process, and we are confident that with their ongoing commitment and continued psychological support they can achieve the gold award. There are many other Bradford schools who are also going through this developmental process and we are hoping to be able to issue many more awards in the near future. The Healthy Minds Charter Mark is supported by a rigorous evidence base which gives schools knowledge and skills that have been proven to improve wellbeing and support positive mental health. The Educational Psychology team and our partners across organisations will continue to support schools to develop their practise and improve the wellbeing of children all across Bradford district.”
Lisa Stead, Programme and Clinical Lead for Mental Health Support team at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s great to see that six schools across the Bradford District have achieved the Healthy Minds Charter Mark. This is an opportunity for schools to demonstrate their approach to emotional health and wellbeing, and each school will have gone through a rigorous process to achieve this. Once they’ve achieved the chartermark they will gain recognition for outstanding practice within the Bradford District with three awards, these are silver, gold and platinum.
“The Mental Health Support team works closely with the educational psychology team and will support more schools over the coming years to achieve the Healthy Minds Charter Mark.”
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