A WOKINGHAM school has achieved the School Mental Health Award.
Holme Grange School was awarded a Gold standard by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools.
It runs a range of activities to boost pupil and staff wellbeing, including mindfulness sessions, yoga classes and buddy systems.
It also works closely with other agencies such as No.5 Young People in Reading and Arc in Wokingham.
Headteacher, Claire Robinson, said the award recognises and validates the hard work and effort of the staff team and the school community.
The school also hosts a bi-annual Parent Conference. Its January event, Healthy Me, Healthy Planet, will cover personal wellbeing.
Mrs Robinson said: “Wellbeing is at the core of Holme Grange philosophy because confident, happy and secure young people will not only be effective learners, but will also go on to lead happy and successful lives in the future.
“We take a whole-school approach to positive mental health and work together with parents to develop a climate which we know has a beneficial effect on the physical and mental health of our school community.”
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.
Dr Steve Burton, interim dean of Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education, said the award recognises the school’s commitment to improving the life chances of children.
“We’re truly proud to have worked with Holme Grange in this vital work and look forward to further collaboration,” he said.
