Bradford Grammar School has won a national award for a campaign to support the good mental health of pupils, staff and the wider community.
The school’s pastoral team collected the TES Independent School Wellbeing Initiative of the Year Award at a glittering event in London for its Happiness campaign, which reflected ongoing work in school to promote wellbeing.
The award recognised the collaborative efforts of staff, parents and pupils coming together in a series of online videos talking about how they manage their own mental health. There was also tailored support for pupils who needed it, a focus on how sport and exercise could contribute to good mental health and an emphasis on what staff can do to help pupils’ mental health.
The campaign won the support of 35 charities including Time to Change, Rethink Mental Illness and the NSPCC.
Lead judge for the awards, Durell Barnes, said: “The Happiness campaign put wellbeing and self esteem front and centre of life at Bradford Grammar School. Led by the head, with emphasis on tailored support for pupils and ensuring staff wellbeing, it reached out to parents, alumni, feeder schools and the local community.”
Bradford Grammar School’s pastoral team includes a school counsellor and two nurses. Its own pupils contribute significantly to pastoral care through its sixth form mentoring scheme, pastoral prefects and student voice councils.
Simon Hinchliffe, headmaster at BGS, said: “We wanted to make a difference by taking positive action on behalf of ourselves and others. It’s important that we nurture the whole child at BGS as well as supporting them to achieve their academic goals.”
Felicity Robertshaw-Hughes, deputy head pastoral at Bradford Grammar Junior School, said: “Pupil wellbeing is the foundation for academic excellence. It’s imperative that we support our children fully from the minute they join us at the junior school, so that they have the skills to be happy and thrive in the future.”
“We wanted to make a difference by taking positive action on behalf of ourselves and others. It’s important that we nurture the whole child at BGS as well as supporting them to achieve their academic goals”
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