Rochdale school scoops pioneering mental health award

L-R: Meryem Fatah (Head Girl), Manahil Khalil (Well-Being Team), Taha Umer Butt (Well-Being Team) and Deacon Hines (Head Boy)

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

Brimrod Primary School has been awarded a Bronze standard for its outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.

The school provides a wide range of activities to boost the wellbeing of pupils and staff, including mindfulness sessions, coaching sessions for staff, nurture groups and working closely with social services and the NHS's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The school has also created a Well-being Team that consists of children supporting each other and producing resources for other children to use and has a teacher responsible for ensuring that children are healthy and active and that learning outside is an integral part of their curriculum.

Brimrod Primary School headteacher Louise Thompson said: “I am extremely proud of this award as it recognises the hard work that the whole community has put in to ensuring that the mental health and well-being of our children and staff is at the heart of everything we do. It shows what a community can do when we all work together. Our aim is to now share some of our successes with other schools in Rochdale and beyond.”

A focal point of the school’s mental health and wellbeing provision is creating a safe and inclusive culture where everyone feels safe to share their experiences with the knowledge that they will be listened to, understood, and provided with the advice and support needed.

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.

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 Brimrod Primary School in this vital work and look forward to further collaboration.”

Nationally, more than 1,000 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 Brimrod Primary School and the many other schools engaged in the quality award process. I’d like to offer my congratulations on this deserved recognition.”