Mental Health Award

Students are supported fully to ensure that they are able to cope with the demands placed

upon them. Each year group is taught how to recognise the signs of poor mental health, what common causes there are to cause it, and shown a number of options to seek support. This is taught via a suite of dedicated lessons created by a mental health specialist. Our student section of the website has a section dedicated to mental health, with a number of links to external support services. However, our pastoral offer is strong, and the majority of our students with poor mental health are happy to seek advice and raise concerns with our pastoral team. 

We have two fully trained Mental Health First Aiders who are also ELSA trained and all staff receive professional development in this area to ensure they are in a position to support our young people when they need it most. Training this year for staff has included contextual safeguarding and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how these can impact on the mental health of our students. 

The academy has recently been awarded silver level of the Carnegie Schools Mental Health

Award and continues to work hard in this area to ensure a healthy balance of work and life for both staff and students. 

Our role in the NHS Trailblazer project has secured additional support and we are able to meet fortnightly with our Mental Health Practitioner to discuss students who are exhibiting moderate levels of poor mental health, to ensure early support and intervention is secured.