A commitment to putting the wellbeing of pupils at the heart of school life has seen a Barking and Dagenham primary recognised as a School of Excellence for mental health.
Rose Lane Primary School, in Chadwell Heath, has held a celebration of mental health which was attended by pupils, staff, governors and senior local authority staff to mark its achievement in becoming a Thrive School of Excellence.
The school has been praised by Ofsted inspectors for its positive attitude to learning and for the behaviour and personal development of its pupils, who are described as having ‘a thirst for learning which makes them eager to learn and want to come to school’.
“We’re proud of what everyone at Rose Lane has achieved to become a School of Excellence. Children need to come into school feeling calm and settled if they are going to learn. They need to be able to regulate their emotional state to be in the classroom and to learn and make progress,” said Katie Parks, Rose Lane’s Counsellor, Mental Health Lead and Thrive Lead.
Prioritising mental wellbeing
Rose Lane Primary School was named a School of Excellence after going through a rigorous assessment process with Thrive, an organisation which trains teachers and other professionals to support the social and emotional development of children and young people.
Thrive’s School of Excellence award recognises extraordinary schools which are making a positive impact on their pupils, and on the wider community, by prioritising emotional wellbeing. The School of Excellence award is the highest level of achievement in Thrive’s Ambassador Schools scheme, which was launched in 2020 as a way of recognising excellence in member schools.
There are five areas in which schools can evidence how they use Thrive to support children’s social and emotional development: Environment, Leadership, Right-time, Reparative and Relationship, with the School of Excellence award reserved for schools that achieve the highest standard across all five categories.   
'An inspirational setting'
As well as submitting an in-depth evidence and impact application form, the school was visited by Thrive staff to observe and assess the way that teachers and other staff implement the Thrive Approach to help build the emotional resilience of children— so they can better manage the ups and downs of life and be more open to learning. 
“Rose Lane Primary School is an inspirational setting that has truly embraced the Thrive Approach to help children fully engage with life and learning.  Relationships between staff and pupils are strong and this has created a culture of wellbeing that means children feel calm, emotionally-regulated and ready to learn.  Their School of Excellence achievement is very well-deserved,” said Sarah Baltieri, Regional Development Manager East and London.
