Mental wellbeing essential for attainment as London primary scoops awards

East London primary school wins additional awards for its focus on pupils' mental wellbeing

Hunters Hall Primary School has now achieved Ambassador status in Right-time, Relationship and Reparative from Thrive®

A primary school in Dagenham, in London, has been named as a Thrive Ambassador School in three additional areas of expertise for the role it plays in supporting the wellbeing of its pupils in order to prevent mental health issues.

Hunters Hall Primary School has now achieved Ambassador status in Right-time, Relationship and Reparative from Thrive®, which trains teachers and other education professionals to support the emotional and social development of all children. Last year, it was named as an Ambassador School with Excellence in Leadership and Environment.

The Right-time award recognises schools that have succeeded in helping all pupils to understand their emotions and the role they play in positive mental health.

The Relationship award recognises schools that forge a strong connection between staff and pupils, creating a firm foundation for learning.

The Reparative award recognises schools that have excelled in helping children who have gaps in their social and emotional development and have successfully met their needs.

The Leadership award recognises extraordinary schools where senior management and governors have prioritised mental wellbeing, recognising that this is the foundation for successful learning and life skills such as resilience that will equip children, staff, and the wider community with the ability to cope with life's ups and downs.

The Environment award recognises schools that are making a positive impact on their pupils and on the wider community by having a focus on emotional wellbeing and creating an environment in which children's wellbeing thrives.

"I'm incredibly proud of the whole school community because these awards recognise that we have held steadfast to our vision of putting wellbeing at the centre of school life.

"This is something that all staff here really believe in and help to put into practice. Our children can now understand their feelings and how to express them - something that is essential to good mental health, to healthy relationships, and to being authentic to themselves," said Headteacher Selina Frazer.

Thrive's Ambassador School scheme has been launched as a way of recognising excellence in the way schools use Thrive to promote positive mental wellbeing. There are five areas in which schools can evidence how they support children's social and emotional development: Environment, Leadership, Right-time, Reparative, and Relationship, with a special Ambassador School of Excellence Award for schools that achieve the highest standard across all five categories.

As well as submitting an in-depth application form, the school was visited by Thrive staff, before the coronavirus lockdown, to observe and assess the way that teachers and other staff implement the Thrive Approach® to help build the emotional resilience of children so that they can better manage the ups and downs of life and be more open to learning.

"Everyone at Hunters Hall has worked hard to achieve these three additional awards which recognise that mental and emotional wellbeing is well and truly at the heart of life at the school. It's fantastic to see the journey the school has been on and the pride that staff and pupils take in its success - this is something that is now more important than ever given the Covid-19 pandemic and the recognition that children's mental wellbeing is essential for attainment and life-long learning," said Alistair Dewar, Thrive Relationship Manager for London.

Over to you

Are you leading the way in developing happy, emotionally-resilient children or young people? Are you feeling the impact of embedding the Thrive Approach throughout your setting? You too may be eligible for Thrive Ambassador School status. Click here to find out how to apply.