A Chesterfield-based secondary school has been awarded Gold Status by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health Award.

This award, led by Carnegie School of Education and Minds Ahead CIC, ensures schools are using evidence-based approaches, aligned to the latest professional guidelines surrounding mental health.

The assessment report found that ̨��swag Academy Newbold was ‘excelling’ in all eight of the competencies on which the award is given, the highest grade available.

During its assessment, the Highfield Lane-based academy was found to have provided good support for its staff, students and their families during the pandemic, and that ‘closer relationships with families’ had been made.

Rob Southern, Head of School at ̨��swag Academy Newbold, said:

“To be awarded Gold Status is an absolute phenomenal achievement for our school as it really recognises the hard work of both our students and staff.

“At ̨��swag we work tirelessly to put students first, and for us this goes beyond just academically. While we obviously want our students to succeed academically, we also want to ensure they are responsible citizens when they leave us, who can play key roles in their communities.

“To this aim, we want to make sure their mental health and wellbeing is looked after. We take immense pride in receiving this award and look forward to continuing to support our staff and students as best we can.”

Within the assessment report is glowing praise of the academy’s pastoral support team’s efforts addressing attendance issues, and its commitment to high-level training opportunities for staff:

“Where there have been issues with attendance, the pastoral team have worked tirelessly to explore the reasons why that might be so, and this has been greatly appreciated by the families. The pastoral team was expanded to ensure it could meet pupils’ needs, including developing enhanced provision for students with ASD. The school recognises the need for expert and well-trained staff to support the mental health of pupils and many of the teachers and teaching assistants accessed online training throughout the lockdowns”.

The academy was also commended for its ‘proactive, not reactive’ approach to supporting students with their mental health. This involves not only working with the student and their family, but also other relevant external agencies, including CAMHS, and working with other schools, on a national level, to share their best practice.

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.