Borough academy wins award for its mental health provisions

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

Three Towers was awarded a Gold standard for its outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.

The school, part of The Rowan Learning Trust, provides a wide range of activities to boost the wellbeing of learners and staff such as outdoor enrichment activities and a targeted emotional literacy programme. Learners also have access to Lego therapy and therapeutic art.

Each year themed curriculum weeks take place where educational and team building activities are planned which further develop the positive relationships between learners and staff. In addition to this, there is an onsite counsellor and there are dedicated celebration and fund-raising days.

The school has hosted a mental health fayre and created a directory for parents and staff of the services available across the borough that support the mental health and wellbeing of both children and adults, and it continues to work very closely with external services.

“There are senior leaders who are Specialist Leaders of Education and have led external training to other professionals and our mental health leads have also showcased their work at a national conference.

In the 2018 outstanding report Ofsted commented that “the school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare was outstanding”.

Miss Parry, who co-ordinated the work for the award said: “This award recognises and validates all the hard work and effort by the whole team at Three Towers.

“The mental health and wellbeing of our learners and staff is at the heart of everything we do. It is amazing to receive the Gold award and to be recognised for the work going on each and every day. We have had some exciting opportunities to share our practice with other schools and we look forward to continue in developing this in the future”.

Head teacher Miss Isherwood said: “I am incredibly proud and humbled that our school has been recognised for what we do day in, day out to support our school community.

“We received notification of the award during the early part of this term and along with being awarded the Leading Parent Partnership Award recognising our work in engaging parents and carers and the Silver Trauma Attachment Award recognising the work taking place to support our learners, I am pleased that we have not lost the focus of what we are about.

“These are externally accredited nationwide awards from independent organisations with rigorous success criteria so I am delighted but we are not complacent.”

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