A shift in culture

I.B.I.S.´ Wellbeing Lead, Sarah Tann, stated: “As a school community, we identified that wellbeing is something we are passionate about and wanted to invest in for our staff, students and parents. The Mental Health Award provided us with a framework to identify our areas of strength and areas that needed development. We are thrilled to have achieved the Bronze Award, acknowledging that we are a mental health friendly school and we are excited about continuing to build on the strengths we have. Supporting the wellbeing of our school community is something we are very passionate about. Evidence suggests that resilient students will overcome any barriers to learning easier allowing them to accomplish their potential.”

The Award Assessor, Liz Dawson of Leeds Beckett University, stated: “The whole school has worked together to break down barriers and there has been a shift in culture. Display boards and theme days have prompted conversations with parents, the children and their staff. People share their worries and staff are more transparent about their own concerns and share with others. There are one-to-one meetings available for the pupils and drop-ins. The children are having their voices heard. The wellbeing champions programme has empowered the children to share what is working well and what is missing and has proved very powerful. On a personal level, I congratulate I.B.I.S. on becoming the first school in Germany to achieve this award.”