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New award launched to support schools put positive mental health at the centre of teacher training
Trainee teacher on placement
The award, created and delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, will offer tools to develop mental health provision in schools, as well as accreditation to bronze, silver and gold levels.
Carnegie School of Education’s Professor Rachel Lofthouse said: “New teachers join a demanding profession. Their optimism, wellbeing and capacity to keep learning allow them to flourish in training and when new in their roles.
“Teacher training partnerships which acknowledge the importance of mental health and wellbeing, and establish approaches which support these, play an essential role in improving support for generations of children. The way that mentors, tutors, colleagues and leaders work with new teachers shapes who they will become.
“The routines and habits new teachers adopt can help them thrive, and if we can get this right in teacher training, we can play an essential part in creating schools in which children, young people and staff can experience achievement and belonging.”
Jane Acklam OBE, of South Pennine Academies, said: “As a School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) school we are committed to ensuring that our trainee teachers learn about mental health from the start of their training - making the promotion of positive mental health central to both their individual career, and the school communities they’ll work within over the course of their career.
“Working towards the framework has given us the confidence to know the work we are undertaking with our trainee teachers and in our wider partnership is impactful, and gives us the steer and guidance to further develop our practice.”
As part of the award, schools with an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Partnerships will be supported and accredited in leadership and strategy; organisational structure and culture for trainees and staff; support for trainees and staff; professional development and learning; and working with partner schools and external services.
ITE Partnerships will help schools develop an implementation plan and guide the process of building skills and knowledge needed to bring about improvements in mental health and wellbeing. They will also work with a coach to create a personalised action plan, helping to create a portfolio of evidence for accreditation.
If you would like to find out more information, please contact Martina Sanna on 0113 812 2423 or schoolmh@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
