Tor Bridge High is pleased to announce this Youth Mental Health Day that the school has been awarded the Bronze Mental Health Charter Mark, which recognises Tor Bridge High’s exceptional commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students and staff alike.

The charter mark celebrates schools that have a strong focus on young people’s emotional wellbeing and Tor Bridge High wants to thank their fantastic Student Ambassadors who play such a key role in supporting positive relationships and mental health across the school.

To achieve bronze status, staff at Tor Bridge High carried out a thorough audit of mental wellbeing in the school to inform their work. They then focused on developing support in three key areas, attendance issues caused by anxious feelings, lack of confidence in relationships and meeting student needs in the classroom.

As a result of this focus, they implemented a team of highly skilled staff in a new ‘Attendance Hub’, where students and families are supported and provided with daily contact, encouragement, and emotion coaching. The school also created 'check-in zones,' staffed by adults who are skilled in trauma, building wellbeing and developing strong relationships.

All staff were trained in ‘RULER’ which helps staff to recognise their own emotions and understand how this impacts them and others. This is the first stage in a three-year implementation plan that will be extended to students next year and their parents and the wider community the following year. As part of this work, Tor Bridge teachers are continuing to develop their skills in ‘Adaptive Teaching’ which aims to improve their skills at meeting individual student needs. All teachers and support staff are attending weekly practice sessions on how to meet a wide range of special educational needs.  

All schools in the Ted Wragg Trust, which Tor Bridge High is a part of, are undertaking the Mental Health Charter Mark and St Luke's Church of England School, Isca Academy, Marine Academy Primary and Exwick Heights Primary School have all also received the Bronze Award already.

Youth Mental Health Day (19th September) aims to get young people talking about how to improve mental health. It aims to provide hope and positivity, and to break the stigma surrounding mental health. This year's theme, Share Support, encourages young people and those around them to connect, share, and access clinically-informed mental health resources.

Tracy Stephenson, Headteacher at Tor Bridge High, said:

“Everyone at Tor Bridge High is delighted that we have been awarded the Bronze Mental Health Charter Mark in time for Youth Mental Health Day. As a school, our mission is to transform lives, strengthen our communities and make the world a better place. We do this through our core values of Courage, Love and Ambition and I am so proud of all the staff and students who embody these values to ensure we support the mental health of our entire school community.”

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust, said:

“I want to extend my congratulations to everyone at Tor Bridge High for this achievement. We know how important emotional wellbeing is to enabling young people to grow, learn, and go on to live a life of opportunity. That’s why all our schools are continuing to strengthen their efforts to support students with their mental health, helping them to build their mental resilience and wellbeing both now and in the future.”