The East Anglian Daily Times Suffolk Education Awards are open for entries and staff, students, parents and local communities are all encouraged to submit their nominations to help us shout about the county’s best education providers.
Here we speak to Gareth Davies, director of Active Suffolk, which is sponsoring the Wellbeing Award, to find out why it’s important to celebrate schools that support mental health.
Why do we need these awards?
These awards are important to make sure that the incredible educators working across Suffolk know how appreciated they are, not only by the parents of the children they educate but the entirety of the county who will go on to benefit from these young people’s experience as years go on.
How do you support education in Suffolk?
Active Suffolk works directly with schools to ensure they are able to offer a range of physical activities to meet the needs of all children, ensuring that opportunities that benefit their physical and mental health are widely available. In turn, this enables them to engage even more positively with their education.
Why is wellbeing so important?
Positive wellbeing is pivotal in every child and young person’s life. Feeling safe, valued, healthy and happy allows them to maximise their opportunities and optimise their education.
Positive wellbeing is also associated with numerous health benefits such as decreased risk of disease and illness.
How do you support wellbeing in your organisation?
Active Suffolk recognises that staff with a positive sense of wellbeing and a passion for making a difference make a formidable team.
All staff have undertaken Suffolk Mind’s ‘The Essentials’ training to fully understand their emotional needs and are offered flexible working opportunities to maintain their work/life balance.
To enter or make a nomination for the Wellbeing Award, or to find out about the other categories, please visit suffolkeduawards.co.uk
The deadline for entries is Sunday, August 6, and all of the finalists will be invited to the awards ceremony on Thursday, November 9 at Venue 16 in Ipswich.
Award criteria
This award will recognise the outstanding work being done within a school to promote mental health and wellbeing.
The judges will look at the effective practises and provisions in place that promote the emotional wellbeing of staff and students. The wider community will also benefit from the commitment to the promotion of mental health and the development of effective strategy to maintain wellbeing throughout a student’s academic career.
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