West Sussex School receives Mental Health Award

Headteacher at Slindon College, Sotiria Vlahodimou said: “We are delighted to receive this award and the recognition that goes with it for our hardworking team who are so very skilled and experienced at looking after our pupils’ mental fitness.”

"Each pupil at Slindon College is supported and nurtured to ensure their personal development and all-round wellbeing.” Slindon College provides a wide range of activities to boost the wellbeing of pupils and staff, including weekly woodland walks, time-to-talk sessions, termly well-being focussed staff meetings.

They also have a range of events that support the college community’s mental fitness including the Slindon Memory Tree which encouraged pupils to reflect and journal their feelings in a safe space.

Slindon College SENCo and Mental Fitness Lead, Adam Sharpe said: “The award process has helped us to recognise just how much we do to support the mental health of those in our College community."

" It provided an excellent framework to improve the ways we can monitor wellbeing and adapt the support we offer to our pupils. The award has also been a catalyst for the College to look beyond Slindon House and at how we can support other local settings to improve their mental health provision and share good practice.”

To achieve the Silver Standard Carnegie Award, a school’s mental health provision needs to be having an impact at a local and regional level. Slindon College’s SENCo has visited local primary

schools to deliver sessions to pupils on mental fitness and share information with local Headteachers on how the College is helping to improve the mental fitness of staff.

Sotiria Vlahodimou (Headteacher) has written nationally published articles on aspects of education that directly impact mental health. She also led a workshop on engaging reluctant learners (with a

focus on Mental Health) at Chichester University’s SEN conference 2023: Engaging Voices for Change in Inclusive Education.

To find out more about Slindon College visit www.slindoncollege.co.uk.