<![CDATA[It's not that sort of date, but a pupil from
Highfield Community Primary School in Sunderland will be travelling
to London to meet with The Duchess of Cambridge. Bailey Dunn is a
finalist in the Child Champion Award category in the national
Place2Be 'Wellbeing in Schools' Awards.
Bailey Dunn won't be alone in his trip to London as his
Headteacher, Mr Simon Marshall, has also been nominated in the
School Leader category. To add to the success of two
individual nominees, Highfield Community Primary School has
also been nominated as a finalist in the School Community Award
category. Mr Marshall, Bailey and three other school
representatives will travel to the award ceremony at
Kensington Palace, where they will be introduced to The
Duchess of Cambridge.
Mr Marshall commented on the three nominations that Highfield have
received, "It is very exciting for us, we have done really well to
get this far. Bailey has done so much to improve his own mental
health and that of others. He even mentors other young people now."
Bailey has recently left Highfield to move onto secondary education
at St Aidan's Catholic Academy.
Place2Be is the UK's leading provider of school-based mental health
services, providing emotional and therapeutic services in primary
and secondary schools and building children's resilience through
talking, creative work and play. Place2Be currently helps around
90,000 children and The Duchess of Cambridge is the charity's Royal
Patron. Kate will be in attendance at Place2Be's award ceremony in
the State Apartments of Kensington Palace where the winners of
seven categories will be announced.
Mr Marshall continued on the subject of Bailey now mentoring young
people, "It means children can now talk about anything on their
minds, from falling out with a friend to domestic violence. Since
we introduced it, attainment has increased rapidly, attendance has
improved and exclusions have reduced. It all adds to the better
well-being of the whole school and teachers can get on with the job
of teaching."
Highfield Primary is one of just two schools in the finals for the
Schools Community Award and the winner will receive a £10,000
prize.
The Duchess of Cambridge being Patron of Place2Be reflects her own
interests in child mental health as well as the importance of
early intervention. This provides children with in-school mental
health services at the earliest possible stage.
Featured Photo Credit: schultzstm via photopin cc]]>
