We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the kitemark for Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Awareness, by Healthy Young Minds Hertfordshire. This award followed an in-depth whole school review and accreditation process in which a multidisciplinary panel scrutinised our provision across 11 areas  - ethos and environment, curriculum, teaching learning and resilience, connections and connectedness, student voice, staff wellbeing and development, identifying need, monitoring impact, working with parents and carers, targeted support and leadership and management. Faye Sladden is our outstanding Wellbeing and Mental Health Leader, she dedicated a significant amount of time to completing the documentation required and collecting evidence of our work to present to the Panel. This is a hugely challenging accreditation to attain, we are currently one of only around 4% of primary schools in Hertfordshire to have been presented with the kitemark. I would like to thank Faye for her dedication as subject leader, along with the fabulous support she provides for our children, parents and staff as Squirrels Leader and counsellor. I would also like to thank our entire school community for working together in traditional Goldfield style to support each other, particularly during the challenges that have come with the pandemic. What a time to have attained this award, a time when an understanding of mental health, and the need for wellbeing to be a priority, have been essential.

We received excellent feedback which included highlighting the initiatives in place at Goldfield to raise the profile of wellbeing and the need to talk - TLC (Talk, Listen Care), SHANNARRI, Bucket Filling, along with the strategies that underpin confidence, security, emotional health and resilience such as BLP (Building Learning Power) and our outdoor learning including Woodland Friends and Goldfingers Gardening Club. These whole school strategies partner the small group and individual activities that take place within our Squirrels Room. The Panel praised the Wellbeing Zone on the website which shares helpful activities and videos many created to promote wellbeing during the lockdowns and remain a useful resource for families.