Excellence in well-being earns two primary schools national award success
TWO Cardiff primary schools have been awarded national recognition for their work to promote health and well-being throughout their school communities.
Assessors for the Welsh Network of the Healthy School Schemes have awarded St Monica’s CW Primary School in Cathays and St Philip Evans RC Primary School in Llanedeyrn The Healthy Schools National Quality Award (NQA) for demonstrating excellence in all areas of health and well-being, with support from Cardiff council’s Healthy Schools Team.
Among the innovations at St Monica’s are its Young Interpreters group which regularly meets to discuss how to help those pupils whose English is a second language. There are 36 languages spoken within St Monica’s.
The school also hosts its own weekly news channel SMTV (St Monica’s TV), and pupils take on an official job role in the school such as the headteacher’s personal assistant and a reception “buddy”.
Meanwhile, St Philip Evans school has achieved the silver level UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ‘Rights Respecting School Award’, and produced and issued a “parent well-being pack” during Covid.
St Monica’s headteacher Abi Beacon said: “We are delighted that the hard work of all of the children and staff in St Monica’s has been recognised by this award. There has never been a more important time to focus on our health and wellbeing – we are looking forward to continuing this with the children.”
St Philip Evans headteacher Catherine Power said: ”We are absolutely thrilled to receive the award. At St Philip Evans we believe that well-being and the promotion of healthy lifestyles are essential for our children’s successful futures.
“The award reflects the hard work of staff, parents and children and is having a very positive impact encouraging healthy lifestyles in our community. Congratulations.”
Cardiff council’s cabinet member for education, Sarah Merry said: “The Healthy Schools National Quality Award is an excellent achievement which requires schools to go through a rigorous process spanning at least nine years.
“I am therefore delighted that two more of Cardiff’s primary schools have successfully achieved the accolade, recognising the hard work from staff, pupils and their wider school communities.”