On Track Education Barnstaple is proud to announce that the school has been awarded Gold Status in the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – School Mental Health Award.
This prestigious recognition follows an accreditation process carried out over the last two terms, during which the school demonstrated exceptional practice in promoting mental health and well-being for both pupils and staff. The award reflects the school’s strong culture, leadership, and commitment to creating a safe, supportive environment where young people can thrive.
The assessment report highlights that On Track Barnstaple was judged to be “Excelling” across all eight competencies of the framework, including leadership and strategy, support for pupils and staff, professional development, working with parents and carers, and collaboration with external services. Inspectors praised the school’s embedded approach to mental health and wellbeing, noting the strength of relationships across the school and the positive impact on pupils’ engagement and progress.
The achievement has been driven by the dedication and leadership of Lucy Basey-Fisher, Deputy Headteacher and Mental Health Lead at Barnstaple, whose work has been instrumental in embedding mental health and wellbeing into everyday school practice.
Maria Roberts, Headteacher at On Track Education Barnstaple, said:
“We are incredibly proud to have achieved Gold Status in the School Mental Health Award. The well-being of our pupils and staff is at the heart of everything we do, and this recognition reflects the commitment, care, and dedication shown by our whole school community. I would like to thank Lucy and the entire team for their passion and hard work in ensuring mental health and wellbeing are fully embedded across the school.”
The School Mental Health Award is delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, a partnership between the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University and Minds Ahead CIC. The programme supports schools to develop whole-school approaches to mental health that are evidence-based, sustainable, and impactful.
We are incredibly proud of this achievement, and for the difference the Barnstaple team continue to make for pupils and staff. Achieving Gold Status reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to prioritising wellbeing and ensuring every young person feels safe, supported, and able to succeed.