The John Moore Primary school is located on the Walton Cardiff development just outside of Tewkesbury.

 In recent years, we have recognised the increased well being and mental health needs in our school community and have worked hard to be able to offer a range of support to meet these needs.  We are very proud of our partnership with Bricks2Learn, which we set up and have developed over a number of years. Aly is a highly skilled practitioner and has worked across the year groups in our school, in 1:1 and small groups sessions, to support the children. 

We have been overwhelmed with the impact that these Thera-Build® sessions have had; we have seen an increase in the children’s confidence and self-esteem, their language and literacy skills, fine motor skills, organisational skills, problem solving and their self-regulatory skills.

We pride ourselves in the care and the support that we provide our children and Thera-Build®  is an integral part of our pastoral provision, as our children learn how to communicate their ideas and emotions effectively to others and can feel understood and listened to by the adults around them.

The Forest of Dean Community Schools Federation is situated in the Forest of Dean surrounded by beautiful woodland.

Both Parkend and Yorkley Primary School enhance their ambitious curriculum by prioritising the wellbeing of its students, going above and beyond to build resilience, independence and emotional literacy. Wellbeing is at the heart of what we offer as a Federation and we constantly strive to provide positive opportunities for our young people that build their confidence, help them to communicate effectively and promote healthy relationships.

We feel honoured as a Federation to have been accredited the Thera-Build® School’s Award in recognition of the way we support children’s mental health and well-being, and understand the importance of play. Working alongside Alyson Thomsen to achieve this has been both insightful and inspiring.  Staff use LEGO® bricks to help children communicate, problem solve, turn-take, share and develop other essential skills that will last a lifetime.  

We have also started our own LEGO® club on both sites, allowing the children to unlock their imagination and creativity still further.  None of this would have been possible without the funding provided from Virtual School, who work tirelessly to ensure the development and educational needs of our children remain a priority. 

Cam Everlands Primary school is is situated close to the centre of Cam, near the town of Dursley. 

At Cam Everlands, the children of our school are at the heart of everything we do.  We strive to be an inspiring, aspirational and exciting place to learn which is innovative and forward thinking, whilst retaining traditional school values.  We work hard to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for our community of children, parents and staff, who work together effectively so that everyone can achieve.

We were first introduced to Aly Thomsen back in 2016 when an external agency arranged for her to support one of our children.  Following the success of this Thera-Build® intervention we asked her to come back to work with other individuals, and Aly is now a regular weekly fixture in our school timetable, working with children from Rec-Y6.  She is both professional and playful, so as a staff we can trust and rely on her, our children thoroughly enjoy their time in her care and her extensive range of resources mean that there are always wonderful LEGO® models being created.

We are delighted to receive this award, which recognises our strong commitment to improving our children's mental health and well-being and look forward to continuing as a partner school with Aly and her Thera-Build® approach.