The Royal Free School has been recognised for its work in providing mental health and wellbeing support to its students. 

The school, which provides lessons to in-patients on the children’s ward at the Royal Free Hospital, as well as a limited number of places for children who are not in-patients but who are receiving support from medical or mental health services, has been given a Healthy Schools Silver Award as well as being certified as a leading practitioner for Mental Health and Wellbeing by Camden Council.

The school has been recognised after it implemented a number of new schemes to enhance the mental and physical wellbeing of its students. These included strategies such as specially designed flashcards to support young people with their helpful and unhelpful thinking and incentive-based schemes to encourage students to engage in healthy eating at lunchtimes and physical activity. Among the activities organised by the school are an Outward Bound trip to Wales last year.

School headteacher Alex Yates said: “I am delighted to have been given this award – the staff have worked really hard to develop and embed these new schemes and we are looking forward to sharing our good practice around our partner schools in Camden.”

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Image: Royal Free School students on an Outward Bound trip to Wales in 2016

Notes to editors

About the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free began as a pioneering organisation and continues to play a leading role in the care of patients. Our mission is to provide world class expertise and local care. In the 21st century, the Royal Free London continues to lead improvements in healthcare.

The Royal Free London attracts patients from across the country and beyond to its specialist services in liver and kidney transplantation, haemophilia, renal care, HIV, infectious diseases, plastic surgery, immunology, Parkinson's disease, vascular surgery, cardiology, amyloidosis and scleroderma and we are a member of the academic health science partnership UCLPartners.

In July 2014 Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital became part of the Royal Free London. Read 'A bigger trust, a better future'.