Eyres Monsell Primary School was one of 46 organisations recognised by the 2021 Princess Royal Training Awards, the City & Guilds Group announced this week.
Now in its sixth year, The Princess Royal Training Awards seek to recognise and celebrate organisations across the United Kingdom that demonstrate exceptional commitment to training and development, with Eyres Monsell selected alongside businesses including Barclays, HMRC and Sky UK.
Previous recipients of a Princess Royal Training Award have reported clear positive impacts on their organisation, with 82% saying it has improved recruitment and retention and 62% reporting increased investments into training programmes.
The school was also a recipient of the award back in 2018, with headteacher Kerry Hill stating that this latest recognition was proof of the value of professional development.
"The award recognises the high quality and impact of our staff training and professional development programme - "Spotlight" supporting professional behaviours, mindset and mental wellbeing," she said.
"Personally it's even more special, recognising that this started from my own learning and professional development opportunity, as part of my Masters study and dissertation and grew into an amazing programme to support staff. This proves why valuing professional development, at all levels of an organisation is so important and can make a real positive impact."
Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of the City & Guilds Group, added: “The last 18 months have caused disruption to the way most organisations operate which has led to major changes for all of us in how we live and work. Despite these challenges, it’s fantastic to see so many organisations’ continued commitment to training and development as well as the positive and life changing impact learning can have on people."
Mrs Hill has long been an advocate for the importance of mental wellbeing and character development in education and has written articles for Leeds Beckett University on mental health in schools.
In the school's recent contribution to The Parliamentary Review, she set out how such a focus helps her get the most out of her staff team.
"Research shows that when teachers are able to have greater self-efficacy, alongside the resilience to meet the demands of the education system, they are more likely to positively impact on learning and outcomes," she wrote.
"Teaching pressures and stressors are ever apparent and so it is crucial for an effective school that our staff understand how they react to these, recognise what may prompt them to feel more stressed and can access appropriate coping mechanisms."
