Pear Tree Community Junior School in Derby has launched a new initiative to support positive mental health and wellbeing for all its pupils.
This community-minded school, which is part of the Transform Trust family, has created a nurturing dedicated space within the school in collaboration with leading children’s mental health charity, Place2Be and Barratt Developments.
Andrew Sharp, Executive Head of Pear Tree Primary School, explains the reasoning behind this initiative:
“Early intervention is absolutely key to developing resilience and supporting mental health and wellbeing in our children” he said. “At Pear Tree, we are committed to prioritising mental health and wellbeing as well as academic and extracurricular success, and that is why we have developed such strong links with Place2Be over the past two years.
“The success of this relationship led us to think how we could create a designated place at the heart of the school where we could provide an onsite wholly child-centred service where everyone – school, family and external support services – is aligned and can work together to meet the individual needs of our children.
“It is thanks to the generosity of Barratt Developments and the Barratt Foundation which has funded this project, the unrivalled passion of Hannah Donnan (our resident Place2Be manager) and our devoted staff team, that we can now maximise this relationship. Together we can provide a dedicated, nurturing place with specialist support for any of our pupils or families who need it. Our hope is that by introducing this level of support at primary school age, we can really help children build a strong foundation for emotional well-being throughout their lives.”
This forward-thinking initiative marks a major step forward for children’s emotional development, at a time when experts – including Place2Be – are urging the government to prioritise mental health in all schools for all children. Research has found that better mental health can improve school attendance, enhance engagement in the classroom and help encourage an enjoyment of learning.
Hannah Donnan, Pear Tree’s School Project Manager and Place2Be representative said:
“It is wonderful to see our vision come to fruition. This is such a beautiful, calming, and comfortable environment, which is so important when helping children regulate or when speaking with parents and carers about the challenges their children may be facing. It is really encouraging to see how the Pear Tree school community is prioritising mental health in school and their collaborative approach. It’s been such a privilege to work with the staff and Barratt Homes and I think together we have created something remarkable that will be a blueprint for other schools.”
Manjit Dehal, Place2Be’s Midlands and Wales Regional Director said:
“We know that our environment can have a profound effect on how we feel and behave, and this is no different for children. This project has transformed a promising but underused area at Pear Tree school into a nurturing, calming space where children and families can feel comfortable being themselves, speak openly and seek the support they need. It will make a lasting difference to the school community. We are delighted to have the support of the Barratt Foundation at Place2Be, and this partnership has shown how, through working together, cross-sector, we can achieve the results we need for children’s mental health.”
Place2Be has played a crucial role in establishing the space in connection with Pear Tree’s school leaders, utilising their expertise in children’s mental health to help design an area where pupils can access a range of mental health support. This includes one-to-one sessions and group activities with trained staff. Every element of the space has been carefully considered, from the restful colours of the walls to the array of appropriate age toys, books and crafts available, to the adjustable lighting for those sensitive to bright lights.
This initiative has been supported and funded by Barratt Developments, which regularly funds projects that have a positive impact on local communities. Through the Barratt Foundation’s national partnership with Place2Be (and substantial donation of £1,000,000 over 3 years), the North Midlands division helped to transform the space so that it could be used as a peaceful environment for children. Using Barratt subcontractors and suppliers the team painted and refurbished the Counselling room, fitted an outdoor mud kitchen and even retrofitted Place2Be’s office. The Barratt Foundation has been in partnership with Place2Be since 2022, supporting children’s mental health. The initiative reflects a shared vision between the school and its partners to ensure that mental health and wellbeing is prioritised alongside academic achievement.
Andy Button-Stephens, Head of The Barratt Foundation, said:
“We love this project. Building on the Barratt Foundation’s national partnership with Place2Be, local Barratt volunteers have transformed a space that will make a real difference to pupils at Pear Tree Junior School. It’s incredible to us that they’ve used their company volunteering days to really support the mental health of children.”
Rebecca Meredith, CEO of Transform Trust said:
“Thriving schools are ones that understand the importance of working collaboratively with their families and wider community. This is a wonderful example of how a school has developed really strong relationships with like-minded organisations to meet the needs of our children and their families. I’m really proud of what all of our schools continue to achieve every day and look forward to seeing how our partnerships with our parents/carers and school communities grow this year.”
