Mountford Manor Primary School has been presented with the HOPE Award by Society Without Abuse (SWA) in recognition of the school’s commitment to building a culture of kindness, respect and safety.
The award was presented during a whole‑school assembly, where the 160 pupils were celebrated and congratulated on their work to ensure that they are kind, caring and respectful throughout their lives.
The HOPE Awards is SWA’s flagship schools programme in teaching healthy relationships. The charity is working with a number of schools across Swindon to deliver this programme as age-appropriate workshops, as well as through training the teachers and other school staff.
As part of being a HOPE School, Mountford Manor also hosts monthly drop‑ins with SWA support workers to assist families experiencing, or at risk of, domestic abuse. The school also has their own dedicated Family Support Worker who works directly with parents who may need additional help and support.
Headteacher Helen Wollington explained: “Kindness and friendship are woven throughout the curriculum at Mountford Manor. From preschool onwards, children learn that they don’t always have to be everyone’s friend, but they should be friendly to everyone.
“Teaching children about healthy relationships and providing support to families shows everyone that Mountford Manor is a safe space. By achieving the HOPE Award, we have the skills and knowledge to continue building relationships with our families so problems can be tackled together. The children learnt a lot from their sessions, as did the teachers as part of a special dedicated training in January.”
Aiden, who took part in the HOPE Healthy Relationships lessons, explained: “I learnt that everyone should be kind to everyone, that’s for boys and girls as well as if you’re black or white. It was a very good lesson.” Fellow pupil Scarlett added: “I learnt to be kind, help others and that you don’t have the right to be mean.”
The HOPE Award is a demonstration of a school putting their learning into action and a commitment to giving their pupils the most positive future, explained CYP Manager Emma Maclennan. “Mountford Manor is only one of a handful of schools in Swindon leading the way having already achieved the award, so they should be very proud of their success. It’s clear that the children have remembered their healthy relationships lessons on being kind and friendly and we really hope they’ll keep spreading the word on the importance of kindness.”
For more information on the HOPE Programme, email Emma Maclennan on emaclennan@societywithoutabuse.org.uk
For more information on SWA, visit www.societywithoutabuse.org.uk
If you need advice for yourself or a friend relating to Domestic Abuse, call Swindon’s domestic abuse helpline on 01793 610610.
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