Hoyle Nursery School achieves Trauma and Mental Health Informed Schools Award

Hoyle Nursery School is celebrating after achieving the prestigious Trauma and Mental Health Informed Schools Award, becoming one of only three Nursery Schools in the country to hold this nationally recognised accreditation.

Furthermore, Hoyle Nursery School is only the second Maintained Nursery School in England to achieve the award.

The award, presented by Trauma Informed Schools UK (TISUK), recognises the school's exceptional commitment to creating a safe, nurturing and emotionally supportive environment where children, families and staff can thrive. Following a rigorous assessment process, consultant Katie Malley praised the school's "deeply caring, child-centred and relational culture" and its unwavering focus on children's psychological safety and emotional wellbeing.

Hoyle Nursery School, the only Maintained Nursery School in Bury, provides education for 120 children aged two to four years and is also commissioned to support 18 children with SEND within its resourced provision. Situated within a culturally diverse community and an area of significant deprivation, the school has spent the last three years embedding trauma-informed approaches throughout every aspect of school life.

The report highlighted the school's warm, welcoming and child-centred ethos, strong relationships with children and families, skilled use of emotional regulation strategies, and its commitment to ensuring that every child feels safe, valued and understood. Assessors were particularly impressed by the calm and nurturing environment, the quality of staff-child interactions, the school's Forest School provision and the strong partnerships developed with parents and the wider community.

Visitors to Hoyle Nursery School often comment on the warm, calm and inviting atmosphere that greets them. This reflects the school's ethos of "SHINE... LEARN... ENJOY... ACHIEVE... with an extra drop of sparkle dust!" and its belief that children thrive when they experience strong relationships, secure attachments and emotionally available adults.

Headteacher Rachel O'Neil said:

"We are absolutely thrilled to have achieved the Trauma and Mental Health Informed Schools Award. This recognition means so much to us because it reflects who we are as a school and the values that underpin everything we do.

"I am incredibly proud of our entire team and the work we have all done together to embed trauma-informed practice across our school. This has been a three-year journey of learning, reflection and continuous development, and every member of staff has played a vital role in making this achievement possible – even Betty, our school Therapy Dog.

"At Hoyle Nursery School, we understand the importance of strong early relationships, secure attachments and emotionally available adults. We know that children learn best when they feel safe, valued and understood, and we are committed to ensuring that every child and family experiences a genuine sense of belonging within our school community."

Jeanette Richards, Executive Director of Children's Services, said:

“This is fantastic news, and I am so proud of all the team at Hoyle Nursery for achieving this esteemed award. We are committed to working together with our education partners to provide all children in Bury with a nurturing, safe and caring environment.”

The report also recognised the school's strong culture of teamwork, high staff retention, reflective practice and commitment to staff wellbeing, noting that staff consistently described the school as supportive, caring and collaborative.

The award marks an important milestone in Hoyle Nursery School's ongoing commitment to supporting the emotional well-being and mental health of children, families and staff, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to shine, learn, enjoy and achieve.