What the Bristol Ideal Award is, what your school needs to do to achieve it and how to start working towards the award.
About the Bristol Ideal Award
The Bristol Ideal Award is a set of standards for schools to improve their approach to:
- healthy relationships
- equality
- safety
- safeguarding
What your school needs to do to achieve the award
You must make changes in your school to improve mental health and wellbeing. This could include:
- leadership and responibility across the school
- safeguarding policies and procedures
- relationships education and preventing harmful attitudes and behaviours
- staff knowledge, confidence and wellbeing
- support for pupils, staff and families
- working with specialist services, involving pupils and creating a safe and respectful school culture
Children and young people are encourage to play an active role in shaping and delivering this work.
How long it takes
We recommend that you complete the application within one year, so that your answers stay up to date.
How to start working towards the award
Use our online system to:
- see the up to date award criteria and guidance
- tell us you're starting to work towards a specialist award
- send us evidence of your work
- track your progress
- submit your finished work
You can also download a PDF copy of the document Bristol Ideal Award criteria(383 KB) .
Guidance and resources
We have the following pages, which provide advice, training and resources:
- Domestic abuse and sexual violence
- Relationships and sexual health
- Sexism, sexual bullying, sexual harrassment and sexual violence
After you achieve the award
Your school will:
- receive a Mental Health and Wellbeing Specialist Award Certificate
- be able to use award logos on your website or letterheads
- be added to the Bristol Healthy Schools website
- receive further support from the Bristol Healthy Schools Team
Contact us
Get in touch with the Bristol Healthy Schools team to find out more.