North Star 240

About the school's work

Essential award: May 2025

Congratulations to North Star 240 Special Secondary School on achieving the Essential Award!

Highlights of the school's work:

• Building good relationships with families by maintaining regular communication.
• Ensuring all student voices are heard through School Council, worry and query boxes in each classroom. Student perspectives are also gathered during learning walks and dedicated groups, like the Girls’ Group
• Giving students ability to make decisions regarding school trips, break times, supporting strategies available in school etc
• Ensuring staff mental health and wellbeing is supported: providing support, reducing workload, celebrating birthdays etc
• Making trauma-informed approach training available to staff
• Using various options of activities as rewards rather than focusing on sweet treats
• Focusing on intertwining PSHE to all school activities and throughout the curriculum.

The school is most proud of:

“We take care of them [students] not only academically but also emotionally. We ensure they are ready for the future so they can be parts of the British society.”

As a result of working with the Bristol Healthy Schools Programme:

“Rewards are no longer sweets or chocolates but quality time: football or a visit to nearby Blaise estate.

We offer more physical activity sessions - tournaments, taking part in a special schools football league, the break time options are filled with active choices and students go for them.

There is more focus on healthy eating and understanding what leads to a healthy lifestyle.

Big Brush scheme focuses on ensuring our students remember about teeth and provides them with free toothbrush and toothpaste.”