To us, this isn’t simply an award. It reflects something we’re seeing more clearly across education: organisations want wellbeing support that is practical, grounded, and truly evidence-based.
This recognition is a reminder of why RESTA exists to support organisations building systemic resilience.
To our RESTAS
We’re incredibly proud of every RESTA practitioner. You are the ones who bring this approach to life, shaping real change in real schools.
More than 40 practitioners have now been trained. Each one has taken the RESTA framework back into their setting and woven it into everyday interactions from the staff rooms to the classrooms, in the conversations, and the quiet moments that shape a school’s culture.
- You are the heartbeat of the approach.
- You support colleagues.
- You help students make sense of themselves.
- You build resilience into the fabric of your communities.
To Our Partners
We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our early adopters, the organisations that saw the value in RESTA before it won an award, and who committed to embedding it with courage and curiosity.
Your trust helped shape RESTA into what it is today.
A special thank you to our industry partners at Suffolk New College, the Innov8 Workshop, and P.L.O.T, who continue to lead the way as our RESOS. Your willingness to explore, refine, and champion the approach has created real change for staff and students alike.
You were the first to say, “Let’s do this differently.” And because of you, many more schools now feel confident doing the same.
What This Award Means
This recognition matters because it highlights a shift that’s been happening quietly but powerfully in schools, with the recent Ofsted Further Education and Skills Inspection: toolkit, operating guides and information.
Organisations are beginning to acknowledge that:
- Wellbeing isn’t something you “bolt on”
- Staff need structure and support just as much as students
- Resilience grows when everyone has a shared approach
- Schools thrive when the adults feel confident and equipped
The award indicates that the work schools are doing with RESTA is being recognised. It tells us that a consistent, systematic approach to well-being is not only valued but also needed.
The Vision Behind RESTA
Dr Esther Borrett
As an Educational Psychologist, I understood the pressures schools faced long before they made national headlines. My journey began in the classroom as a teacher, watching colleagues pour themselves into their work, supporting students, holding space for families, and shouldering their own emotional load, often without any real structure around them.
I saw students doing their best, but without a shared language or system to help them understand their feelings and experiences. I saw leaders stretched between safeguarding, staffing, shrinking budgets, and the increasing emotional needs of their communities, yet still without the tools to make wellbeing feel manageable or sustainable.
My idea for RESTA was simple and grounded in my professional doctorate research. Still, it was rooted deeply in what I witnessed every day: Schools needed a framework that empowered staff, supported students, and built resilience across the whole system, not as an add-on, but as part of how a school lives and breathes.
We had to give schools something clear. Something practical. Something steady enough to hold onto in demanding moments.
No heavy theory. No overwhelming expectations. Just a framework that fits into daily school life.
That’s how RESTA was born.
A System That Supports Everyday Resilience
RESTA has never been about quick fixes. It’s about helping schools create a culture where wellbeing is part of everyday practice.
It offers:
- Simple tools that help staff support themselves first
- A shared language that reduces uncertainty and guesswork
- A more preventative approach, rather than constant firefighting
- A way for students to learn resilience by watching it modelled
- A framework that sits comfortably within the rhythm of school life
It’s steady, consistent, and grounded, just like resilience itself.
Final Reflection
This moment isn’t just about RESTA. It’s about the schools, the staff, and the students who are creating healthier, more supportive environments every day.
We’re grateful for the recognition, proud of the work being done, and excited for what comes next.
References.
Ofsted 2025 Further education and skills inspection Tool kit https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68b975aa3f3e5483efdba9c3/Further_education_and_skills_inspection_toolkit.pdf