Starting the award just prior to the pandemic certainly made it challenging, but it also highlighted the crisis surrounding wellbeing and emphasised the importance of talking about emotions and finding ways of regulating our emotions. As a school, we are in a far stronger position that we were 3 years ago and the Wellbeing Award for Schools feels like a fitting embodiment of the commitment the school has shown to its pupils, staff and parents wellbeing.

A happy child will thrive, and in listening to pupils about their choices and putting into action things that they have requested they feel heard and appreciated. For example, we have a dedicated counselling room now which is used by our pupils, as well as the learning support room which is used by our learning support mentor. All pupils know who they can speak to and feel that they will be listened to taken seriously. With anxieties taken away, pupils are more focused in class and therefore achieve well academically.