A SCHOOL has been named as one of the best for pupil wellbeing.

Castle View School, in Foksville Road, Canvey, received the Welbeing Award for Schools from Optimus Education.

The national award highlights the school as one of the leaders in wellbeing and mental health.

The school is one of very few to obtain this award across Essex.

Staff at the school have been working relentlessly to improve and continue to deliver pastoral care for the emotional and social needs of their pupils as well as their physical and academic needs.

The school has earned the award by implementing strategies of support for mental health such as counselling, kids life coaching, yoga sessions, group workshops on confidence and resilience.

Other work focuses on mindfulness, meditation, student leadership wellbeing teams, staff training and support from outside agencies.

Student Support Officers and Safeguarding Teams were recognised alongside the special educational needs and disability departments, pastoral programmes and wellbeing coordinators as being “exceptional.”

The report concluded that the school “far exceeded the expectations of the award.”

Megan Clark, who led the award, said: “I’m incredibly happy to announce this accreditation, especially as the chief consultant mentioned how he felt the school led wellbeing provision “from the heart.”

Steve Durkin, headteacher, said: “I am incredibly proud of the students and staff who have worked tirelessly over the past three years to be able to attain this award.

“There are only a few schools that have been given this award and the assessor said he could “feel” the focus on wellbeing in our school.

“School prepares young people to have fantastic lives as well as lots of qualifications.

“Our ethos is about developing the whole child and investing in our whole school community’s wellbeing is the right thing to do.”