A NORTHWICH primary school is celebrating after becoming the first school in the country to be awarded a mark for kindness.

The Useful and Kind Schools’ Mark is an award that recognises and celebrates a school’s commitment to nurturing useful and kind behaviours and leadership across a whole school community.

Kingsmead Primary School is the first school community to embed Useful and Kind at the heart of its ethos.

A Useful and Kind School is one characterised by care, compassion, creativity, equality, excellence and kindness. Everyone working together to support the development of our future pro-social leaders - those that will lead, live and act for the welfare of others and the world.

Useful and Kind has become a shared way of being at Kingsmead – from day to day behaviours around the school to specific projects like supporting pupils to become Junior MPs in the local area.

A strong focus on useful and kind behaviours and leadership is having a lasting impact on pupils, staff, parents and the wider local community.

Northwich Guardian: Kingsmead Primary School is the first in the country to be recognised for having kindness at the heart of its ethos

Kingsmead Primary School is the first in the country to be recognised for having kindness at the heart of its ethos

The U and K Schools’ Mark Manager, Lyanne Young commended Kingsmead Primary, saying: "From the youngest pupils aged just four, to Year 6 pupils aged eleven, children have a keen sense of what it means to be useful and kind to Self, Others and World.

"They have the values, awareness and skills to make a positive difference and they are taking action."

On receiving the award, Catriona Stewart, Headteacher said: "When any parent or carer receives their end of year report, if they are anything like me, they go first to the teacher's comment to see how useful and kind their child has been.

"Then they turn to academic achievements and success to celebrate.

"Because in terms of our own happiness in life, the happiness of those around us and the wellbeing of the natural world we share our home planet with, one should always come before the other.

"This is why the U and K award means so very much to us at Kingsmead, it lives and breathes in the day to day language in our school community and makes our work, learning and lives joyful."

Duncan Fraser, Director of the charity Useful and Kind Unlimited, said: "I am thrilled that such a wonderful school community is being the first nationally to be recognised for its commitment to making the world a better place.

"Huge congratulations to the head, staff and young people."