Kingsley School Devon Named in National Wellbeing Awards
Kingsley School Devon has been commended in the Independent School of the Year for Student Wellbeing category at this year's Independent Schools of the Year Awards, chosen from a record field of over 1,000 nominations.
A commitment that runs through everything we do
For Kingsley, wellbeing has never been a bolt-on. The school's ethos, achieving success and happiness through positive mental health and wellbeing, sits at the centre of everything it does, built on the belief that young people learn best, and grow best, when they feel secure and known. It traces back to the school's namesake, the nineteenth-century North Devon author and philanthropist Charles Kingsley, who believed a holistic education and lifestyle was the route to happiness and to becoming a better person. That belief now sits behind the school's mantra, "better me, better world": the idea that students who feel good about themselves go on to do more good in the world around them.
The school's approach to mental health reflects that thinking. Rather than trying to remove every obstacle from a young person's path, Kingsley focuses on preparing students to cope with life's setbacks and to build habits that support genuine, lasting wellbeing. Its five core values, appreciate, be active, connect, give and learn, run through school life, from the classroom to the coast.
"Wellbeing at Kingsley isn't a box to tick. It's imprinted on all we do, from the classroom to the coastline, and this commendation recognises that commitment across the whole school and its link to academic success."
Mr Robert Pavis, Headteacher
Life on the North Devon coast
That coastal identity is central to how Kingsley delivers on this. Sitting within the UNESCO North Devon Biosphere, the school has built the surrounding landscape into daily life rather than treating it as scenery. Kingsley is the UK's only Surfing England School of Excellence and was named Surf School of the Year for 2026 by Wavelength Magazine, the voice of the UK surf community, and students regularly surf, coasteer, climb, kayak and complete expeditions as a normal part of growing up here. Time outdoors, and the resilience and confidence it builds, is something the school sees as inseparable from good mental health, not an extra alongside it.
Wellbeing at Kingsley also means being present with each other. Mobile phones are banned across the school day, removing a significant source of anxiety and social pressure for students. An extensive PSHE programme runs throughout the school, addressing issues young people genuinely face today, from online safety and healthy relationships to anxiety and identity.
Listening and responding
The school has kept listening and responding. When pupil surveys showed students wanted to be asked more often how they were feeling, Kingsley introduced weekly wellbeing surveys, giving every student a simple way to be heard and staff a prompt route to follow up. When staff said they wanted more confidence supporting mental health, the school introduced trauma-informed training, Diana Award training and a new staff support programme this year, alongside a dedicated Wellbeing Room, ELSA support in the senior school and regular Wellbeing Dog Days. A bespoke Wellbeing Centre, part of the school's long-term vision, is also planned as a further commitment to this work.
The results
The results speak for themselves. In the most recent survey cycle, 29 of 31 wellbeing indicators improved across pupils, parents and staff between June 2024 and May 2025, and 95% of staff say they have someone at school they could turn to if they were struggling. Kingsley holds the Wellbeing Award for Schools, whose verifier described wellbeing as "the central focus of the school", and is the only school in Devon and Cornwall to hold CReSTeD accreditation for its work with dyslexic students.
None of this comes at the expense of academic results. Kingsley, a non-selective school, sits in the top 12% nationally for GCSE results, with students consistently exceeding their targets, proof, the school says, that when young people feel secure, everything else follows.
Come and see it for yourself
Want to see where happiness, wellbeing and achievement come together? Join us at one of our Autumn Open Days and discover Kingsley for yourself. Book your place today.
