A Chester school has struck gold for its outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.

The King's School has achieved the School Mental Health Award which is delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools. The school provides a wide range of initiatives and activities to boost the wellbeing of pupils and staff, including the appointment of an on-site wellbeing nurse to work alongside the school nurse, pastoral leads and school counsellor, training junior school and sixth form pupils as mental fitness ambassadors, and the introduction of the online Wellbeing Hub by teentips for use by staff, pupils and parents.

The school has also created a directory of contacts for external agencies to ensure that all pupils can access the support they need regardless of which local authority they live in – important in a school with such a large catchment area.

Headmaster George Hartley said: "I am extremely proud that everything we do in school has been recognised by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools; it is testament to our commitment to prioritise whole school mental health and wellbeing."

Deputy head pastoral, Claire Sumner, leads on pupil wellbeing at The King's School and was responsible for entering the school for the award.

She said: "Over the last few years, we have introduced a number of initiatives that, when woven together, support the wellbeing of every pupil from the youngest infants to sixth form students.

"One of the aims of our wellbeing programme is to arm pupils with practical skills that most of them don't know they need yet. They learn to prioritise their wellbeing, we teach them resilience, and we help them find coping strategies that work for them.

"This means that when pupils face one of life's challenges in the future, they will be well equipped to get through it."

The award was established in 2017 by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – part of Leeds Beckett University – and social enterprise Minds Ahead.

The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools aims to strengthen pupils' mental health by supporting schools to make a positive change at all levels of the UK's education system, improving students' outcomes and life chances.

Rachel C Boyle, Dean of Leeds Beckett's Carnegie School of Education, said: "The achievement of the Mental Health award is a demonstration of the school's significant commitment to improving children's and staff's mental health and wellbeing.

"It is also a commitment to developing practices in school that seek to improve awareness and expertise in creating safe and secure learning environments in which all children can truly fulfil their potential. This award is one that all staff can be truly proud of."

Nationally, more than 1,300 schools have signed up to take part in the mental health award.

Dean Johnstone, founder and CEO of Minds Ahead, said: "This award shines a light on the excellent work schools are doing to promote mental health for their community of children and adults.

"It is thrilling and humbling to learn about The King's School and the many other schools engaged in the quality award process. I'd like to offer my congratulations on this deserved recognition."