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MEET OUR KINDNESS AWARD WINNERS for 2024/25!
Thank you all so much for being part of our national Kindness Awards. Reading your nominations has been pure joy.
The judges did not have an easy job – kindness is not easily quantifiable, so it was an incredibly challenging award to judge. Please know that even if you didn’t win an award, what you are doing to spread kindness in your school and community is making a difference to the world and you are all so important. Everyone nominated will receive a certificate.
Now, on to the results…
Meet the winner...
Chosen from so many amazing nominations from across the UK, Ava stood out for her quiet strength, empathy, and everyday kindness. From supporting classmates and welcoming new pupils to writing uplifting notes and suggesting a Kindness Award at school assemblies, Ava is a true ambassador of kindness.Meet the runners up...
Ted from Raeburn Primary School.
We are thrilled to announce Ted as our Runner up. He went above and beyond to show kindness to a fellow pupil who was undergoing eye surgery. This pupil wasn’t able to use his eyes for a short time. When Ted heard about this, he decided to do something incredible to help him.
He wrote a fantastic story and recorded himself reading the story as an audio book. Ted sent over a chapter a day to keep his fellow pupil entertained during his recovery.
The boy’s mum said: “It really helped him feel connected and made a difference in his recovery.”
Well done Ted!
Meet the winner...
We are thrilled to announce that Jo Dawson, wraparound care worker and catering assistant at Newland House School, has been named the winner of our Kind Adult Award at this year’s Kindness Awards! 🏆💛
Jo – affectionately known as Miss Jo – was nominated for her extraordinary compassion, warmth, and the countless quiet acts of kindness she shows every single day. Her ability to help children feel valued, proud, and good about themselves each day is just incredible – and that same kindness extends to her colleagues as well.
The children’s heartfelt comments and the stories they share about Jo paint a vivid picture of the impact she has on them. What stands out the most is not just what she does for the children, but how she helps them feel. Her ability to listen is hugely valued: “She sits with us on the step, she cuddles us when we are sad or crying, she never gets upset if we are messy, and she doesn’t mind us being noisy,” said some of the Pre-Prep children.
Staff say she brings calm, connection, and joy to the whole school community.
James, a Year 8 pupil, shared how Jo has been a special part of his school life since Reception – and that even now, the little interactions he has with her make his day: “She talks to me and listens to what I have to say,” he shared. “She is interested in what I have been up to, and always takes the time to smile and say ‘hi.’ That’s really important to me.”
Our judges for this category – Donna Ashworth, Lee Parkinson, Dr David Hamilton, Jennifer Pearson and Dan Devonald – praised Jo for her warmth, humour, and genuine care, which creates a sense of belonging that touches everyone she meets.
Congratulations, Jo! Thank you for making the world a kinder place.
These awards are proudly sponsored by NBB Recycled Furniture, The Week Junior and Einstein Tax.
Meet the runners up...
Kate Hunter, Pastoral Manager, Wesley Methodist Primary School.
Kate is the heart of pastoral care at Wesley, where she goes above and beyond every single day for children, staff, and families. Whether offering a listening ear, providing nurture and care, or giving colleagues reassurance, Kate ensures that everyone in the school community feels valued and supported.
Her expertise has made a remarkable difference. Kate provides outstanding support for children with complex needs. She created a nurture room, trained colleagues to deliver sessions, and set up pastoral forest school groups so children have safe and therapeutic opportunities to thrive. Kate even makes long weekly round trips – 24 miles three times a week for two children and 14 miles for another – to ensure they can access school. She does this not because she is asked, but because she lives out the school’s ethos of “do all you can.”
Kate has built strong relationships with the whole school community and helps children feel happier and more secure. She is also a key member of the Wesley wellbeing champions team, boosting staff morale and creating a true culture of care.
Congratulations Kate!
Meet the winners...
We are delighted to announce that the Knockmore Primary School School Council has won the Collective Kindness Award!
Knockmore Primary’s School Council, known as the Kindness Ambassadors, have spent the past year leading a whole-school initiative to transform their school into a true ‘School of Kindness.’ It all began when Mr Smyth, the Vice Principal, asked the council to prepare an assembly for Anti-Bullying Week. But the children thought bigger: “Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t even need an Anti-Bullying Week at all?” they asked. They realised the antidote to bullying was kindness.
From that idea, a year-long journey of kindness was born.
They launched weekly ‘Outstanding Kindness’ certificates, encouraging pupils and staff to nominate one another for acts of kindness. They designed kindness activities for Christmas, including handmade decorations, a kindness advent calendar, and a special Christmas kindness booklet. For World Book Day, they created kindness bookmarks and organised a book swap to be kind to the planet.
The Kindness Ambassadors also supported children’s mental health, hosting workshops and assemblies about the power of kindness. They introduced kindness displays in every classroom and throughout the school, inspiring everyone to think about how they could be kinder in their daily lives.
Their efforts reached beyond the classroom. For Random Acts of Kindness Day, they made 80 heart note cards and treat packages for every member of staff, from the caretaker to the dinner ladies, to say thank you. They even secured a Kindness Grant to transform playground benches into Kindness Benches, and have plans to buy kindness-themed books for younger pupils.
The judges were so impressed by the School Council’s creativity, commitment, and the incredible impact of their work.
Jaime Thurston, CEO and Founder of the 52 Lives charity said: “Knockmore’s Kindness Ambassadors actions have had a ripple effect across their whole community. They are an incredible group of young people who are actively creating the kind of world they want to live in.”
Ruth Montgomery, WAU Lead, said: “The Kindness Ambassadors were absolutely delighted to be chosen for this award. As a school we were looking at our school values this year and our Kindness Ambassadors have loved leading on this value of kindness and ensuring it is embedded within the day-to-day life of our school. Simple gestures and unexpected kindness have touched staff, pupils and others within our school community, encouraging even more kindness. This wonderful charity 52 lives School of Kindness has been instrumental in inspiring, equipping and encouraging our Kindness Ambassadors to plan for, lead and celebrate kindness within our school, their homes and this community.’”
Principal, Andrea Hardwick, said: “I am so very proud of all the pupils in Knockmore Primary School for winning this award. It is so much deserved and it is an honour to work in a school with kindness at the centre. This award means so much to our school and community.”
The children will receive £100 in funding towards their kind initiative, subscriptions to The Week Junior and The Happy Newspaper and a kind book bundle for their school library.
Meet the Runners Up...
Congratulations to the Gardening Club at Holy Trinity CE Primary School in Sunningdale! They were chosen as our Runners-up for the Collective Kindness Award for everything they are doing to show kindness to the planet and helping their fellow pupils’ wellbeing at the same time.
Led by two wonderful parents, the children have worked hard to fundraise for their garden and have achieved a RHS Level one qualification. They have develop the allotment area into a lovely, calm, welcoming space where people can sit, reflect and enjoy.
They have even won first prize at the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society 2024 Wheelbarrow Competition. The theme for the 2024 show was ‘Make a wish to save the world’ and their wish was to save the world by making it green!
Their assistant headteacher said: “The children were speechless when I presented them with their Kindness Award. It almost made me cry – it was so emotional. Thank you so much for the medals and trophy – it is sitting pride of place in Reception for everyone to see.”
Meet the winning school...
At East Hunsbury, kindness isn’t just about a one-off acts – it’s a way of life. Their motto, “Be Kind,” runs through everything they do, from a bespoke PSHE+C curriculum to real-world actions that create lasting impact inside and outside the classroom.
From Kindness Ambassadors and Positive Noticing Days, to random acts of crochet kindness shared with their community, East Hunsbury pupils are taught to care deeply – for themselves, each other, and the world around them.
Their pupils partner with local seniors for intergenerational activities, help plant and clean public spaces, host community cafés, and distribute weekly food parcels to local families.
Even their library champions compassion, filled with books that inspire empathy and inclusion. Every part of the school – including its specialist provision – aims for equity, joy, and connection.
Meet the Runners Up...
“Our school is full of love and everyone is kind. It makes it feel like a big family.” – Year 2 pupil
“When something goes wrong, we talk about it and find a kind way forward.” – Year 4 pupil
“Kindness is everywhere here – even the teachers start meetings with something inspiring to lift us up.” – Staff member
Meet the Runners Up...
The other Runner-Up will be announced soon!
PRIZES
When we’re kind, everyone’s a winner! BUT we do also have some special prizes for our Kindness Awards winners.
All nominees, whether winners or not, will receive a certificate congratulating them on being nominated. All winners and runners-up will receive National Kindness Award certificates and trophies.
In addition:
- The Pupil and Adult Kindness Award winners will each receive a £50 gift voucher, a signed book bundle, and a six month subscription to The Week Junior and Happy Newspaper.
- The Collective Kindness Award winners will receive clothing from the kind people at Scamp & Dude, a signed book bundle for the classroom, and a six month subscription to The Week Junior and The Happy Newspaper for the class / group.
- The major Kind School Award winner will receive a ‘School of Kindness’ Picnic Table for their playground donated by the kind people at NBB Recycled Furniture, a plaque to display proudly in their school, the use of a Kind School Award winner logo and a six month subscription to The Week Junior and The Happy Newspaper for their school.
