School named 'Kindest in the UK' invited to Commons

A school crowned the kindest in the UK by a national charity has been invited to parliament.

East Hunsbury Primary in Northampton, which has 450 pupils, has been given the Kind School Award for its efforts in promoting kindness by the charity 52 Lives.

The achievement was raised in the House of Commons by Labour Northampton South MP, Mike Reader.

In response, Leader of House Lucy Powell invited the school's kindness ambassadors to meet her and other MPs to "share a bit more kindness across the house".

The school's designated kindness ambassadors are pupils who focus on supporting the wellbeing of their peers.

There are also regular wellbeing sessions at the primary school.

Reader told the Commons about the award and asked Powell and other MPs to join him in "commending the school, Kelly Roberts the mental health lead, but particularly all the students who put themselves forward to be kindness ambassadors".

He added that MPs in the Commons "online and in the press could be a bit more like East Hunsbury Primary and always act with kindness".

Powell congratulated the school and then extended her invitation to the school to come to Westminster.

Ms Roberts told BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos it was "exciting" to be invited to parliament and the school would take up the offer.

"Give me a date, we'll get them on the minibus and we'll come down and we'll show the MPs how to be a little bit more kind to each other, I think the world needs it," she said.

"We're so proud of all of young people but it's very much a team effort.

"It's our entire school community, our parents, our local community, the staff [and] the children, everybody makes it such a wonderful place."

On its website, the school said the judges had revealed that reading their award submission was "a genuine joy".

"You could sense a school where kindness isn't an act but a rhythm, pulsing through every relationship," the judge said.

"Children, staff, families, and the local community - all bound by a quiet, powerful commitment to care. East Hunsbury isn't just teaching kindness. They're living it."

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