Pupils Wellbeing Prize
Win up to £10,000 to support your pupils' wellbeing
Competition now open
The competition gives schools the opportunity to win up to £10,000 to provide funding for activities, equipment, kit, or space to support the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. This could be through sport, music, art, wellbeing or mindfulness activities or experiences.
How could the prize money be used?
It’s up to you to choose how your school wishes to spend the prize money, but here are a few examples:
- Mindfulness and relaxation spaces: create quiet areas for reflection, sensory rooms, or nature-inspired zones.
- Peer support networks: train mental health ambassadors to support fellow pupils.
- Outdoor activity programmes: develop activities or challenges that promote physical activity, team-building, and connection with nature.
- Sports and fitness: purchase equipment, sports kits, provide training, and mental health support.
- Art/music and wellbeing: fund installations, drama performances or music sessions/instruments to boost self-esteem and reduce stress.
Meet our three 2025 winners
After receiving almost 600 entries our judges whittled the shortlist down to our three winners:
Pupils Wellbeing Prize Winner, The Prince of Wales School, Dorchester
Being one of the competition winners has enabled the Prince of Wales School to restore access to vital hydrotherapy by replacing its condemned hoist, helping pupils manage pain, mobility and emotional regulation.
The prize money will also go towards creating a new sensory wellbeing space, providing a calm retreat for children experiencing anxiety or overload, a mindfulness trail to promote physical activity and relaxation, and a peer mentoring programme which will build connections and reduce isolation amongst pupils.
The competition’s prize money has allowed Derby Moor Spencer Academy to develop an unused bike shed and surrounding nature reserve, which had been undeveloped for over a decade, into an accessible sensory garden with raised beds for students with physical disabilities, expanding the area for outdoor learning, and enabling partnerships to deliver survival and skills based activities. The investment will help the school turn the old nature reserve into a ‘Forest School’, giving all pupils hands on experiences that build resilience, aspiration, and wellbeing.
Millfields First School is using the prize money to transform an underused area of playground into a calm, nurturing wellbeing space, including an outdoor reading hut where children can read, relax, and take quiet time throughout the school day. Alongside will be a sensory garden with soothing plants, colours, textures, and gentle sound elements to help pupils regulate and develop mindfulness, empathy, and responsibility. Designed for both neurodivergent and neurotypical children, the space will provide a supportive retreat for those experiencing anxiety, emotional challenges, or difficult home lives.
Meet the judges
Our panel of judges will determine whether the prize money is awarded to a single school, or shared amongst a small number of schools which have all successfully demonstrated how they intend to use the prize money to support pupils with their mental health and wellbeing.
Executive Director, Education DivisionJo Taylor
LinkedInExecutive Director, Education DivisionWith over 20 years of experience, Jo leads Howden’s education, student, and not-for-profit division. With a focus on education, wellbeing and the public and third sectors, Jo has acquired an extensive knowledge of their unique challenges, and is passionate about supporting young people with their mental health and wellbeing.
Entrepreneur and educatorEntrepreneur and educatorEmpowering and inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, educator, and television personality, Baasit Siddiqui left his role as a full-time teacher and now combines his experiences working in TV, business, and 10 years as an educator to support students in realising their potential and recognising the wealth of opportunities available to them.
You can read more here: https://baasitsiddiqui.com/
Founder and CEOFounder and CEOJaime Thurston is the founder and CEO of the 52 Lives kindness charity and its education arm, School of Kindness. She is also the author of Kindness – The Little Thing That Matters Most and The Kindness Journal. Through her work, Jaime focuses on improving people’s lives through practical support, connection and creating a more compassionate society. The School of Kindness works with schools across the UK to support children’s wellbeing by helping them understand kindness, empathy and belonging, and encouraging positive social action within their communities.
Jaime was named in the King’s Birthday Honours List in June 2023, receiving a British Empire Medal for services to charity. She has also received Clarins Woman of the Year, a Points of Light Award from the UK Prime Minister, and a Richmond Community Award. She was included in The Independent’s Happy 50 List, celebrating people who make life better for others.
For information on The School of Kindness please visit: schoolofkindness.org
Consultant and SpeakerConsultant and SpeakerDr Dominique Thompson is a multi-award winning former GP, young people's mental health expert, TEDx speaker, author and educator, with over two decades of NHS clinical experience. Dom now works as an international independent mental health consultant and speaker, whilst holding roles including most recently; President of the Student Health Association, membership of the UK government’s Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce, and Clinical Advisor to NICE and Student Minds.
She is author of The Student Wellbeing Series for young people, and co-author of How to Grow a Grown Up (PenguinRandomHouse) for parents.
Dom has done two TEDx talks; ‘What I learnt from 78000 GP consultations with university students’ and ‘Understanding Why’.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
For information about Dom’s work as a consultant and speaker see www.buzzconsulting.co.uk and check out www.growingagrownup.com for free parenting blogs and resources.
Follow her on LinkedIn, BlueSky and Instagram @drdomthompson
Timeline
27 March 2026: | Competition opens |
18 July 2026: | Competition closes |
21 August 2026: | Winner(s) selected |
7 September 2026: | Winner(s) announced |
Student and Pupil Wellbeing Services
Howden's specialist education division currently supports more than one million students with their mental health and wellbeing. Find out more about the wellbeing services we provide to the education community.