COUNTY NEWS: Sussex primary school crowned happiest in UK

A school in Sussex has been crowned the happiest school in the UK.
Silverdale pupils with the awardSilverdale pupils with the award
Silverdale pupils with the award

Silverdale Primary Academy, in St Leonards, won the accolade at the Laughology Happiness Awards 2016 in London on Friday (November 18).

The awards honoured the happiest schools, teachers, businesses and organisations in the UK.

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In a separate category, the happiest headteacher in the country was named as Jane Thomas, from St Matthew’s Primary School in Luton, Bedfordshire.

Hastings MP Amber Rudd, who is also Home Secretary, wrote to Silverdale’s headteacher Liz Miles to congratulate the school on its victory.

The awards are the first of their kind to be held in Britain and were staged by consultancy Laughology and backed by NatWest.

Both winners in the education categories impressed the panel of judges by placing happiness at the heart of school life.

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Silverdale monitors the happiness of its pupils all year round and has even developed a website to track their levels of happiness.

More than 120 schools, businesses and organisations entered.

Stuart McLean, vice-principal of Silverdale Primary Academy, said: “It is a tremendous accolade and validates the work we do in the school based on positivity and happiness, which is embedded in all we do with our children and staff. We couldn’t ask for a better team of staff and children at the academy and that’s what it’s all about for us.”

The Laughology Happiness Awards 2016 were launched by learning and development consultancy Laughology, which uses the psychology of happiness and humour to help people and organisations develop and improve.

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The awards were sponsored by Herman Miller and Crown House Publishing and were also supported by government happiness adviser Sir Anthony Seldon.

Laughology founder and CEO Stephanie Davies said: “Our winners and all our finalists have been amazing.

“The awards are our way of recognising and honouring those in the UK who, like us, are making the world a better place through happiness.

“I’ve been blown away by the reaction to the first ever Happiness Awards. They have captured the imagination of people and organisations across the UK.”

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