A TADLEY school is the first in Hampshire to be given an award for promoting child safety, health and wellbeing.

After a year of hard work, proud youngsters at Tadley Community Primary School have received the Every Child Matters award, which recognises five areas of achievement.

For the scheme, the school had to provide evidence that the children stay safe, are healthy, achieve economic well-being, enjoy and achieve and make a positive contribution to the community.

The initiative was pioneered by education expert Rita Cheminais, who visited the school to present the award.

Zoe Perks, head teacher at the school, in The Green, Tadley, said: “She’s been to a lot of schools across the country and said this was the best example she has seen of pupils having their own voice.

“I’m very proud of the children. They have been absolutely fantastic and the staff and children have worked incredibly hard.”

She added: “What we have done in this school is set up five teams with a representative of each class on every team, nominated by teachers and these pupils are then the ambassadors for their team.

“They meet once every half-term to think of something they can do to raise their profile. For example, the ‘be healthy’ team held a Fruity Friday, the ‘be safe’ team organised an anti-bullying week and the ‘positive contribution’ pupils showed visitors around our school.”

Mrs Perks said that Ms Cheminais has written many books for schools on personal and social education and is well known in the teaching profession.

Her Every Child Matters agenda is now a nationally-recognised award. More information can be found at ecm-solutions.org.uk.