Kelly Hannaghan is a wellbeing professional of the highest calibre. She specialises in sensible practical steps that schools, pupils and staff can adopt to improve their mental health and overall performance. At The Primary First Trust, she has designed and implemented bespoke programmes that have had real, tangible results in our community and rightly attracted nationwide attention for their innovation and effectiveness. She is warm, inspirational and a joy to work with.

NCB is proud to have awarded the first Optimus Education Wellbeing Award for Schools to Lessness Heath Primary School which, under the expert guidance of Kelly Hannaghan and the leadership of head teacher Kate O’Connor transformed itself into a nurturing environment with pupil and staff’s wellbeing at its heart. Kelly has shown the power of loving leadership in the way she cares for all the people around her and for herself. Pupils in her school have learned the importance of core values like bravery, respect and responsibility. They are encouraged to express feelings and moods in a constructive and reflective way. They learn self-management techniques and support each other by electing wellbeing ambassadors in every class. Voices of pupils are central to the wellbeing strategy. Kelly lives and breathes these values herself. Her approach to the school and its community is inspiring.

Kelly is a true champion of wellbeing in education. Kelly’s school, Lessness Heath Primary School, was the first to be verified for the Optimus Education Wellbeing Award for Schools, and Kelly has since been a key collaborator in our wellbeing programme for schools.

This has taken a variety of forms. For example, Kelly has written practical guidance materials on working with parents, which have been shared with the Optimus network via our Knowledge Centre. Kelly is a regular blogger, drawing on her perspective as a wellbeing leader in school, sharing insights with hundreds more readers. She has also spoken at Optimus Education conferences, where delegates have responded to her confident, warm, relatable style, and readiness to share her experience.

Kelly takes every opportunity to support other practitioners on their wellbeing journey and is a great relationship and network builder. In this way she is building capacity within the system to promote and support the wellbeing of children, young people, families and staff in schools across the country.