El Limonar International School (ELIS) Villamartín in southern Spain has been shortlisted in the Student Mental Health Initiative of the Year category in the Tes Awards for International Schools 2025, recognising the school’s commitment to embedding a culture of care, inclusion and wellbeing across its community.

The awards celebrate and champion the very best teachers, teams and schools worldwide. This category highlights initiatives that have made a demonstrable difference to student wellbeing and mental health through strategic, sustainable and whole-school approaches.

At ELIS Villamartín, this work is led by the school’s WISE (Wellbeing, Inclusion and Safeguarding for Education) team, whose approach has had a measurable impact on student experience and outcomes. The Voice of Student (VoS) 2024 survey shows significant gains across wellbeing and care indicators compared with 2023. Digital wellbeing and sleep awareness improved following targeted PSHE sessions and WISE-led parent workshops, while overall school wellbeing rose by 3.4% and care by almost 4%. In total, 20 of 25 wellbeing categories saw year-on-year improvement.

These results reflect the strength of the school’s whole-community model, which includes the Junior WISE team, peer mentoring, play leaders and the “three trusted adults” system, ensuring students know where and how to seek support.

Jon Wayth, Headteacher at ELIS Villamartín, commented on the nomination: ““Being shortlisted for this award is testament to the work of our dedicated WISE Team and all staff day in day out. Wellbeing sits at the very root of all we do as a community, influencing our culture, our relationships, and the positive environment we strive to create for every pupil so to be recognised by Tes is a reminder of the impact that a culture of genuine care can have on the lives of our pupils”.

This work is rooted in the school’s long-term vision. ELIS Villamartín aims to create a sustainable culture of wellbeing where every student feels safe, valued and empowered to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. This vision is anchored in the guiding belief that student wellbeing is “at the very root of everything we do.” Safeguarding and mental health are understood not as reactive responses, but as proactive commitments embedded into daily school life. By weaving wellbeing into classroom practice, enrichment opportunities and community partnerships, the school ensures that students develop resilience, agency and a strong sense of belonging.

Being shortlisted for the Tes Awards for International Schools 2025 recognises the impact of this sustained, evidence-based approach and the dedication of the entire ELIS Villamartín community.