Students at Prince William School in Oundle have unveiled a new Safe Space room to offer support to fellow pupils affected by mental health issues.
The Safe Space room is unique in that it has been created by the students themselves and will provide peer mentoring through student-to-student support under the guidance and direction of teacher Steph Gonda.
The project is part of the school’s wider anti-bullying programme and was awarded a bursary from the Queens Commonwealth Trust.
Year 10 student Elise Lewis, who is one of the peer mentors, said: “Our aim was to create a safe space for students to come to when they are feeling very stressed or they just need somewhere to relax.
“It is the hope of the students that if students want to unload a problem or just have another ‘friend’ to listen, then this is the place to go. This Safe Space will be one of a kind as it will work through peer mentoring – students helping students.
“It will be a vital room in our battle against bullying and mental health issues.”
The Safe Space room – which is a classroom that has been transformed with new chairs, new paint and a range of resources to help students unwind and talk – is open before and after school and at break times.