Wellbeing

Student Wellbeing Team – ‘Wellbeing Garden’ Project

This year the Student Wellbeing Team (SWT) will be working closely with student volunteers from the junior and senior schools to create a Wellbeing Garden. The Wellbeing Garden was inspired by Lily Ertekin’s (Year 11) Year 9 Service Project idea in 2022. In this project, Lily will be taking one of the lead roles as a project coordinator and will finally get to see her project come to life! 

The main aim of this garden will be to provide an area where students can access wellbeing appointments in the comfort of nature.  Research in this area has consistently shown that spending time outdoors enhances the experience of positive emotions whilst reducing psychological stress. Spending time outdoors is also beneficial for neurodivergent students as it offers increased sensory opportunities, which can improve their mental state. 

The Wellbeing Garden will also offer opportunities for students to engage in mindfulness as they will be able to explore the different aspects of the garden and possibly collect flowers and plants, or even draw what they see in front of them. What’s more, the Wellbeing Garden will provide students with the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the indoor school environment. 

The students who are coming together to work on this project will also have the opportunity to develop valuable gardening skills and knowledge, learn more about our native and local flora and fauna, whilst being part of a team that contributes to a project that will be enjoyed by students and staff for years to come. 

We welcome you to stay tuned for progress updates about our Wellbeing Garden. 

Ms Natalia Smith

Director of Wellbeing / Psychologist