In response to the growing mental health crisis among young people, we developed the Willow Hub—a dedicated space for wellbeing support, early intervention, and resilience-building. Our system-wide culture continues to evolve, ensuring that every pupil feels supported at each stage of their journey. The Willow Hub provides a safe, welcoming environment where pupils can access help in a way that feels comfortable to them.
Why the Willow Hub?
The Need for Proactive Mental Health Support
In 2022, over 1.2 million young people were referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK—a 53% increase since 2019. However, resource constraints mean long waiting times, with an average of 108 days, and some pupils waiting over two years for help.
Delayed access to support has been linked to increased suicide risk. A survey by YoungMinds found that 58% of young people reported worsening mental health while waiting for help, and 26% had attempted suicide due to delays. At Worksop College, we refuse to let our pupils struggle in silence.
What Our Data Revealed
Our internal wellbeing data suggested that only 9% of pupils accessed external mental health support through healthcare in the 2022/23 academic year. Nationally, 23.3% of children aged 11-16 reported accessing school-based mental health support. These figures suggest that some of our pupils may be suffering in silence. By identifying potential access issues, we have adapted our approach to bridge this gap.
Listening to Our Pupils
Through focus groups, we discovered that some pupils found traditional routes to support challenging. As one Sixth Form pupil put it:
“I can never see myself going over to Healthcare and telling them I’m struggling. I don’t have the language, and it would feel too weird. So what if I don’t like my tutor or housemaster? Who do I go to?”
This insight led us to develop a QR code self-referral system, ensuring discreet and immediate access to support.
A Timeline of Development
Our commitment to mental health support has been years in the making:
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2020/21 – Mindfulness courses, empathy circles, facilitator training, and a 10-day solitary retreat.
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2021/22 – Staff committees, student focus groups, introduction of the wellbeing lead, summer retreat, and reintroduction of the Peer Listener scheme.
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2022/23 – Master’s research, science & PHSE teaching, initial hub proposal, space designs, and continued pupil engagement.
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2023/24 – Expansion of the referral system, further development of the Willow Hub, and additional staff training.
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2024/25 – Therapeutic counselling training, full integration of the Hub into school life, and the launch of Pelham Camp - a dedicated mental health initiative.