Wellbeing Centre Welcomes Students

We are delighted to announce that Farlington’s brand-new Wellbeing Centre is now officially open, and has already become a thriving hub of activity for our school community. Located on the South Lawn, surrounded by trees, the centre opened up to students on Monday, 8th January 2024, ready for the start of the new year. The centre, which has been made possible due to the generosity of our PTA via various fundraising initiatives, provides a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of school life, giving students from the Lower School to the Sixth Form a safe space, which promotes a sense of calm and reflection.

The idea of having a Wellbeing Centre initially came from a meeting of our Student Council, which is led by Mrs Sarah-Jane Gilbert, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head of Life Skills. Mrs Gilbert had visited another school which was using a refurbished shepherd's hut as a base for its mindfulness and mental health activities. The idea to have something similar at Farlington was then raised with the PTA, who wholeheartedly supported the idea of fundraising for a project of this nature.

“The Farlington PTA is very proud to have handed over the Wellbeing Centre to the school - we worked very hard raising money to build this wonderful addition to Farlington," says Mrs Katy Brent, Co-Chair of the PTA. "A huge amount of the money was raised in July 2022, when we held our first black-tie Summer Ball for parents, and what a night it was! Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and bid on our auction prizes. The PTA feels very proud to be leaving a legacy at Farlington that will benefit many children for years to come.”

Given the impact that the pandemic has had on many young people’s mental health, the PTA felt that prioritising wellbeing was something that all students at the school, from the youngest to the oldest, would benefit from. The shepherd’s hut idea turned into a yurt, which then turned into the idea of a more permanent multi-functional structure, to be used throughout the school year. Eventually, the wooden structure which we have today was agreed upon.  

Mrs Gilbert says, "The Wellbeing Centre is already proving to be a valuable resource across our school community, and it's a pleasure to have been part of the process, from an initial idea raised by the Student Council to the fundraising, planning and build, thanks to the amazing support from the PTA. I look forward to watching the programme continue to develop, guided by the students, and seeing the positive impact that this will have on our Farlington community."

Students are now able to enjoy a wide variety of wellbeing activities in the centre, including Lunchtime Doodle Club, Morning Mindfulness, Woodland Wellbeing and Thinking Allowed with Mrs Pearson. Our School Counsellor, Katie Worrallo, is also offering drop-in sessions in her office, which is based in the centre and open to all students who may need a chat.

Year 5 Teacher Mrs Tam Pearson has also been running guided meditation sessions for her students, as well as yoga sessions for staff outside of school hours. These sessions include heart-centred meditation, yoga nidra (yogic sleep), blissful aromatherapy, reiki and sound healing.

Farlington Headmaster Mr James Passam says, "The opening of our new Wellbeing Centre at the start of 2024 represents a milestone in what has been a community project for Farlington, led by the generous efforts of our fabulous PTA. To see our students now beginning to make use of the space as an oasis of calm in our thriving community is precisely the vision we had when the idea was conceived. We see our Wellbeing Centre as a true community space situated in the heart of our school campus and supporting the needs of our whole community: pupils, staff and parents."

It was a pleasure to work with Cabins for Schools, who supplied and installed the building itself, and who kindly donated the interior lighting, bench seating and cushions, making the Wellbeing Centre a comfortable, cosy space for all of our students to enjoy.

There will be an official opening event during the summer months, when hopefully the weather will be a bit kinder to us, and we look forward to welcoming our Farlington families to this wonderful new facility on this occasion.