Over 220 students at Gordano school, recently visited the school library to experience HeartSpace and the 14 reflection stations specially created there.
The interactive space offered a range of activities designed to encourage students to slow down, reflect, and consider their lives, hopes, and values. Each station invited students to pause from the pace of daily life and engage in thoughtful moments of personal reflection. It was made possible thanks to the dedication of members of local churches, who came in to support Verity Eastwood-Dewing, the School Chaplain, along with sixth form students who have been developing the project through their Elective over the last two terms. Verity is a Lighthouse School Partnership MAT Flourish Chaplain working across two community secondary schools - Gordano School in Portishead and Chew Valley School. The purpose of her role is to:
- bring a dimension of Christian spirituality to the school
- contribute to wider character development and courageous advocacy
- support the schools’ goals of inclusion and pastoral care
- act as a focus within school for young people of faith or enquiring about faith
- contribute to the inclusion and understanding of young people of all faiths and none.
The response to HeartSpace from students was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing it as a calming, thoughtful, and at times emotional experience. One student commented, 'Please can we have something like this up all the time?' Staff members were equally moved by the impact of the event. One teacher, who brought two classes to visit the space, said, 'I found the experience extremely moving. It was incredible to see students opening up about things and pausing to reflect. Reading some of the comments they had written on the various activities was really powerful, and just listening into little snippets of conversation that the facilitators were having with the students was so inspiring. It just felt like such a rare opportunity for them to chill out and connect with themselves, something I think lots of students found quite hard to do.'
The success of HeartSpace highlights the importance of creating opportunities for young people to pause, reflect, and nurture their wellbeing in a busy school environment.