A new sensory garden is supporting students whose mental health was affected by the pandemic and helping them re-engage with learning.
The calming space has been created at Droitwich Spa High School and is the latest addition to The Link, a dedicated facility supporting young people with anxiety and school avoidance.
Designed and built with input from students, it features swinging chairs, egg chairs, a water feature, and large pots of aromatic herbs.
A geodome nestled among the trees offers a cosy, year-round retreat, complete with twinkling lights for darker days.
It also encourages biodiversity, with bird feeders, a bird bath, and plans for a wildflower garden.
Students helped build the garden furniture and selected the features themselves.
Funding came from a Wychavon Social Mobility Grant and a Worcestershire County Council Public Health grant.
The Link initiative was launched by the school to address growing mental health challenges following the pandemic.
The school identified key barriers to attendance, including sensory overload, fear of academic failure, and separation anxiety.
Housed in a repurposed caretaker's bungalow, The Link offers a nurturing, alternative environment with three colour-themed zones.
Kim Jones, the school's co-ordinator for vulnerable learners, said: "Like many schools since the pandemic, we've seen anxiety and school avoidance reach unprecedented levels.
"We knew we had to re-engage students struggling with their mental health and create an intervention that offered a clear, supportive pathway back into education."
This year, The Link supported 20 students, including seven in Year 11 who all sat exams in English, maths and science with some also gaining qualifications in art, child development and health and social care.
Students have praised the impact.
Amber, who helped with the garden, said: "It's helped me with my studies and made me more comfortable talking to new people."
Tamsin added: "The Link is a home where everyone is accepted and understood. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made."
Councillor Richard Morris, leader of Wychavon, said it was 'really impressive' to see how 'simple but fundamental adjustments to the learning environment' could make such a positive impact.