The Ark Charter Academy reveals new therapeutic learning centre

On January 4, staff and local leaders gathered at the Southsea secondary school for the opening of The Jonathan Centre which will provide support for students facing mental health issues and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) support.

The building, which is near the school reception, was delivered in response to growing mental health concerns in the aftershock of Covid-19 lockdowns. Nearly all teachers and support staff who took part in a 2022 survey found an increase in mental health problems in school with anxiety, attention difficulties, low self-esteem and students appearing depressed or withdrawn being among the most noticeable issues.

At a national level, the percentage of children referred to children and young people mental health services was six per cent in 2021-22, up from four per cent in the previous two years.

The Jonathan Centre aims to provide therapeutic interventions for all students but with a particular focus on those at risk of suspension, have low attendance, are school-phobic or have significant mental health issues.

The centre will offer services delivered through specialist organisations and internally based experts. The curriculum includes art therapy, one-to-one pastoral mentoring, speech and language therapy and a low-mood group.

School principal Christian Down says a lot of mental health concerns come back to students’ confidence and “their resilience in coping with things”.

He added that the school is trying to “unpick” why attendance has become an issue across Portsmouth “because it seems to be across all secondary schools”.

“A large part of that seems to come back to whatever happened during the Covid pandemic which has had a detrimental impact on their well-being.”

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, councillor Tom Coles, who cut the ribbon to the facility said: “I think it’s a fantastic facility, I was a SEND pupil myself back in the 90s and there was literally nothing back then.

“It’s the sort of thing I’d like to see rolled out across the whole city, SEND provision can be quite inconsistent between schools and even in the same academy trusts.”