News and events
Our latest news and events give you an insight into life at school.
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Our latest news and events give you an insight into life at school.
Lift New Forest is a secondary school with over 500 students in the Waterside area of Hampshire. The school has been taking part in the #BeeWell programme for two years and has used insights from its school level-data to develop bespoke action plans to improve the wellbeing and outcomes of its pupils, including a new focus on tackling bullying.
The Principal at Lift New Forest wanted a clearer picture of student wellbeing across the school, particularly from a mental health perspective and saw the #BeeWell programme as the right place to start. The #BeeWell programme surveys young people across the region about different aspects of their wellbeing and lives in order to understand how this influences how they’re feeling. Schools which take part in the programme receive school-level data about their pupil cohort which offers valuable insight into young people’s experiences and is a helpful tool for gaining wellbeing insights at scale.
Staff and students are collaborating closely at Lift New Forest, using #BeeWell data to develop a student-led anti-bullying strategy. This began by appointing a dedicated group of ten students as anti-bullying ambassadors. These students didn’t just take on the role, they owned it.
Inclusion Manager Kelly Pratt noted: “It’s been really powerful having children push these messages rather than just staff, because kids listen to their peers”.
As part of this role, the anti-bullying ambassadors have completed training through the Princess Diana Award’s Anti-Bullying Ambassador programme, learning how to recognise bullying, report it effectively, and respond appropriately. Since the initial cohort was trained, momentum has continued to build.Over 50 students are now trained ambassadors, with many more asking to get involved. The ambassadors run assemblies, lead tutor time activities, and are a visible, trusted presence around the school.
The presence of these ambassadors has had a real impact at New Forest Academy. Staff have observed a clear decrease in bullying incidents since this plan was introduced, alongside a significant rise in student awareness around standing up to bullies and how to be active bystanders.
“Having ambassadors means other students know someone is there,” continued Kelly Pratt.
A key focus has been helping students understand that bullying is defined by behaviour that is repeated, deliberate, and intended to cause harm.
Through lessons and discussions, the school has been able to:
The student team also introduced a confidential anti-bullying email system, which students are using not only to report issues but to ask for support when they feel isolated or unsure. It has become a trusted space for young people to use with emails such as: ‘I’ve got nowhere to go for lunch today because my friends are off sick - where can I go?”
This learning led to the launch of the “Be Kind” initiative, reinforcing the school’s values and giving a consistent message across the school community.
Lift New Forest’s story is a brilliant example of how understanding student’s wellbeing can support meaningful, youth-led change. By listening to what young people were telling them, the school was able to build a programme for students, by students and the results speak for themselves.
Their approach reflects key findings from #BeeWell research, which highlights the vital role of peer support in both preventing bullying and protecting young people’s mental health. Our research clearly shows that bullying strongly increases the risk of internalising symptoms and negatively impacts friendship and social support for teenagers. These negative events can have domino effects and create vicious circles - where bullying impacts mental health, which in turn affects relationships, leading to further emotional challenges, and increasing the likelihood of experiencing bullying victimisation. This underscores the importance of early, whole-school interventions, like the one at Lift New Forest, to break this cycle and build safer, more connected school communities.
Find out more about bullying prevalence and inequalities across the HIPS region in our latest research summary.
Lift New Forest,
Long Lane,
Holbury,
Southampton,
SO45 2PA
