Supporting Boarding Students’ Wellbeing

Leighton Park School has launched a heartwarming new initiative to help boarding students feel at home from the moment they arrive. The project combines student collaboration, wellbeing awareness, and creative design to provide every boarder with a bespoke Leighton Park pillow filled with positivity and care.

The idea was inspired earlier this year when Lucy Chapman, a member of the school’s boarding pastoral team, completed a Boarding Schools Training Course with The Sleep Charity. The course highlighted the vital role that healthy sleep routines play in student wellbeing, particularly for those living away from home. Motivated by these insights, Lucy began exploring ways to further support Leighton Park’s boarders in feeling comfortable, relaxed, and at home.

Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Designated Safeguarding Lead, Nicky Hardy, later discovered Hug Me Pillows – a business that creates pillows filled with positive affirmations designed to promote gratitude, love, and happiness. This inspired a partnership to design a bespoke Leighton Park pillowcase as a special welcome gift for boarding students.

To make the design truly meaningful, a focus group was held with boarding students to gather ideas on colours, symbols, and school values that could be incorporated into the design. In particular, Lower Sixth student Megan played a central role in shaping the final concept, resulting in a distinctive, student-led creation that embodies Leighton Park’s ethos of community, care, and positivity.

The pillows were unveiled in September as part of the school’s welcome for new boarders and have already made a big impact, offering comfort and reassurance while serving as a tangible reminder of belonging.

“I wanted to design something that reflected our school values because, for me, that is the most important thing,” said Megan (Lower Sixth). “I wanted calming colours as this would be seen at bedtime, hence the greens and blues. I was over the moon when I saw the pillow design – it achieved everything I wanted it to and more. It was amazing, and I have it on my bed now as well.”

Settling into boarding life can be daunting. The pillows offer more than just a cosy accessory; they present warmth, welcome, and our shared commitment to student wellbeing. By involving students in the design process, we’ve created something that reflects their voice and strengthens our sense of community. The initiative has also provided valuable professional learning in areas such as student engagement, creativity, and partnership working. Most importantly, it has made a lasting, positive difference to the wellbeing of Leighton Park’s boarding community, helping students feel truly at home.