The story behind Stress Less

Stress Less started a number of years ago to solve a simple problem. A lot of local kids didn't have a quiet place at home to study. So a space was opened up during study leave, where they could come and sit, where they could be encouraged and supported, and given space chill and unwind in their

breaks.

Then COVID changed things, and Stress Less had to be paused. Suddenly kids had to have spaces to work at home, and got desks and equipment as families adjusted to a new environment. But that didn't mean that exam study became easier or less stressful.

I took over the running of the initiative early last year, and it was clear that we need to re-evaluate what Stress Less was and how it worked. So I did what I know how to do, and that was research. I talked to students mostly, and parents and youth leaders, to see what students actually need now.

What I found surprised me.

The students still really wanted the programme, but what they needed from it was different. Several people said that by study leave in November it was 'too late', they needed the help earlier. They needed help to get started with study, to know what to focus on. The perfect time for that is in the September holidays, right as they're starting to study. Or they should, if they know where to start.

We asked the students what wasn't working about the space itself. The answers were specific and honest, and a bit humbling.

Several students told us the room was too warm and it made them sleepy. It makes sense - they need the right temperature range for concentration, and we didn't have temperature control in the room at that time.

And one comment from one of the students really struck me: "If we don't know, we don't know". A couple of students described intentionally sitting down to study, but just not sure where to start. Or having a real problem and not having anyone to ask how to solve it. A quiet space alone can't solve that, you need someone else to help with that.

That's why we've changed the space around, so there's now a group study space too. We've kept the quiet space, so kids can sit on their own with their headphones on and just get work done. But now we have a group study space, where students can sit with their peers, spread their work over big tables, and solve problems together. It turns out that helping a friend to understand actually helps cement the learning in your own mind too.

And then the coolest part, we now have tutors available to support and answer questions. We've got tutors to support with the subjects that the students needed the most help with: the maths subjects, sciences and English.

If your child needs a place to go, a plan to follow, and someone to ask when they get stuck, we'd love to see them there.

Check out the details for our study planning workshop, our Tutors on Site sessions and all our FAQs here.