Hope; not pressure
James Gore | 28th May 2025
In the midst of exam season, we often see a multitude of social media posts telling young people: you are not defined by your exam results.I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. If you’re a young person preparing for more exams after half term, you will not be defined by your exam results. Meanwhile, I’m aware that this statement can be u
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Everyone is a Story-Teller
Isabelle Schuler | 21st May 2025
We often think of storytelling as something creative — a fun activity or a way to pass the time. But it can be so much more than that. For all of us – young and old – storytelling is a powerful tool for emotional growth, mental wellbeing, and resilience. And it’s never been more important to help our young people articulate their own stories.
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Water, Wait, Grow
Molly Rackham | 9th May 2025
Lately, I’ve been gardening more and spending time outdoors, soaking up the sunshine, and reconnecting with nature (and of course wandering round garden centres). There’s something enjoyable about the rhythm of it all, planting seeds, watering, pulling weeds, and watching things grow at their own quiet pace. I’ve especially enjoyed the reward of ha
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Awe is awesome
James Gore | 24th April 2025
Hey Phase blog, hope you all had a wonderful Easter holiday!Today I thought I’d write about awe. Mostly because I was in Iceland over Easter and it was AWEsome. (Pardon the pun).In all seriousness, the science of awe is a relatively new area of research. Jonathan Haidt, who recently wrote bestselling book ‘The Anxious Generation’, published a paper
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We've cracked Easter
James Gore | 4th April 2025
Hey Phase blog! Happy Easter holidays!Over the past few weeks, we've been delivering Easter Cracked workshops to year 6 students in Hitchin. It's an hour of fun, quizzes and diving into the Easter story. At the end of each session, we watch a snippet of a brilliant 'Hey-O! Stories of the Bible' video. You can watch the full version of their video h
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We All Need Role Models – Especially the Real Kind
Kieran Murphy | 28th March 2025
Much has been said recently about Adolescence, the Netflix docu-drama that’s equal parts gripping and gut-wrenching. If you haven’t watched it yet, consider this your nudge – it’s a tough watch, but an important one. It shines a painful light on how young people, particularly boys, are being shaped (and sometimes shattered) by toxic masculinity, mi
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How Daffodils Can Help Revision
Isabelle Schuler | 20th March 2025
Spring can be such an encouraging time of growth and renewal! With daffodils colouring the ground with bright, banana-yellow petals, and the warming sun finally making it possible to wear t-shirts again, it can feel like everything gets just a little bit easier. But those daffodils also signify the end of the Spring Term and the beginning of r
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Lets talk about sleep
Molly Rackham | 14th March 2025
Happy International Sleep Day!Let’s talk about sleep. That glorious, underrated superpower we all have but don’t use properly. If you’re a teenager, you’re probably sleep-deprived. If you’re a parent, you’re definitely sleep-deprived. And if you’re just a regular person muddling through life, chances are, you’re still not getting enough.I’ve always
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Phase Podcast
James Gore | 5th March 2025
Hey everyone, hope you’ve had a great week!Today I thought I’d write a quick blog about something that’s been bringing me a lot of joy recently - the Phase Podcast!In recent months, I’ve loved hosting the podcast, having conversations with the Phase team and friends, getting to know people better and learning so much in the process. If you’ve
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Meet Isabelle
James Gore | 27th February 2025
Hello! I’m Isabelle, the new Admin Assistant here at Phase! I’m an American ex-pat but have lived in the UK long enough to know how to speak properly; I say ‘rubbish’ instead of ‘trash’, ‘pavement’ instead of ‘sidewalk’ and while I may occasionally slip ‘y’all’ into conversation, I make up for it by knowing to ask ‘what colour’ when making a cup of
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Love Languages
Molly Rackham | 14th February 2025
Love is universal, but we all experience it differently. Some feel most loved through words, others through actions or time spent together. Dr Gary Chapman introduced the concept of love languages in his 1992 book The 5 Love Languages, based on years of counselling couples. He identified five key ways people express and receive love, helping to bri
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Embracing the power of positivity
Guest Contributor | 7th February 2025
The long January nights and the crisp and cold days can feel never ending, sometimes it’s hard to find the positivity in all the darkness. With the end of January in sight here are some tips and tricks when trying to look on the bright side. Life is full of ups and downs, but how we approach these moments can make all the difference. A positive out
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What's up with WhatsApp?
James Gore | 31st January 2025
WhatsApp is huge. Billions of people use it to chat, call, and share stuff. It's super handy. But, like anything online, it's good to know how to keep things safe. This article on the NSPCC website does a brilliant job of breaking down the pros and cons of using WhatsApp as a young person: NSPCC articleHere's our summary of the key takeaways...What
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From Procrastination to Progress
Kieran Murphy | 24th January 2025
Simple Ways to Keep Your MomentumWe’ve all been there. You set yourself an ambitious goal—maybe it’s to complete a fitness challenge or ace an upcoming exam. At first, you’re full of excitement and energy, ready to tackle the challenge head-on. But then life happens. Your initial enthusiasm wanes, and suddenly, Netflix or scrolling Instagram seems
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More than just a day…
Molly Rackham | 17th January 2025
Blue Monday is often called “the most depressing day of the year.” It falls in January when the excitement of christmas is over, the weather is cold, grey and frosty, and many of us feel the pressure of exams, money, or just life in general.But here’s the truth: sadness doesn’t stick to one day. Everyone feels low at times, and that’s completely no
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