A RISE in mental health issues in young people has driven a secondary school to take action to help support its pupils.

On Wednesday Gosford Hill School opened a new building which will host counselling and school nurse services.

The Kidlington school held a mental health awareness week throughout the past week as part of its strong focus on mental health throughout the academic year.

Counsellor and psychotherapist Julia Sealby, who runs the school counselling service, said the pressures young people faced were greater than ever.

She said: "We are seeing more complex issues and students presenting with issues at a much earlier age.

"We see anxiety in a much more significant way.

"Social media has a huge part to play in student self-esteem.

"We work quite hard in trying to establish with students that the world of social media is not a real world.

"The pressures placed on all of us are on the increase."

The counsellings service at Gosford Hill is integrated across the school, with Ms Sealby supporting staff to work with mental health, as well as pupils.

The Portus building is an existing building that has been reopened and renamed as part of the broader mental health strategy.

Ms Sealby said: "I can work with a student at a once-a-week session, that can be really effective.

"But if I work with a member of staff that feeds through to the students.

"If you put your energy into the staff and look after the staff then they will look after the pupils."

The school has also worked to train sixth formers to support younger students' mental health through a peer listening scheme.

This has also seen them link up with local primary schools whose pupils will go on to attend Gosford Hill at secondary level.

Headteacher Nigel Sellars said: "I started as headteacher here last Easter and one of the first things I recognised was that we need students in front of us who are there in a positive mindset, ready to learn.

"With the Portus building we have tried to rebrand it. That is where all the mental health and wellbeing work goes on.

"We have also asked Julia to train our staff to be more proactive supporting students."

Mr Sellars added that the sixth form students who were working with younger pupils had been keen to volunteer for the role.

He said: "We asked for expressions of interest and we had an interview process that we put them through.

"We know that social media has a massive impact and I think it is putting more and more pressure on young people."