THORNHILL COLLEGE
Believe & you will achieve
- Pupils
Cuan Nurture Room
Cuan was delicately chosen by our Irish Department, and translates to mean ‘Haven’
Cuan Nurture Room
A nurture room embraces the social, emotional or behavioural needs of individuals in a comfortable, safe and confidential environment. It allows these needs to be expressed in an environment designed to accommodate such expressions, and therefore reduces that burdensome feeling associated with mental health. Therefore, as it penetrates such a positive impact and plays a vital role in our school community, we decided to give our nurture room the name - Cuan.
Cuan was delicately chosen by our Irish Department, and translates to mean ‘Haven’, in other words a place of safety, tranquility and peacefulness represented in its many features, including the gentle mood lighting and nature-themed feature wall. Cuan is open to our school community as an sanctuary to relieve individuals of their everyday stresses and worries. Although private, the space is monitored closely by our staff.
Our Cuan creation would not have been possible without the surrounding support of our staff and fellow pupils. When the pandemic began to creep in, we were very lucky to have been virtually advised by the professional clinical psychologist and trauma specialist, Dr Karen Triesman on the benefits of introducing a nurture room into the school setting. Within months, our Wellness Ambassadors spread the word and sought pupil feedback, whilst the teachers decided which classroom would accommodate a nurture room best. With the help of our caretakers, the room soon launched into life as the ceiling was lowered, floors were removed and Ikea shopping commenced!
To mark our collective hard work, we were very blessed to have Professor Siobhán O’Neill, Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, come and officially open Cuan. Ultimately, Cuan was created by all to nurture all.
Like any school, Thornhill College has a duty to create a purposeful environment, as it is only natural that students experience on ‘off-day’ throughout their teenage years. To not only have an escape, but know that the option of stepping back from the busy nature of school life within the school grounds is heart-warming, accommodating, and is part of Thornhill College’s contribution to destigmatising mental health.