A relational, attachment-informed intervention.
Connection. Curiosity. Consistency.
The Bothy is our school-based relational intervention designed to support young people who need a consistent, attuned and emotionally safe space within their school environment.
We created The Bothy because we know young people don’t thrive through programmes alone. They thrive through relationships, especially relationships that help them feel understood, valued and safe enough to explore what’s going on inside them.
Delivered by trained Community & Relationship Mentors, The Bothy offers young people a calm, supportive space built on kindness, compassion and love. It helps them develop emotional understanding, strengthen their relationships and build the confidence they need to move through school life with greater safety and belonging.
Building Relational Resilience.
The Bothy is a relational intervention model that strengthens a school’s capacity to support young people who need more than a standard pastoral response. It provides consistent, attuned mentoring that helps pupils build emotional understanding, confidence and meaningful connection with their school community.
Rather than acting as a counselling service or behaviour room, The Bothy focuses on three core pillars to strengthen the relationships and resilience.
Consistency
Young people are supported through reliable, predictable relationships with trained mentors who understand their needs and stay with them over time. This consistency builds trust and reduces barriers to engagement across the school and wider community.
Connection
Mentors create meaningful, attuned relationships that help young people make sense of their emotions, experiences and relationships. This connection leads to improved engagement, better communication and stronger links between pupils and staff.
Confidence
Through conversation, reflective tasks, creative work and nature-based experiences, young people build confidence, learn new ways to cope and develop the relational and emotional skills they need to thrive in school life and beyond.
Who It's For
The Bothy supports young people who find aspects of school life challenging. Whether that’s managing big emotions, navigating relationships or coping with changes at home. Some pupils are carrying the impact of difficult experiences; others simply need a consistent, attuned adult to help them build confidence and reconnect with learning. The model works across both primary and secondary settings, adapting to the needs and rhythms of each school.
Dare to Venture
Dare to Venture uses creativity, movement and nature-based experiences to help young people build confidence, regulate emotions and strengthen their connection with others. Through indoor reflection, outdoor challenges and guided exploration of their wider community, young people learn more about themselves and where they fit in the world.
How The Bothy Works
The Bothy integrates naturally into the rhythm of school life. Pupils are referred by guidance or pastoral teams and meet regularly with a trained mentor in a calm, dedicated space where they can slow down, talk things through and reset. Mentors stay closely connected with staff, helping everyone understand how best to support each young person without adding extra pressure to busy teams.
To keep things clear and manageable, we handle all progress tracking through our Connectedness App. Pupils complete simple check-ins, mentors record what they’re noticing, and the system turns this into meaningful insights that show how confidence, connectedness and emotional understanding are changing over time. As well as overall session attendance, improvement in meta skills and a practical portfolio of attainment that has been achieved.
Schools get a clear picture of what’s working, and young people get the steady support they need to move forward. It’s relational, it’s evidence driven, and it takes the heavy lifting off your team.
How The Bothy Feels for Young People
Young people come to The Bothy for a steady space where they can slow down, talk openly and make sense of what’s going on for them. Sessions blend conversation, reflection, creative activities and nature, depending on what feels right that day. Some young people need to talk, others need quiet time or a walk. There’s no pressure, just support.
Over time, pupils begin to feel more grounded, more connected and more able to take positive steps forward: in class, in relationships and in themselves.
Impact You Can See.
Evidence You Can Trust.
The Bothy helps young people grow in ways that schools can see and feel every day. We see pupils become more confident in asking for help, better at expressing what they need and more able to manage the things that used to overwhelm them. Relationships with staff strengthen, communication improves and young people begin to reconnect with learning in a calmer, more connected way.
For many, the difference is subtle at first. A student choosing to stay in class, opening up for the first time or forming a healthier routine. And then it builds. Over time, pupils develop the emotional understanding, self belief and relational confidence that help them thrive both through their time in school and rippling into their wider community.
Young Person
“The Bothy has helped me in ways I didn't think it would. Being able to just talk about what was going on in my life with other people in a similar position was like being able to leave a bag full of boulders at the door."
Year Head at Larbert High School
"A constant space in the school that offers our young people something important that some of them don't have in their lives, a secure relationship. It even helps me to focus on my role knowing that some of our most vulnerable young people have someone they can connect with."
Parent
“The transformation I've seen in my son is unbelievable. Totally unrecognisable from his first week in high school. I wish he done all of his learning in The Bothy!”
Some of Our Trusting Education Partners
Let's Build Something Meaningful
We'd love to support your school, your young people and your community. If you want to explore how these initiatives can strengthen your community, complete the contact form below.