Anti-Bullying Week backed by Northamptonshire housebuilder’s book donation

The donation by the developer, which is building new homes near the school at Priors Hall Park, included a range of books by Usborne Publishing, which aims to support children’s mental health.

Founded by Anti-Bullying Alliance, Anti-Bullying Week encourages the discussion of the stigma around bullying with the aim to enable everyone to live happy and healthy lives.

This year’s theme is ‘Make A Noise About Bullying’, which encourages people to come together to have discussions about what bullying means, how banter can become hurtful, and ways to stop bullying.

Among the books donated by Barratt and David Wilson Homes were titles including ‘The Unworry Book’ by Alice James, ‘All About Feelings’ by Felicity Brooks and ‘What are Feelings?’ by Katie Daynes.

Many of the books include interactive features to help the children express their feelings and relieve anxiety.

Tess McQuade, Headteacher at Priors Hall ALC, said: “At Priors Hall ALC, we believe that mental health is equally as important as academic achievement and we have built a strong pastoral offer. We were so pleased to have received these high quality books to complement and be used to support children’s emotional understanding.”

Alison Raine, Sales Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton, said: “We hope that these books will encourage pupils at Priors Hall ALC to consider their own mental health, and also the feelings of their peers in the playground and in everyday life.

“Anti-Bullying Week is an initiative we are proud to support, and we delighted to help local schools within our community with tools to help stop bullying.”