Schools across the United Kingdom are increasingly turning to virtual reality (VR) technology to assist pupils in coping with exam stress, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and challenges at home, according to a recent report. The Phase Space programme, which utilises VR headsets, is currently being trialled in all 15 secondary schools within the London borough of Sutton, targeting students who struggle with anxiety.
How the Programme Works
Students are provided with a seven-minute immersive experience, either scheduled in advance or accessed when they feel overwhelmed during a lesson. The objective is to help them calm down, rebuild their confidence, and prepare to resume their studies. The Phase Space website describes the programme as offering “immediate, effective mental well-being support” that enables young people to “reduce feelings of anxiety, regulate their emotions and grow in confidence.”
Positive Outcomes Reported
Zillah Watson, a former head of VR at the BBC and co-creator of the Phase Space programme, stated that 90 per cent of students who used the headsets in the initial 10 schools experienced an immediate reduction in stress levels. She told The Guardian that the programme “has led to improvements in pupil attendance, behaviour, and reductions in anxiety related to exams and assessments.”
Lora Wilson, a 16-year-old student, described the VR experience: “You start in a room and it hasn’t got anything in it and the light in the room slowly fades and then you’re almost transported back into black but with light and it’s coming towards you. It’s very difficult to explain but it’s a really cool experience. It almost feels like I’m somewhere else and I can just relax.”
Implementation in Schools
Aelisha Needham, vice-principal for ethics at Ark Academy in north London, noted that the headsets are primarily used in the mornings. “We have students who in the mornings feel quite deregulated, especially when we have changes to their usual structures … such as a cover teacher, or it might be that they have felt a little bit distressed from something at home, or they maybe haven’t had breakfast, or they’re having friendship issues or haven’t done their homework,” she explained. The school mainly deploys the VR sets for pupils with social, emotional, or mental health issues, including those with ADHD or anxiety.
After using the headsets, students are “a lot calmer,” and there is a noticeable reduction in “things like relocations from lessons where students are being asked to leave because they’re deregulated.” It is “really positive” to see that pupils voluntarily request the programme when feeling overwhelmed to “ground themselves,” rather than walking out of lessons. Ms Wilson added that exams no longer scare her as much and that the headset has boosted her confidence in schoolwork.
Future Potential
The VR technology is believed to offer a low-cost, effective solution for stressed pupils and could be used alongside the adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) at South West London and St George’s NHS trust. The Independent has contacted the trust for further details.
