PUPILS at a school for bullied children have been getting snap happy for a photography exhibition.
Teenagers at Hatton-based Northleigh School have drawn on culture to inspire their work, which went on show at the school’s recent summer fete.
And teacher Scarlett Shellis believes the subject helps pupils, many who attend the school to escape bullies.
She said: “Creative subjects such as art and photography are so important for our students, it allows them to express themselves in a visual way and explore their ideas with the freedom to produce personal and meaningful work.
“One of our former photography students told me ‘I’ve finally found something that I am good at’, and this was a huge leap for her emotionally as she suffered from severe anxiety and depression before coming to Northleigh.
“Photography is an art form and we have encouraged our students to experiment with different types of media in order to create a unique portfolio of work which represents their thought process and ideas.”
Northleigh House opened nine years ago after retired couple Fred and Viv Morgan took over running it as a small hotel.
But after hearing increasingly common stories about children committing suicide due to bullying, the husband and wife team decided to transform their ten-bedroom home into a school for victims and after being featured in The Observer, their story hit the headlines across the country.
Since then they have won numerous awards including a Pride of Britain award.
