The cafe serving up skills for school strugglers
BBCSince November, the Eden cafe in Hartlepool has been giving young people who struggle with school a different way of learning vital life skills. How does it work?
Olivia hated school.
"It made me feel drained constantly, depressed, I just didn't like it," the 15-year-old says.
It was "very loud" and made her "so bad" with her mental health, to the point where she dreaded getting up everyday, she says.
Eden offered her a new way of doing things.
Alternative provisions like Eden are used by students who struggle to integrate or cope in mainstream education for various reasons, such as mental health issues or because they find school intimidating.
The cafe, which opened in November 2024, is set up for takeaway orders.
Behind the doors there is a chef and a number of students who learn food hygiene, health and safety, customer service and how to cook.
With Eden's children being referred by their schools, English and maths are studied alongside learning about a career in hospitality.
As well as academic learning, the team place importance on teaching life skills such as meal budgeting, and giving the youngsters something else to take away when they leave education.
Eden also run a provision for pupils to study beauty courses.
For safeguarding reasons the students are not allowed to mix with the customers.
Joanne Fitzgerald, the cafe's co-director, says many pupils who come to them have previously had low attendance at school, whereas at Eden they rarely miss a day.
This isn't the only boost she says they see.
"They've come on loads confidence wise," she says, adding: "Their ability to speak out in a group, speak to each other, speak about how they're feeling, it's getting their emotions out as well."
Olivia, Lacie and Lucy start their day learning how to wash their hands in line with hygiene standards - they're given a work sheet before heading over to the sinks.
The teaching also allows them to try out new things and have a say in what they do during the day.
On this particular Wednesday, the students are making scones for the first time, baking one batch of cheese and another of chocolate orange, ingredients which they chose the previous day.
They're guided through the process by chef Anth, and the finished products look delicious.
The next task for the day is answering the phone to take orders, learning how to greet customers, what details to take and how to relay that information to kitchen staff.
Olivia is first up to take a call, it's her first time answering the phone and she's visibly nervous.
She handles it perfectly and congratulations erupt from her peers and teachers once she ends the call.
Eden has a "no negativity rule", co-director Louise Forrest says, adding praise is very important in the way they teach.
"It's all positive, it's encouragement and it just builds their confidence and you can see that they shine within a few months, they're just totally different people," she says.
Olivia now wants to go into a career of aesthetics or become a member of cabin crew for an airline.
Like many teenagers, she's not totally decided on her future, but she says working with the team at Eden has given her the confidence boost to work in public-facing roles in future.
"I've grown and developed a lot, it's just changed me as a person completely, in a good way, I've become a lot more confident," she says.
Olivia says she didn't know about projects like this and worried she'd have to stay at school, but was "overwhelmed" to find something she can enjoy while doing work at the same time.
When asked why she enjoys going to Eden so much, she says it is "more relaxed", highlighting how the team work at her pace and offer one-to-one support.
"These people are in the same position as me so I know I can be myself around them," she says.
She also feels able to now give advice to others struggling to get along with mainstream school, namely: "It's not the end, there is something out there you can do."