We know that being a young person is not always easy. Learning to deal with adversity is an important experience. Our role, as a school, is to support our students through difficulties, helping them to develop resilience, a sense of responsibility and the ability to reflect on their personal growth. There are a number of people who can provide support and guidance to students. These include:
- the Form Tutor, who sees the Form daily
- Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year
- Mental Health Lead
- Mentors and Counsellor
- School Chaplain
- Safeguarding Leads
- Behaviour for Learning Centre (BLC) Co-ordinator
- Trailblazer mental health practitioners
- Trainee social workers – on placement at our school during their training
- 6th Form peer mentors – trained to support younger students
- Attendance support worker
We know that providing support does not automatically fix a problem. We especially value the way our students and their families engage with support patiently, knowing that there is often a journey to travel. A number of very important issues are addressed in our PSHE programme.
If you would like to read more about our Anti-Bullying work please click here.
It is really important that difficulties are raised with an adult in school, or with a professional in one of the agencies we work with – and that they are not raised on social media. Publicising a problem outside of the right channels often causes more hurt and distress, and brings about worse consequences for the young people involved.
There is some specific guidance for students and parents / carers in these resources:
- Against Sexual Abuse
- Keeping Children Safe Online
- Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Supporting With Grief and Loss
- Anti-Bullying
- Safeguarding and Family Support
We also work with a number of external agencies to provide support and guidance to students and their families. These include:
- CAMHS
- Early Help – support for families from the Local Authority
- Met Police: Safer Schools Officers
- The Race and Equality Foundation
- Insight Westminster – drug and alcohol issues
- The Angelou Project – domestic violence and abuse
- The Avenues Youth Project
Support and guidance is also provided by the School at important transitions, such as:
- Year 7 induction
- Year 12 induction
- Year 9 KS4 options
- Post-16 pathways
- Post-18 pathways
If you or your child needs support, the first port of call is the Form Tutor. If you have a concern, it’s important to address it to the appropriate person at school. See our section on “I have a concern, who should I contact” on the Contact Us page.
