Mental Health and Wellbeing
At Katherine Warington School, we are committed to supporting positive mental health and wellbeing of all students and staff.
Since Katherine Warington School opened in 2019, we have prioritised student wellbeing. Students are encouraged to explore their passions through Period 7 and we focus on helping students to develop habits and life skills which promote positive wellbeing.
We also recognise that with the challenges students face in an ever changing world, there may be times that they need additional support with their mental health. We have prioritised staff training in this area and are excited to announce a new and improved mental health team who will be there to support students in their times of need.
Our Mental Health Team:
Our Counselling Service
Our counselling service is accessible to ALL students. Sessions are 50 minutes and take place during lesson times. We endeavour to ensure students miss as little curriculum time as possible but there is an expectation that if content is missed for counselling sessions that students will make an effort to catch up or ask for the missed work.
Students are considered for counselling based on the level of need and it may be that other students on the waiting list are prioritised as they need the support more urgently. It is the decision of the Mental Health Lead, in consultation with trained professionals, which students receive counselling. If our counsellors cannot meet the needs of a student they will support families to make referrals to external services or will offer appropriate signposting.
School based counselling sessions are regularly reviewed and on average, we offer 6-8 sessions of counselling. The work of the counsellor is confidential. This means both school staff and parents are not entitled to information discussed during these sessions. However, in some circumstances (and with the consent of the student) the counsellor may engage with parents if this would help to support the student. Counsellors may also share information with the Safeguarding Team if they deem a student to be at possible risk of harm.
For more information about our counselling service please make contact with our Senior Mental Health Lead, Grace Aikman g.aikman@kwschool.co.uk.
If you feel your child would benefit from this support, you can encourage them to make a self referral using the form below. Their information will be kept confidential and only accessed initially by the Senior Mental Health Lead.
Students who cannot access the counselling service can access our lunchtime drop in service.
5 Ways to Wellbeing
At our school, we promote the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Improving students’ knowledge about the 5 Ways to Wellbeing helps students to build better habits that promote positive well-being and helps them to understand more about how they are feeling.
Our five ways to well-being are:
- Notice – We believe the first step towards improving mental health and well-being is for students to be aware of their feelings. We encourage our students through period 7 and in their own time to relax and meditate as well as be aware of their senses so they can feel more in touch with their environment.
- Connect – We encourage our students to talk and listen to each other, we encourage our students to spend time with their family and friends as well as volunteer for a good cause or get involved in something they are passionate about outside of school.
- Keep Learning – We encourage all of our students to keep learning every day whether this is inside or outside the classroom. We encourage them to try new things, visit galleries and museums, join clubs, set themselves goals and keep pushing themselves to their limits to realise their potential.
- Give – We all know that part of receiving is also giving and so we encourage our students to give and offer things to those around them so that as a school community we are able to lift each other up. Even if it is something as simple as smiling at someone in the corridor or asking how their day has been. We know that the small things help and can make a big difference to our school community.
- Be Active – it is proven that regular exercise is excellent for improving mental health. We encourage our students through period 7, clubs, PE, with our park and stride initiative and in their own time to remain active and spend time with their friends in team sports and walking or cycling to school.
Want to learn more about the five ways to wellbeing – Click Here
Need some advice or support about mental health and wellbeing?
Are you a student?
Follow the link to the Student Wellbeing Site. Note this can only be accessed by students of Katherine Warington School when logged into your account.
Are you a parent?
The following websites provide excellent help and support with a range of issues. If you don’t find what you are looking for, please contact your child’s form tutor or a member of the pastoral team.
- https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
- https://www.familylives.org.uk/
- https://www.healthforkids.co.uk/
- https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/
- https://www.kooth.com/
- https://www.selfharm.co.uk/
- https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
Key Dates
Tuesday 19th September 2023 – Youth Mental Health Day
Tuesday 10th October 2023 – World Mental Health Day
Monday 13th November 2023 – World Kindness Day
Wellbeing Week 2020
To promote our Five Ways to Well-being we held a Well-being Week during lockdown, where many were struggling with their mental health and wellbeing most. To get outdoors and try new things.
For well-being week our students spent their afternoons completing activities set by the staff to promote students mental health and well-being this varied from baking, to walking to do to cooking dinner for the family and football practice. Once the students had completed their activity they would upload evidence onto their wellbeing week tracker and earn house points.
Whole School Events
Across the academic year, we take time to discuss and explore key aspects of positive mental health. We encourage openness and ask staff members to talk about their own experiences. Our Mental Health Team often promote our events and try to find ways to get all students to take part.
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Click here for information about how we celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week 2022-2023
Wellbeing Policy
Staff Wellbeing
Our supportive approach doesn’t end with the students and families, it extends to our staff too. With our staff, it is our aim ‘To have a happy and cohesive, high performing team that ALL have an effective work-life balance.’
Our Staff Wellbeing Policy outlines all of the measures we take to encourage wellbeing among our staff and be a thriving and positive place to work. The wellbeing of our staff is paramount so our staff can perform to the best of their ability and stay motivated throughout the school year.
For our staff, we also work with health-assured that provide wellbeing services to our staff from mini health checks to home life support where and when it is needed.