• It can help us to understand our relationships better and improve them
• It can help us to increase our level of self-awareness
• It can help us to explore our feelings, and understand and manage them better
• It can help us to recognise unhelpful thought patterns and adopt new ones

• It can help us to improve our communication skills

• It can help us move towards some solutions to problems, and help reduce the distress caused by them
• It offers a place to reflect upon oneself and the world
• It gives us a sense that we are not alone with our feelings and difficulties  

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There are three main referral routes:

• Students complete a request slip which they can post in our counselling post-boxes located in the Atrium
• The student's Year Leader can refer a student
• A parent/carer can refer a student

All referrals need to include a counselling referral form which can be found below. Once the referral has been made, the student will be placed on the waiting list and an appointment will be offered as soon as a space becomes available.

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The school counsellor will meet and assess the student in order to identify their needs. Counselling must be voluntary; students can be encouraged to attend, or a recommendation can be made, but ultimately the young person needs to consent.

Students may feel that one session is enough, but if they choose to continue then they will be offered between 6 - 12 sessions; these will usually occur weekly at a different time in order to keep lesson disruption to a minimum, and the session will last for 50 minutes.

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There will be a review between the school counsellor and student at the end of the 6 or 12 sessions and there may be an opportunity to continue.  

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The school counsellor also runs a weekly drop in service at 3pm every Wednesday, which is offered on a first come, first served basis.

All young people are entitled to confidentiality as outlined by the BACP Code of Ethics. This means that the information they bring to the session will be held in confidence between themselves and the school counsellor. Information will not be shared unless the young person has agreed to it. However, the school counsellor will state that they may need to pass on information should they deem the young person at significant risk to themselves or to others. This information would be shared with the Designated Safeguarding and Child Protection Officer; counsellors are well aware of Child Protection procedures and adhere to those as appropriate.