Counselling Pupils Policy         

This policy applies to Junior School, Senior School & EYFS

See also Pastoral policy & Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

Stepping in: we aim for every girl to feel known, supported, confident and able to shine at Wimbledon High.

All girls at Wimbledon High should feel supported, respected and known. Therefore it is extremely important that they feel able to communicate at school should they be in need of counselling and support.

Pupils have peer counsellors attached to their form and are able to contact them directly or via the online friendship bench.

All staff are available for consultation/advice/support as the need arises. Students may approach a subject teacher they know or their Form Tutor. This kind of support may well be at a reasonably low level, but any concerns should be passed on to Form Tutor/Head of Year. Staff should not promise confidentiality at any time.

In circumstances other than the above, the Head of Year is available for 1 to 1 talks with individual students in need. S/he may then refer the girl to the Assistant Head Pastoral who will in turn liaise with the School nurse, School Counsellors and outside agencies as necessary.  Girls must themselves request or agree to counselling before a referral to the school counsellors is made. The school counsellors are trained professionals who liaise with the pastoral team to help support the girls. They also lead the training of the Peer Counsellors. 

Girls may also self-refer to the School Counsellors at any time via email or in person. All girls have access to the counsellor email address on their 'Who do I turn to?' sticker in their planners, as well as to the Samaritans and Childline helplines.

Parents may be informed of any formal counselling undertaken with students, if the individual concerned gives permission. School counsellors will always work with pupils reluctant to communicate with their parents, as our aim is always for transparency and open communication. 

Girls referred to the counsellor (either by self-referral or as a result of pastoral team referrals) will have an initial assessment with a school counsellor to understand their needs. They will then have a further free session if required. Thereafter, according to appropriateness and need, parents will be contacted to agree to a charge of £30 per session for their daughter’s future sessions with the counsellor (this is half of the cost of a session, so the school will still be funding 50% of the cost).

There may be circumstances where it is not appropriate for parents to be charged this fee and we will deal with each case individually.

We will look for any girl to see the school counsellor for a recommended maximum of three terms. If needs extend beyond that, further conversations will be had as to how best to support that girl as she continues through the school.

Child Protection

As adults in close contact with students, teachers and sixth formers may well be the first to observe symptoms of abuse. These may be physical or emotional, and are fully listed in the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Staff should use the GDST Concerns Form where possible and follow the recording procedures as laid down in the policy.