Wellbeing & Mental Health

Wellbeing & Mental Health

Senior School ELSA

Mrs Michelle Greensmith is our full time ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) at the Senior School. An ELSA is a beneficial role within School, supporting pupils (who are referred by their Heads of Year) if struggling with overwhelming emotions such as anxiety, anger, stress, low self-esteem or sadness. 

Each child receives weekly, 1:1, private and confidential sessions (within the School's safeguarding limits) and an individualised programme of strategies and high-level CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), without any cost to parents. ELSA pupils will learn to explore their feelings, increase their emotional awareness, and learn some useful coping strategies to take away and try for themselves. Sessions usually run over a defined 6-8 week period, equipping pupils to go on and build their own resilience upon completion of the programme.

Our Senior School ELSA also runs some small group, lunchtime workshops, which help to bring pupils with similar issues together, for additional peer support  An example of this might be the "Wednesday Warriors" anxiety workshop, or the "Super Self-Esteemers" club.   Contact Mrs Greensmith via her School email address.  For more information about the ELSA role and qualifications, please see here: https://www.elsanetwork.org/about/

Prep School ELSAs

For information on our Prep School ELSAs, please refer to the following web page https://www.ewellcastle.co.uk/news/wellbeing/2020/05/04/senior-school-elsa/

School Counsellor

As a school, we recognise the importance of mental health, particularly during the teenage years, and therefore offer pupils the opportunity for individual counselling with a qualified counsellor. The service is led by Mrs Carolyn Varney and can be initiated by a pupil self-referring, at the enquiry of a parent or because a member of staff has identified that it would be beneficial.

In today’s culture it is not unusual, especially during the teenage years, for a period of counselling to be helpful. The counselling provides a place where the pupil can talk about whatever is on their mind and causing them stress. For example, relationships with their family or friends, worrying feelings and emotions or upsetting memories. It is now much better understood how emotional issues can impact a pupil’s ability to focus on their work and get the most out of life.

The counselling service is discrete and endeavours to minimise any impact on the pupil’s learning by working (as far as possible) around their academic timetable and providing confidentiality (within safeguarding limits) between the pupil and the counsellor. This confidentiality is important to create a safe place for the pupil to talk about whatever is on their mind. The School covers the cost of the first six counselling sessions, after which the parents are usually asked to contribute.

For more information about the counselling service please contact Carolyn Varney via her School email address.