Pastoral
Mental Health and Wellbeing:
Hoe Valley School and Student Wellbeing
At Hoe Valley School, we are deeply committed to our students' mental and emotional wellbeing. Understanding the importance of mental health in educational environments, we have established a robust support system to ensure our students receive the care and attention they need. Our holistic and proactive approach aims to create a supportive an understanding atmosphere.
All students have access to a space where they can talk to a supportive, trusted adult who can offer a wealth of knowledge and support.
Leadership and Coordination
Miss Johnson and Mr Kelly are both trained senior mental health leads who spearhead our dedication to mental health. Their expertise and commitment are pivotal in shaping our mental health strategy.
In-School Provision
To address the diverse needs of our student body, we offer a comprehensive in-school mental health provision. This includes the services of Surrey Care Trust, which can meet with students for one-on-one sessions. Recognising the importance of early intervention, we also have an Early Intervention Coordinator from East2West.
In addition to these resources, we are proud to have Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) and a team of Mental Health Practitioners working with us in collaboration with NHS Surrey Borders Trust. This multidisciplinary team ensures our students can access support services tailored to their needs.
Referral Process
Referrals to our mental health provision are streamlined and confidential. Students or concerned parties can initiate a referral through the Head of Year, who will forward it to our Mental Health team. All referrals are treated with the utmost confidentiality and are placed on a waiting list. This list is prioritised based on the urgency and need of each case, ensuring that those who require immediate attention are seen as quickly as possible.
Parental permission is a prerequisite for all mental health support to commence. We require a signed consent form from the child and their parent or carer, reinforcing our commitment to collaborative care and respect for the privacy and autonomy of our students and their families.
All interventions are designed to be short-term, typically lasting six weeks. Each case is reviewed at the end of this period to assess progress and determine the next steps, whether they involve extending support or concluding the intervention.
Additional Support
We encourage parents and guardians who are concerned about their child's mental health to seek external medical advice from their General Practitioner (GP). A comprehensive support system is essential, and consulting a GP can provide valuable insights and additional resources. We also recommend informing the Head of Year about any concerns, ensuring a coordinated approach to the student's wellbeing.
Mental health is integral to student success at Hoe Valley School. Our dedicated team, comprehensive support system, and collaborative approach underscore our commitment to nurturing a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for all our students.
Advice for Parents
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Talking about mental health (Anna Freud)
Young Minds – help for parents and carers
Seeking help for a mental health problem
Parent Talk - Down to Earth Parenting Advice
Mental Health and Parenting - Help for parents mental health
Place2Be - how to support your child
Questions can go to the following email address office@hoevalleyschool.org
Bounce Together.
We are a ‘Bounce Together’ school, with a clear focus on mental health and wellbeing, ensuring this lies at the heart of our school community.
In collaboration with the ‘Bounce Together’ software, we have access to various validated surveys to run with our pupils, staff, and parents/carers, ensuring inclusion for the whole school community. This vast array of surveys addresses issues from resilience to attitudes to reading and everything else in between.
· The intent of this platform is to create a clear and concise understanding of mental health and wellbeing within our setting and the wider community.
· This is implemented by running these surveys either at regular intervals throughout the academic year or to address a concern that may arise within a cohort or pupil group.
· The impact of using ‘Bounce Together’ is that it provides relevant data that informs us about the thoughts, feelings, and views of our school community, thus providing us with the ability to respond accordingly in a range of ways that will support, nurture and encourage all of our stakeholders.
Questions can go to bounce_together@hoevalleyschool.org
