Student Wellbeing Support

At Harlington Upper School we believe strongly that positive emotional wellbeing and mental wellness are not only crucial in enabling students to feel happy and fulfilled within themselves as individuals, but also in enabling them to thrive and flourish during their time with us here at school. Students who enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing are better able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, fulfil their own potential and contribute to their wider community.

In the first instance students are encouraged to self-refer to the appropriate Head of Year where the member of staff can discuss with them what support may be available and might be most appropriate. As well as Head of Year, there is also an email address students can use (mentalhealth@harlington.org). Students are also encouraged to take responsibility for seeking out ways in which they can support themselves and may be signposted to engage with online support and additional external services where this is appropriate.

For those who require more targeted emotional support and guidance or who are experiencing a time of crisis, our pastoral teams will make a referral to our in-school Counselling service which operates five days a week on a one-to-one appointment basis. We have also introduced the ‘Mental Health Ambassador’ role for our Key Stage 5 students. The role of the Mental Health Ambassador is to offer a listening ear to their school peers and to provide a bridge between students and trusted adults. The Mental Health Ambassadors will also have responsibility to challenge stigma and raise the profile of mental health within the school.  The Mental Health Ambassador will also offer weekly drop-in sessions where young people can go to chat or look at resources.