Wellbeing and Mental Health
On this page you will find Head Talk videos, online counselling and useful resources that will help students tackle personal feelings or stresses.
We are now working as a wellbeing team and will be able to offer a wider variety of support for our students. If you feel that you might benefit from support in the following areas, please complete the form below with as much information as possible. Support that we offer includes bereavement, wellbeing, eating disorders, bullying, self-esteem, relationships, parental divorce or separation, anxiety or any other worries.
"Pupils are happy and optimistic and pupils feel safe."
- Ofsted Inspection, November 2019
Where to get help
If you are struggling with anything regarding your schoolwork, there are plenty of people who are here to help. The same is true for your wellbeing and mental health.
You can send a Microsoft Teams chat message or email your class teacher, your tutor, head of year or assistant head of year. They will be able to support you through anything that you are finding difficult and provide you with help.
It is normal in life to have ups and downs. However, please be assured that, even whilst the Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause changes to the way school runs, we are here to help.
There are various resources below that may help you. Remember everyone copes in different ways and it may take trying a few things before you find what works for you.
Parents, carers and students may wish to send in a Wellbeing Support Referral. The Wellbeing Team will then provide the most appropriate form of support.
Sometimes it may be appropriate to make an appointment to see your GP (doctor) if you are worried about your mental health, but if you are not sure who to speak to or what to do, contact Mrs Guppy (kguppy@stcatherines.college) or Mrs Poston (aposton@stcatherines.college).
Six strategies to protect teenagers' mental health during coronavirus from UNICEF:
1. Recognise that your anxiety is completely normal in this situation
2. Create distractions
3. Find new ways to connect with your friends
4. Focus on you – eg. find a new activity or film list you want to work through
5. Feel your feelings
6. Be kind to yourself and others
More mental health and student self-care guidance is available from:
Head Talks
These short videos will help relieve any short term worries and offer useful advice on how to manage stress. Click on the links below to watch on YouTube.
Free counselling resources for students
NHS i-Rock: i-Rock is usually a drop-in service for young adults 14s and over, based in Eastbourne, Newhaven and Hastings. They can offer advice and support on emotional and mental wellbeing, jobs, education and housing. There are lots of different people at i-Rock and they have a wide range of knowledge and information.
They are still offering support by phone, video chat, email and text. They are also live on Instagram at 4.30pm each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
e-motion: A free online counselling project for young people aged 12-18 years who live in East Sussex. A confidential service offering counselling via email or live messaging.
Young Minds: A website written about various aspects of mental health specifically for young people.
Mind: Mental health charity - here to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone. Some very useful information about mental health conditions and how to manage them.
Helpful wellbeing apps
There are a number of apps that can help our well-being available from the app store on your phone. All of them have a free option. We also use some of these in school on the ipod that is available for students to use in Student Services. The websites describing them are found below.
For breathing and mindfulness:
Headspace - Mediation and sleep made simple.
Breethe- Learn meditation and mindfulness.
Calm - Meditation techniques for sleep and stress reduction.
For grounding and distraction:
Monitoring emotions:
My Possible Self app The NHS-featured mental health and wellbeing app.
The Clue app - For monitoring periods but also the pattern of moods and emotions associated with this. Being aware of these patterns can help an individual to attend to self care during these times.
Exercise:
Any suitable app will do, but having an app that keeps one accountable to put in regular exercise can help boost wellbeing. Exercise is proven to have marked effects on anxiety and depression.
Red box project
There is a Red box in each Year office with sanitary products available free of charge.
We understand that period poverty is a global issue, but even in the UK alone, 1 in 10 girls can’t afford to buy menstrual products, with many struggling in school or even missing school days as a result.
Students are able to take whatever they need (even for the whole month) as we don't want period poverty to be a barrier for any of our young people.
Simply go to the Year office, ask for the Red box, and take whatever you need.
For more information on period poverty visit Yoppie.com