Well-Being and Mental Health

Welcome to the wellbeing page. Mental Health and Wellbeing are a high priority at Cambourne VC.

A Safe and Happy School

At Cambourne Village College we take the mental health and well-being of our community seriously.  We believe that everyone should feel safe and happy when they are on our site, and we believe that well-being is fundamental to ensuring that each individual who makes up our community thrives. 

There are many provisions in place at our school to support this goal.  Our safeguarding team, the Link, Centre, medical room, View, and Blue Room all play a vital role in our strategic support of targeted students, and these provisions are run by professionals fully qualified in their field of expertise.

In addition, there are groups like the LGBTQ+ (We are all made of Molecules) and Not Just Black and White groups that focus on supporting children and celebrating the wonderful diversity which makes Cambourne Village College the unique and special place it is.

There are many diverse extra-curricular activities available for our students to take part in, whether they are creative, sporty, scientific, or just provide down time and a safe place for students to share their hobbies and interests.  Our focus on pupil premium students also ensures that we identify and meet the needs of specific children who might find themselves disadvantaged in certain areas. This might range from providing porridge (to ensure all students have to opportunity to start the day with a nourishing breakfast), to providing uniform or food vouchers for the holidays, and opportunities which help develop the cultural capital of our students.

Key to the wellbeing support offered is the role that the year teams play with the Heads and Assistant Heads of Year, and the Pastoral Support Assistants.  We also have vital access to external providers such as counselling services and CAMHS. 

All staff engaged in pastoral support at every level are provided with a variety of up-to-date training and information, and meetings take place regularly to keep abreast of the best external providers and their named contacts.  There is a regular well-being meeting where the needs of each year group are discussed with invested parties, to try and ensure that all the pastoral teams in school are working together to provide the best safety net for all of the students in our care.

We also have mentoring teams which offer one to one or group mentoring for students who are referred for a bit of extra support with their daily life at school.  There is a teacher led team and a peer support team.  The peer support team is made up of prefects and mental health ambassadors who are trained in supporting mental health and wellbeing, and who are fully conversant with the set school procedures relating to safeguarding.

Some SEMH opportunities implemented 2022/23

1. Well-Being Wednesday for all Key Stage 3 and 4 students in tutor time.
2. Assemblies on mental health for all year groups.
3. Well-Being Prefects and Mental Health Ambassadors selected and trained to support students.
4. A drop-in room for all students to access support at break or lunch, manned by mental health ambassadors.
5. In-house mentoring for students made available (led by teachers, prefects, and mental health ambassadors).
6. Noticeboard in prominent place showing support groups for students to access outside of school.
7. Parental and carer information and support offered on bulletin and in reception to help children with their mental health and well-being at key points in the academic year.
8. SEMH specific link on the CATalogue (SEMH - SEMH Home (sharepoint.com)) containing resources accessible to staff, to guide them in supporting students and young people with their mental health
9. Well-being surveys carried out with staff and pupils. This is shared with SLT and governors and influences decision making in school.
10. Self-harm parent workshops (online), and other mental health topics to follow.
11. Library collection of wellbeing books monitored and added to. A list is to be made available to all staff and students.
12. Wellbeing link on school website being updated constantly Well-Being - Cambourne Village College (cambournevc.org)
13. Access to external online support for mental health and wellbeing, from external and verified sources, explicitly signposted for students and staff.
14. Mental health and well-being support made available to staff on the daily noticeboard and weekly bulletin at key points.
15. Menopause support offered to all staff, including helplines and sanitary products.
16. A wellbeing email address (CAM-Wellbeing@cambournevc.org) set up for staff and students to ask questions or raise concerns.
17. A MyConcern app on all iPads for students to raise concerns with Safeguarding if they are worried about themselves or another student.

We are committed to supporting the well-being of everyone in our community and will continue to update and improve initiatives to ensure that everyone has access to the best support available.

 At Cambourne Village College, our Link facility provides for young people who need support with their mental health. We also provide a Counselling service and employ fully trained, external counsellors who work with our pupils on a referral basis. Our school counsellors are fully qualified and registered with The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy BACP or The Health and Care Professions Council HCPC. Pupils can self-refer for counselling support or staff can refer them, as per the Social Emotional Mental Health Referral process. Whilst we always encourage pupils to speak to their parents about a request for counselling, parents should be aware that this is offered to those pupils who are considered competent as a confidential service if they so wish.

If you have concerns about your child’s well-being that are non-urgent and need advice you can contact your child’s Head of Year or a member of The Link team. If you feel that your child is unable to cope and is a risk to themselves or other people, seek advice from 111 and dial 2 to get support from mental health teams. If you have an emergency, dial 999 to get immediate support.