Supporting Mental Health in School

Let us know if you need support, using this form.

Where can you get support from in school?

Mountain Rescue

At Blaise High School, we prioritise the holistic well-being of our students, in order to support them to successfully access education and achieve the best possible exam results that they can. This is why we have integrated Mountain Rescue's support services. Beyond physical rescue operations, Mountain Rescue plays a vital role in nurturing mental health and overall well-being among our students. Through their dedicated efforts, they assist students in overcoming challenges, ensuring they can fully engage with their education and thrive academically. At Blaise High, we believe in fostering a supportive environment where every student can reach their full potential, and Mountain Rescue's assistance reflects this commitment to their success and happiness.

Our Mountain Rescue team runs timetabled interventions to support students to overcome any social and emotional barriers to their learning. Parents, carers and students can request a referral to Mountain Rescue by speaking to the student’s Head of Year. Sessions are based around emotional-based school avoidance, anxiety, resilience, positive engagement and other wider support packages.
Core Support Packages are delivered as weekly interventions and are intended to run for a six-week period depending on an individual's progression.

The scheme of work for each intervention is designed to support our student's social emotional and mental health needs and follows a workbook to support oracy and to guide discussions. Interventions are based on a scheme of work but are also tailored to fit the individual students' needs.

Once a student has been timetabled for an intervention they will complete a Student Intervention Profile together with their Intervention lead. This process allows for the student's voice to be considered and involved with the process. The student will set a self-directed target while reflecting on what support they feel they need.

Therapy Dog

Why use Pet Therapy?
The presence of Gideon can give students encouragement to work harder, motivation to get up and move, a reason to talk to someone and no judgement for the way that they feel. There are no expectations except maybe for a scratch and a treat. Gideon needs them for who they are, they can be just that – who they are.

When Gideon is with a student they can read more confidently, walk that little bit further. The act of stroking a dog means the oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin increases in their body while the cortisol decreases. Students may get distracted by the antics of Gideon, make contact with a warm living breathing being with lots of textures to reach out and touch, brush or cuddle. Gideon becomes their companion and friend. Gideon can help students to focus and to remove any barriers they may have to being a successful learner. It is important that every student attends every lesson every day and Gideon can support them with doing this.
Pet therapy touches humans psychologically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Gideon can provide some healing for any and every part of human hurt.
Gideon loves working with the students at Blaise High and he even has his own dog walking club. There are many ways Gideon is part of our school community and he very much enjoys his days spent at Blaise High helping students to learn and achieve their very best in all that they do.

For more details, click here.

Children in Care

As a school, we are committed to providing the best possible education and support for all of our Children in Care. We work closely with each individual student to ensure their needs are being met through individualised targets and tailored packages of support. This includes timetabled Mountain Rescue support that is suited to their individual needs.

As a school we work very closely with both the local authority and alsoThe Hope (Virtual school for Child in Care) to provide the best education and support.

Mrs N Cerullo is the designated Children in Care teacher who monitors and acts as a point of contact both for all of our CIC and also for outside agencies. You can contact her at cerullon@blaisehighschool.co.uk

Family Support

Mrs Williams is the Family Support Worker at Blaise High School. She is also Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Her role is to support students and families. She works closely with outside agencies to provide easily accessible answers along with being there as a channel for information sharing.

Mrs. Williams Says:

My role is to support students and families. I work closely with outside agencies to provide easily accessible answers along with being there as a channel for information sharing.

Schools can be scary places for some parents and attending meetings can be daunting. I believe it is essential that we all work together to ensure our students achieve the best they can. I am therefore happy to attend meetings with you or speak with staff if you feel this would be helpful.

Having teenagers can be really challenging. Every day brings new experiences and new questions as to how best to deal with life’s up and downs. I am here to help support you with non-judgemental advice, be a person to offload to and if needed signpost on for help with particular issues.

I work closely with The Food Bank, Housing and Health.

Throughout the school day my job is to support students to be in their lessons and learning. At times there are reasons why this can feel difficult and I work closely with students along with Gideon to help them feel confident and listened to. I accompany students to meetings and work as part of the Pastoral Team ensuring every student has the best possible chance of success in our school.

I feel very proud and know I am lucky to be able to work with both the parents and students who are part of the Blaise High School community.

Senior Mental Health Lead

Mrs Chinn is the senior mental health lead at Blaise High School. Mrs Chinn works with Mountain Rescue, the school counsellor and the mental health support team to ensure we have a rounded approach to supporting students emotional wellbeing and celebrating their mental health.

Mental Health Support Team

Mountain Rescue is in a fortunate position where we can offer, through the Mental Health Support Team, CBT therapy in school. We work with two Educational Mental Health Practitioners who can offer Low-Intensity CBT therapy and High-Intensity CBT therapy. They can also facilitate group sessions and parental workshops.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, physical feelings, emotions and behaviours are interlinked and also how they have an impact on each other. CBT uses practical strategies to help children and young people (CYP) make positive and realistic changes.

The Children and Young People Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) service is for CYP who present with problems that can be formulated and treated using the CBT model. It is also for CYP who have thoughts and behaviours that are consistent with working DSM 5 ICD - 11 diagnosis for mild to moderate anxiety disorders, or depression that will respond to group or individual CBT interventions that are focused on achieving agreed goals.

CYP IAPT Service offers Low-Intensity CBT (with an EMHP) and High-Intensity CBT (with a Therapist), which can either be individual or group-based interventions. All treatments offered are in line with NICE guidelines.

School Counsellor

At Blaise High school, we prioritise the well-being of our students by providing dedicated support through our school counsellor program.

Our counsellor works with students for a six-week period, conducting regular reviews to ensure the progress and effectiveness of the sessions. Managed by our Senior Mental Health Lead, students are referred through her, ensuring a streamlined process for accessing support.

Our counsellor is an integrative counsellor (MBACP) equipped with a diploma in Humanistic Counseling from Bath College of Psychotherapy and Counseling. This comprehensive approach allows them to address a wide range of complex mental health issues and provide essential support during challenging times, including safeguarding concerns.

Through this program, we strive to create a nurturing and supportive environment where every student can thrive both academically and emotionally.

CAMHS

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. CAMHS helps children and young people up to the age of 18 years who find it hard to cope with everyday life because of mental health difficulties.

In the first instance, parents and carers who are worried about their child’s mental health should look at the range of support services offered in Bristol and listed on the Blaise High School website here

For more serious concerns, students should see their GP, who is able to make a referral to CAMHS.

You may also contact the SENCOS at Blaise for advice -

Mrs Cerullo (mainstream school) cerullon@blaisehighschool.co.uk
Miss Nutt (Resource Base) nutts@blaisehighschool.co.uk

For further information about CAMHS, please see their website here

Stay safe online

If you are worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online, click here.

If you think you need to report a crime but you wish to stay anonymous, you can report to Crimestoppers using this link here.

Bridge Days

During the school holidays, Mountain Rescue offers some continued targeted support to students. We do this to:

To ensure their well-being. Check-in days allow us to monitor the well-being of vulnerable students who may be facing challenging circumstances at home or in their personal lives. These students may benefit from additional support and intervention to ensure their safety and mental health.

Providing a safe and supportive environment. For some vulnerable students, school might be a safe haven where they receive consistent care, guidance, and resources. Check-in days provide an opportunity for these students to access the support system they rely on during the regular school year.

Our collaboration with external support services. We collaborate with external agencies that provide services to vulnerable students. Check-in days can facilitate these collaborations and ensure students receive the necessary resources.

Building and maintaining strong relationships. Regular check-ins during the holidays can help build stronger relationships between vulnerable students and key school staff. By maintaining communication and connection, schools can foster trust and provide a consistent support system for these students.

Transitioning. Some students struggle during periods of transition including the start of school holidays and then returning to school after. Inviting students during these times to offer a more supported and gradual transition can help students relax into their holidays and change of routine and can help support their successful return to school.

Referrals: Our Safeguarding team and SENCo refer students who are particularly vulnerable during the holidays and who would benefit from continued support.

Support for our wider community

The Students Pantry

We provide basic toiletries and food staples to provide our families support with a sense of dignity and support during challenging times.

We strive to create a non-judgemental and welcoming environment where those in need can access food and sanitary products without stigma or shame, helping to preserve their self-worth and emotional well-being. This is to ensure that our wider school community can have access to sufficient and nutritious food and toiletries, regardless of their circumstances.

Uniform Swapshop

The Swap Shop provides a valuable service to the community by offering free access to donated school uniforms for students and families. With a focus on promoting reuse and reducing financial burdens associated with purchasing school attire. Through this initiative, the Swap Shop fosters a sense of solidarity and communal support, ensuring that every child has access to quality uniforms without the strain of financial constraint