Information
School Counsellor Information
School Counselling Service
Forest Hill School provides a full-time counselling service which has been running successfully for several years and has supported many children by helping them to talk about and explore their concerns in confidence.
Students may access the service in several ways:
- self-referral
- referral by the pastoral team
- referral by parents/carers
Students who self-refer will be strongly encouraged to tell their parents/carers, but if they are not ready to do this their confidentiality will be respected.
Support for Parents
The school counselling service is also open to parents/carers who are concerned about their child. Wednesdays after school (3:30-5:00pm) will be designated for parents who would like a discussion or telephone conversation about their child. See contact details below.
Helpful Websites for Parents
www.parentlineplus.org.uk
A good website with loads of information and support for parents on a wide range of issues. They also have an excellent telephone helpline.
www.youngminds.org.uk
A very good source of support for parents/carers concerned about the mental health or well-being of a child.
Parents' Meetings
Every year there will be at least two evening meetings for parents/carers which provide an opportunity to hear a speaker and take part in a discussion on topics to do with parenting adolescents. In November we had a very successful meeting entitled Drugs and Alcohol - does your child know more than you? If you missed the event the website www.talktofrank.com is a good place to start for more information on this subject. Other topics have included: Guns, Knives and Gangs; Sex: What Parents Really Need to Know; Difficulties of Adolescence; Loss and Bereavement; Friends: Who Needs Them?
STOP PRESS:
Unfortunately, the Parents' meeting due for 16 June has had to be cancelled.
However, I have been able to book Childnet to come and talk to us on internet safety on Wednesday 27 November at 7:00pm. The aim of the presentation is to leave the audience with knowledge of how children are using mobile and online environments and an awareness of ways to address the risks surrounding these ever-evolving technologies. This should be a really interesting evening and will cover:
- Positive and negative uses of the internet - websites, networking sites, etc.
- Cyberbullying - by phone or internet
- Minimising risks - practical advice for parents to help young people stay safe
More information next term - put the date in your diary now!
News and Information
The subject of internet safety is very much in the news and I am hoping to find a speaker on this topic for one of our Parents' meetings. In the meantime you might like to follow these links for information on Online Gaming and Video Games. The Childnet website also has some very useful resources at www.childnet-int.org/kia/
If you have read things that you would like to share with other parents I would be very interested to hear from you.
Contact details
You can get in touch with me via the school switchboard or via email: m.marriott@foresthill.lewisham.sch.uk