Mental Health & Wellbeing at Gorse Covert
At Gorse Covert, children’s wellbeing is central to everything we do. We know that good mental health is just as important as good physical health — and that early, compassionate support helps children thrive both in and out of school.
Our Approach
We promote positive mental health through:
- a supportive and nurturing environment where every child feels safe, valued and listened to
- trusted adults who understand and respond to children’s needs
- early, evidence-based help for common emotional challenges
- access to further support and specialist services when needed
Our approach aligns with national guidance that encourages schools to support pupils’ emotional wellbeing and provide timely help when children are struggling.
What We Offer
Our team is trained to support children with a range of emotional and wellbeing needs, including:
- anxiety
- confidence and self-esteem
- bereavement
- low mood
- worries and phobias
- mindfulness and emotional regulation
- (…and other concerns families may raise with us).
If your child needs more specialised support, we can help you access additional services through CAMHS and the NHS, including counselling and parent programmes.
Our named Mental Health Lead is Mrs Owen, who is also the school ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant). She is a member of our Pastoral Team who work together to ensure our pupils are in the safest of hands.
We also have a team of pupil leaders - our Wellbeing Team who lead on wellbeing initiatives across the school and ensure that our pupils have a voice.
Meet Dora — Our Wellbeing Support Dog 🐾
We are also delighted to introduce Dora, our school dog, who forms part of our nurturing approach to wellbeing. Dora is a gentle cockapoo puppy, owned and handled by Mrs Poole, and is currently training with Therapy Dog Training UK.
Research and practice show that carefully managed time with a calm, well-trained dog can help children feel relaxed, build confidence, foster empathy, and support emotional regulation. Dora’s involvement in school is always purposeful, supervised and respectful of every child’s comfort and choice when interacting with her.
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A Whole-School Commitment
- As part of our ongoing commitment to mental health:
- staff are trained to notice and respond to emerging needs
- we promote emotional work as part of everyday school life
- we work with families and external professionals when appropriate
- no child is ever made to interact with Dora — participation is always optional and tailored to individual needs
How You Can Help
If you are concerned about your child’s wellbeing, please speak with us. We value open conversation and work with families to make sure children feel understood and supported.
Our Mental Health Policy is available on the school website in the policies section.
For ideas to try and home and additional information and support, the following sites are very helpful.
If you are struggling yourself, there are many support services we can put you in touch with through our Early Help offer. You can also find support using these links.