Wellbeing and Personal Safety

The governors, senior leadership and staff are committed to the wellbeing of our young people. Our vision is simple: a community where everyone feels they belong and are the best they can be. 

Our coordinated and evidence-informed approach to mental health and wellbeing in the school and Sigma Sixth aims to improve emotional health and wellbeing which can help readiness to learn.

Our approach is informed by the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools and Colleges and Public Health England’s Mental Health and Wellbeing: A whole school and college approach. 

We recognise that there are a number of risk factors that can affect our young people’s wellbeing in and out of school. We will follow the eight principles to promoting and supporting a whole school and college approach to supporting wellbeing, including: 

  • An ethos that promotes respect and values diversity.
  • Promoting resilience and supporting social and emotional learning.
  • Enabling student voice to influence decisions.
  • Staff development to support their own wellbeing and that of students.
  • Identifying need and monitoring impact.
  • Working with parents & carers.
  • Targeted support and appropriate referral.
  • Leadership and management that champions mental health & wellbeing.

Mrs Richards is our Senior Mental Health Lead and our Mental Health First Aiders are Mrs Warwick (Assistant Headteacher, Safeguarding) and Mrs Clayton (Safeguarding Officer).

Our approach to mental health and wellbeing follows a tiered approach to ensure that we intervene early to support our young people. Please see below examples of how we use this graduated approach. 

Universal for all students

  • Clear and consistent policies for behaviour and anti-bullying, including  child-on-child abuse.
  • Effective safeguarding and child protection policies and practice.
  • A clear process for students and staff to access help and support.
  • Large pastoral team who are available to provide support.
  • Restorative practice is at the heart of our approach to behaviour.
  • A structured and responsive PSHE programme.
  • Relationship Health Sex Education curriculum is in place to help students to form healthy relationships.
  • Sport for All approach to physical activity.
  • A wide extra-curricular programme to encourage the development of skills, interests and talents as well as support friendships.
  • Access to Kooth online support.

Additional Interventions

  • Mental Health, Safeguarding and Anti-Bullying Student Panels
  • Zero hours morning tutorial to start the day with a ‘physical hit’
  • Your Space, Zones of regulation, Thrive and proactive wellbeing support
  • Support with reflection following a restorative approach.
  • Small group work or 1:1 interventions
  • Support from the School Chaplain or Pastoral Support Officer.
  • 9D Breathwork
  • In school support from the Mental Health Support Team  

Highly specialised

  • Referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) CLICK HERE for further information;
  • Referral to Level 2-4 Essex Services CLICK HERE for further information;

Should you have a question about our approach to supporting our young people’s mental health and wellbeing, please email contact@pmsc.school.

If you are a parent or carer, please follow this link for mental health resources for families. This government-based website acts as a hub to signpost support for mental health, dealing with bereavement, self-harm, eating disorders, drug & alcohol abuse, suicide prevention and more. 

Another useful website for support, advice and resources is the leading mental health charity Young Minds.

The Philip Morant School & College is committed to helping our students to understand how to stay safe and behave online.  

Our young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world, living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. Our curriculum aims to equip our students with the knowledge needed to make the best use of the internet and technology in a safe, considered and respectful way, so they are able to reap the benefits of the online world. This includes being taught: 

  • What positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like, the effects of their online actions on others and knowing how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online. 
  • How to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, and where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies. 
  • How to evaluate what they see online. This will enable students to make judgements about what they see online and not automatically assume that what they see is true, valid or acceptable. 

Please follow the links below for further information on keeping safe online. 

The Philip Morant School & College takes the welfare and safety of students very seriously, working hard to reduce all the kinds of harm that children can suffer, including abuse, bullying, discrimination and avoidable injuries. 

We strive to make sure that every student in the school feels secure, well cared for and able to reach their full potential. Mrs Neill (Headteacher) meets regularly with a Safeguarding Student Support Team to discuss concerns or ideas to support students together as a school community to keep each other safe.

If you are in any way concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child who attends The Philip Morant School & College please email the school safeguarding team safeguarding@pmsc.school or report your concern to Essex County Council:

Report a concern about a child

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Mrs Neill (Headteacher) who is supported by a designated Safeguarding team made up of Mrs Warwick, Mrs Richards, Mrs Hockridge, Mr Abbott and Mrs Anderson and all Year Managers.

Students can raise a concern by completing a yellow card, which is a private way to raise concerns a student doesn’t feel able to handle on their own. It can report a concern about a student or seek help and guidance.  Details regarding this can be found on their Google Classroom.

If you believe that a child is in imminent danger please contact the police. Dial 999.

Kooth PLC is a digital mental health and wellbeing company working to provide a welcoming space for digital mental health care, available to all.

Kooth hosts helpful articles and personal advice, there are discussion boards within a friendly Kooth community. You can discuss what’s on your mind with a member of the helpful team via messages or live chat. Access resources like the daily journal to record your own feelings or emotions to reflect on how you are doing.