Healthy Minds, Happy Lives

Welcome to St Josephs’ Pastoral Support Page.

Here at St Joseph's we believe in promoting and supporting the emotional wellbeing and positive mental health of our children - we want them to enjoy the fullest life possible.  In order to achieve this, we have a Pastoral Support Team who work alongside the Teaching Team. Our belief is that when the academic, spiritual, social and emotional needs of our children are met, they will learn more effectively and will be happier in school. This is extremely important for our children, enabling them to fully access the curriculum, become confident learners and experience the awe and wonder of life.  

Pastoral Team

Mrs Becky Sewell

Pastoral Lead

Mrs Catherine Alongi 

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

Some of the areas in which we support children include:

Anger management

Anxiety

Emotional awareness

Loss and Bereavement (including family breakups)

Relationship/Friendship difficulties

Resilience

Self-esteem

Social Skills

Accessing Pastoral Support 

If you have any concerns about your child's mental health and wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher who will make a referral to the team. Alternatively, you can contact Mrs Jennie Trimmer, Assistant Head for Inclusion: jtrimmer@stjosephsguildford.com

School Nurse

Our school nurse is also able to work with families to support children with healthy eating, toileting and sleep.  Contact Mrs Trimmer for a referral to this service.

Resources

Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

Regular Mental Health and Wellbeing Newsletter

Here's a great parenting page from Place2Be for support with a range of common parenting challenges:

Short clips to support families with the pressure of parenting, formulated by researchers and NHS mental health experts.

Bereavement, Loss and Anxiety presentation by Mrs Catchpole and Mrs Sewell, to support families with understanding and helping children. 

Sleeping tips and strategies to support children to settle and get a good night's sleep.

Tom Repton, Community Connector from the Surrey Family Information Service, came to talk to us at our coffee morning in October 2023. I thought it would be useful to share his presentation with you all. He talked about a range of services that are available to families living in Surrey such as childcare, after school clubs, parenting courses and activities for the holidays. He also signposted a range of organisations to seek help for children suffering with anxiety.  If you would like any further information then please do not hesitate to contact me: rsewell@stjosephsguildford.com