Support in School
SUPPORT IN SCHOOL:
If you are worried about your child’s wellbeing and mental health, please always speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance.
ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant)
Our ELSAs develop and deliver individualised support programmes to meet the emotional needs of children within school.
Contact:
Please speak to your child's class teacher.
Mental Health Lead: j.kraus@archdeaconcambridges.richmond.sch.uk
MHST (Mental Health Support Team in Schools)
The MHST is a school-based Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS) which offers early intervention and prevention work to support positive mental health and wellbeing. The MHST is a multi-disciplinary team of therapists which includes creative therapists, family practitioners, CBT therapists and education/child wellbeing practitioners. The team works in partnership with local schools to offer a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
The MHST works in both primary and secondary schools across the borough, providing evidence-based interventions to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. We work closely with school mental health leads to develop a whole school approach to mental health, providing consultations and sign-posting guidance.
In primary schools, the MHST can work with parents to support children with mild to moderate anxiety or behavioural difficulties. We offer regular coffee mornings and parent webinars on a range of topics linked to children’s emotional wellbeing. We also offer groups for children around issues such as resilience, friendships or transition to secondary school.
If you are a parent needing to make a self-referral for your child's emotional needs to be discussed with your primary school, you can do so by completing this self-referral form, or alternatively, if you feel concerned about your child’s mental health, please contact your school’s Designated Mental Health Lead.
Self-referral MHST Parent .docx (4).pdf
Contact:
Please speak to your child's class teacher.
Mental Health Lead: j.kraus@archdeaconcambridges.richmond.sch.uk
Play Therapy (Koru Creative Therapy Services)
Blocks of individual and group therapy sessions. Koru Creative Therapy Services use creative movement and play-based strategies to support children to communicate what they can’t put into words.
Contact:
Please speak to your child's class teacher.
Mental Health Lead: j.kraus@archdeaconcambridges.richmond.sch.uk
School-based interventions
There are several evidence-based interventions available to support children with their wellbeing and mental health, such as:
- Zones of Regulation (Emotional Regulation)
- Social skills groups
- We Thinkers (Social Thinking Programme)
Contact:
Please speak to your child's class teacher.
School Nursing Service
Our school nurse offers drop-in sessions throughout the year (no appointments needed). Please check the school newsletter for dates.
Contact:
School Office: 020 8894 4777
www.healthmatters.clch.nhs.uk/richmond/primary-years-4-11/school-nursing