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Meet the Team 

At the Deanery CE High school and Sixth Form, there is an emphasis in nurturing the community in every area of their mental health and wellbeing. Significant resources and a dedicated, friendly mental health and Wellbeing Team are on hand to provide prevention, early identification, and one-to-one intervention to support pupils with mental health concerns.

(SIAMS Inspection 2021) There is a holistic approach to the wellbeing of staff and pupils, with specialist staff providing tailored support in areas of spiritual wellbeing, mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing “enabling all of the school community to flourish and live life to the full.”  We aim to support parents/carers via consultation, resources and regular communication.

You can meet the team below.

If you would like to refer yourself for counselling in school, please download & complete the referral form below.

School Counselling Referral Form

Mrs Quirk

Designated Safeguarding Lead

I make sure that there is always someone you can turn to if you don’t feel safe, or if something doesn’t feel right. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, if you are worried about the safety of somebody it is important you tell a trusted adult in school. We can then work together to make sure that person is safe.

Mrs Hannam

School Counsellor & Mental Health Lead

My role involves one-to-one sessions on a regular basis. Support is pupil-led; what the pupil feels they need and is helped by a process that offers a safe, non- judgemental place to explore deeper issues, feelings or behaviours that interrupt good mental health. Issues might include self-harm, anxiety, bereavement, suicidal thoughts, self-esteem, relationships or others. I also lead and co-ordinate the Wellbeing team, liaise with CAMHS and other external agencies and offer in house support for staff.

Our School Counsellor

The team at Wigan Deanery Trust, with Church Wigan, are dedicated to providing hope and help to those who need it most. Their mission, like ours at The Deanery C of E High School and 6th Form College, is to support the young people of Wigan.  This has grown even more urgent as the mental health crisis among young people continues to escalate. With public services under immense strain and waiting times growing longer, more must be done to address this growing issue.

In 2021, in partnership with our school, Wigan Deanery Trust launched a 3-year pilot programme to provide trained, professional counselling services to students directly within the school environment. The feedback and results have been nothing short of extraordinary, with over 60% of students showing marked improvements in their mental health, resilience, and overall wellbeing. Through this initiative, we have witnessed first-hand how crucial it is to have access to mental health support in familiar, trusted spaces**.

On reviewing the massive success of the pilot Summer 2024, we are very grateful that Wigan Deanery Trust has successfully secured ongoing funding until Summer 2026 for the school counsellor. But our students need this vital support beyond Summer 2026 for another two years at least – can you partner with us?

£50,000 is needed to ensure that counselling services remain available and that young people have access to the emotional and mental health support they need to thrive.

Here’s how donations can make a difference:

  • £10 will fund a young person attend a drop in session
  • £25 will fund a single counselling session for a young person in need
  • £100 will cover a month of counselling services for one student
  • £500 will fund counselling support for one student for an entire term
  • £1,000 will contribute towards maintaining this life-changing service for multiple students over the course of the year

Donations can reach us via https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/counselling-provision-the-deanery-high-school

OR

You can give directly to Wigan Deanery Trust and/or set up a regular donation through Christiane Cook, Fundraising Officer, Wigan Deanery Trust, 07479 707309 christiane.cook@wigandeanerytrust.org

We are deeply grateful for any contribution you are able to make, as every donation helps us take another step towards making sure that mental health support remains accessible to all the young people who need it.

Having a school counsellor onsite has benefited the school community in many different ways:

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Low to medium waiting times to access mental health support.

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Continuity of support relationships that are accessible in school.

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Low disruption to learning due to onsite appointments.

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Over 2/3rds of service users report improvement in their mental wellbeing.

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Measured impact of counselling interventions that have affected successful learning and GCSE outcomes.

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Positive impact on pupils’ families.

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Whole school wellbeing awareness.

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Two-way referral between School and CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service) and other counselling/mental health services in Wigan allows flexibility of approach according to individual needs.

Work Hard. Be Kind.
Make A Difference.

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