At Dorothy Stringer we provide a range of services to help support students during their time at secondary school. 

Student drop-in service 

We have a dedicated group of staff who volunteer their lunchtimes in our Student Wellbeing office. They listen to any students who need to talk about any academic, social or personal concerns. They can also refer students to other services if need be. 

If our students are struggling with school, home, friendships, bullying, anxiety, exam stress, emotional health or feel generally low in mood, we encourage them to talk to someone: a friend, an adult in school or someone at home. 

In school, this could be their Tutor, Head of Year or pastoral manager, and they can make a referral to the Wellbeing Panel which meets weekly to triage and review referrals with a team of wellbeing professionals and school staff. 

Dorothy Stringer counselling service 

Our students have access to a school-based counselling service delivered in school by YMCA Dialogue, a BACP accredited service. Our counsellor works in the school Tuesday to Thursday. We understand that sometimes life can be really difficult, and it can feel hard to cope. It’s OK to ask for help. We work with young people about many issues including self-harm, sexual identity, suicidal feelings, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, anger, attachment issues, general mental health issues, bullying, eating disorders, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, friendship issues, bereavement and stress. 

Click here to learn more about the service as a whole: YMCA http://www.ymcadlg.org/health-and-wellbeing/dialogue/ 

We are part of a local authority project to enhance our counselling provision with additional capacity made available to support our Year 9 students. 

School Mental Health Service 

Our students and staff benefit from access to a Primary Mental Health worker who works weekly in our school. Referrals are made via our Wellbeing Panel for both students and family support and intervention. 

Life coaching 

At Dorothy Stringer we have a certified and accredited Career and Personal Life Coach. Life Coaching is designed to encourage personal development in young people while providing an outlet for their stresses and anxieties. Sometimes young people can feel like they are stuck on a never-ending rollercoaster. The expectations they have on themselves, as well as the pressures of fitting in, growing up and planning a future can make it hard for them to cope. Coaching can help young people develop life skills and learn how to manage some of the stresses that come along the way. This can include: 

• building confidence and self esteem 

• setting and achieving goals 

• managing stress and anxiety 

• discussing difficult issues. 

Parent/Carer support 

We also understand that parents and carers can need support too, and we offer a range of opportunities for parents and carers to engage in sessions to support student wellbeing. These sessions can be during the school day and after school covering a range of topics such as relationships and emotional health and wellbeing. These are advertised to parents via our SLG. 

Further information for current parents and students can be accessed via the SLG.