Providing Teen Tips Wellbeing Hub to Park Community College
Teen Tips gives parents and staff the tools to promote strong self-esteem and emotional resilience in teenagers so that they can thrive socially, emotionally and in education. The training provided by Teen Tips draws on the latest research from psychotherapy, psychology and neuroscience along with Alicia’s experience of working as an adolescent therapist and being a mum. It helps schools and parents deepen their understanding of adolescence, and create environments which promote emotional wellbeing.
By signing up to the Teen Tips Wellbeing Hub, West Buckland has sponsored this training for around 1,000 parents and staff at Park Community College in Barnstaple, a state school local to the school.
As well as providing a Wellbeing Hub, Teen Tips also provides schools with webinars, onsite and online training and consultancy. For parents, they offer practical tips, webinars, 1:1 consultation and workshops.
The timing of this partnership could not be better with many the Coronavirus pandemic causing an untold amount of anxiety and uncertainty amongst the young, especially.
Deputy Head, Pastoral, Caoimhe Pettingell, said, "We are delighted to be joining this wellbeing community hub and feel that this is going to be a huge support to parents, children and our staff. What's more, the fact that we are able to extend this to over 1,000 other young people in North Devon is such a positive move and we real feel that this will be a benefit to the local community."
Aims
To support our local community in the pastoral care of their children and the children in their schools. It has never been more important to support the mental health and development of our young people. With so much uncertainty in the world currently, self-esteem and confidence can be eroded very easily and parents and teachers do not always have the tools at hand to assist.
Teen Tips aims to equip staff and parents with the tools to be able to support young people through these troubled times and give them coping mechanisms and hope for the future.
Background
West Buckland School has, for many years, worked closely with all its neighbouring state schools and many of these pupils will join us in the Sixth Form. We run a number of outreach programmes with these schools although recently this hands-on projects have had to be curtailed due to the pandemic.
This project enables us to continue that support without being restricted by lockdowns and other social distancing regulations.
The opportunity was
Resources
The beauty of this wellbeing hub is that the only resource needed is access to a computer or phone. Staff and pupils can use the hub during school hours and any staff, whether they be teaching or non-teaching, will have access to it.
The initial contract for this facility is 12 months, which West Buckland has invested in. For Park Community College, there is no charge, they will receive the facility for free.
Impact
There is no formal assessment, this facility is there as a support for families through difficult times such as exam stress, family anxieties, isolation due to Covid and other hurdles in young people's lives. However, we are hoping that this will be a great help with self-esteem, goal setting, happiness, friendships and family harmony and this will have a positive effect on exam outcomes and general behaviour at school.
Pupil Involvement
All pupils in the Senior schools at West Buckland School and Park Community College will have access to Teen Tips.
Frequency
This is an ongoing programme, initially for a 12 month period.
