At LRGS, we are proud to be a caring community.  We all take responsibility for pastoral care; the students have a strong sense of loyalty towards each other, the prefects act as tremendous role models to the younger students, and all staff provide additional support as well.  We aim to create an environment where each pupil is able to succeed in every aspect of their education as well as to flourish and thrive as an individual. We recognise that the health and wellbeing of our students is of paramount importance in achieving this.

We are proud of our support structure and, as a school, hope to be proactive in promoting good practices for health and wellbeing within school.

The Head of Year 12 and 13, as well as the Head of Sixth Form, are there to provide support and guidance, along with your Form Tutor, the school nurse and counsellors; pupils can at any point turn to a number of people. A team of Sixth Form Peer Mentor prefects are also on hand each lunchtime for students in any year group to reach out to when they feel the need to talk and/or be signposted to the best support pathway.

Students also have access to help@lrgs.org.uk; either for themselves or to ask advice about a friend or peer they may be worried about. We encourage students, especially Sixth Formers, to be advocates for their peers in helping them to express their ideas and opinions. The Pupil Advocacy Policy can be found here.

With boarding at the heart of LRGS, housemasters, tutors and matrons are also central figures in the pastoral welfare of our students, along with learning support staff and peer mentors.  

Please find some useful links below which are uniquely focused on supporting and advising 16-18 year-olds:

Anxiety

Sleep Problems

Depression

Exam Stress

Caring for Others

Sexual Health

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Eating Disorders

LGBTQI+ Mental Health

Self Harm

Bereavement and Grief

Thoughts of Suicide

Managing Social Media

Advocacy

Relaxation Techniques and Apps

Self-Care

 

Exams

We all have to do them. Working towards exams can make us feel a lot of pressure. We might not have that much choice over whether we actually do exams, but there are definitely things we can do to help deal with the stress we're feeling. Here are some tips on dealing with exam stress!

• Keep it in perspective. Exams aren't everything; exam success doesn't define you as a person. Think about how far you've come already. Once you've done an exam, try to forget about it.
• Get that organised feeling. Picture your exams as a time-bound project. Work out the basics: which exams you have, how the marks are allocated, and how much you have to learn for each one. Break your revision down into small chunks, and form a plan. Schedule plenty of free time to unwind and protect this time. Nobody can work all day every day. Equally, don't panic if you go slightly off schedule - tomorrow is another day.
• Get into some good habits. Take frequent breaks; eat well; drink lots of water. Think about when and where you work best. Keep active;sleep! Find activities that help you relax.
• Avoid these habits. Don't set yourself ridiculous goals. Don't cut out all the enjoyment from your life. Avoid stimulants.
• Get support from family and friends. Don't be put off by peers saying they're doing huge amounts of revision. If you can, discuss with your parents what they're expecting you to achieve. If you're feeling really worried or anxious, chat to a good friend, family member, or tutor.

Self-Help Stress Tips

Short periods of stress are normal and can often be resolved by something as simple as completing a task (and thus reducing your workload), or by talking to others and taking time to relax.

One or more of the following suggestions might help:

· Assess exactly what in your life is making you anxious. For example, is it exams, money or relationship problems? See if you can change your circumstances to ease the pressure you’re under.

· Try to have a more healthy lifestyle. Eat well, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, cut down on alcohol and spend some time socialising as well as working and studying.

· Try not to worry about the future or compare yourself with others.

· Learn to relax. If you have a panic attack or are in a stressful situation, try to focus on something outside yourself, or switch off by watching TV or chatting to someone.

· Relaxation and breathing exercises may help.

· Try to resolve personal problems by talking to a friend, tutor or someone in your family.

· Read about how to cope with the stress of exams.