Safeguarding and Wellbeing

Help in school

The staff at CRGS are very experienced in helping students with all kinds of problems and it’s highly unlikely that you will be the first one to have experienced whatever your difficulty is. Most problems can be dealt with within school.

If you’re having difficulties with academic work, please speak to your subject teacher or your form tutor. Mentors, including students from our Sixth Form, are available for most subjects - ask your subject teacher if you need help. Our mentor team can also be contacted via Tootoot.

If you’re feeling unhappy for any other reason, then you may benefit from pastoral support. Common problems which students bring to our attention include anxiety, low mood or feeling a lack of emotion, eating or sleeping issues, loss of motivation and not feeling "good enough". Many problems don't fit into a category however, so if you’re unsure about whether or not someone at school can help, then please do discuss this with us. If necessary we can signpost you to help from outside school.

In the first instance, choose any member of staff you feel comfortable with to talk to. The school's Safeguarding Team includes Mrs Curits, Mrs Baker, Mrs Chandler and Mr Degun. There’s also the School Counsellor, Mrs Schultz, who’s in school on Mondays and Thursdays, the School Nurse, who is in school on a Wednesday, and our School Chaplain, Mr Box, who’s in school on Tuesdays. You can arrange an appointment with any of these people by emailing Mrs Baker: Welfare@crgs.co.uk

The school receptionists are also very helpful if you need information and don't know who else to ask.

Safeguarding Contacts

Deputy Head Mrs Curtis KCurtis@crgs.co.uk

Head of Lower School, Year 7-11

Mr Degun

TDegun@crgs.co.uk
Year 12-13

Mrs Chandler

JChandler@crgs.co.uk

If you need to report a safeguarding concern outside of school time please contact the Family Operations Hub at Essex County Council:

During office hours: 0800 953 0222 and ask for the Family Operations Hub.
Out of office hours: 0800 995 1000.

If someone's life is in immediate danger, call the Emergency Services on 999.

Ways to de-stress

CRGS can be a stressful environment. The school has high expectations for your behaviour, organisation and achievement. Your own expectations and those of your parents may be even higher. You may compare yourself to others in your class or year-group and feel that you cannot match them in ability, which can then lead to feeling dispirited. Remember that not everyone can be above average! What is really important is that you recognise your own efforts and aim for a "personal best". Not everyone can be the best but everyone can try to do their best and measure their self-worth by looking at the kind of person they are, not just their test scores.

Tips for coping with stressful times, e.g. exam season:

  • Look after your physical health. Eat good food, get enough sleep and do some exercise. Boring advice, but all will help your brain to cope with stress.

  • Break down your revision into small chunks with gaps in between where you give yourself permission to not study without guilt.

  • Spend time doing something sociable and non-competitive to give your brain a rest and for you to benefit from social support. Have a look at the list of clubs and societies at CRGS for something to do during the school day. If you're very stressed, then competing in a chess tournament or an important sports match probably won't de-stress you!

  • Talk to someone about your worries. It could be your parents or a sibling or a friend or even your dog! Also look at the section above for help in school. If you regularly drive yourself crazy with worrying, then this is counter-productive and needs to be addressed either with self-help from a book/website or with counselling.

  • Keep a flexible attitude about success. Learn to enjoy the process of living and working as the rewards may be a long time off. There is no GCSE or A Level in perseverance, kindness or courage but developing these kinds of attributes will make your life happier whilst you are still working towards your goals. Exams are not a matter of life or death nor is it worth making yourself ill over them.

  • Have a go at meditating. There are lots of apps and websites with free tools to make it easy to fit in a few minutes per day. Breathing exercises are remarkably effective at slowing the heart rate and giving you a break from the effects of stress on the body and mind. Some CRGS students have found the Headspace app very helpful.

Mental Health Emergencies

If someone's life is in immediate danger, call the Emergency Services on 999.

For someone 18 or over in mental health crisis, call the NHS on 111 and choose the mental health crisis option:

For someone under 18 in mental health crisis, call EWMHS (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services) on 0300 300 1600. Out of hours number 0300 555 1201

Your doctor may also be able to offer emergency help with mental health emergencies and crises.

The Samaritans can be called 24/7 free of charge on 116 123, or you can phone the local branch on 01206 561234. Their website is www.samaritans.org. Volunteers answer calls and offer telephone support to anyone who feels that they are at risk of suicide. It is no longer possible to contact Samaritans by text message.

SHOUT offers a 24/7 text service for people in crisis on 85258

Useful links