We are trying to fund in school counselling sessions for children who are not reaching the new CAMH's (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service) threshold and whose families can not afford to seek private counselling sessions for them. Schools are trying to fund this support for their students through the use of pupil premium money. However not every child comes with a pupil premium budget.

Many children arrive at school and want to make the most of their education. However, their mind is overwhelmed with difficult feelings they may not have had the chance to talk about yet, making learning seemingly impossible. Children who have lost parents, children who have been abused or abandoned, children who are young carers and children who do not currently have a safe place to call home.

Providing a space for these children to share some of their feelings and thoughts will lessen the load they are trying to manage alone. This will free up their mind to be able to reaccess their learning. Counselling can offer them the experience of being heard and teach them new alternative ways of relating to people and coping with feelings they find unbearable. This will reduce behavioural acting out, improve their learning and encourage new peer relationships to develop.

Paradoxically this will improve the child's confidence as they can experience learning how to ask for help when feelings become overwhelming, access their learning efficiently and reduce the number of sanctions they receive due to behavioural outbursts.