Student Support
Everyone needs support sometimes
At JHN, supporting students is everyone's responsibility.
We want every young person to feel known, valued and confident that there is someone they can turn to. Much of that support happens naturally through the relationships students build with their Form Tutor, teachers and pastoral team. At other times, a student may benefit from some additional help, a mentor or simply a trusted person who checks in with them regularly.
Our aim is not to wait until a difficulty becomes a crisis. We want to notice early, listen carefully and provide the right support at the right time, helping students to overcome barriers and continue to flourish.
Everyday Support
Strong relationships are at the heart of student support at JHN. Students are surrounded by adults who know them and can help them navigate the academic, social and personal challenges that can arise during their time at school.
The Form Tutor is an important daily point of contact. Students can also seek support from their Learning Coordinator, Director of School, teachers and other trusted adults. Where additional or specialist support is needed, staff will help the student access the right person or service.
Support is not something reserved for moments of crisis. Sometimes a conversation, a regular check-in or a little practical help at the right time can make a significant difference.
Year 7 Mentoring - A Friendly Face
Starting secondary school is an exciting step, but we recognise that it can also feel very different from primary school.
Every Year 7 student at JHN is linked with a Year 12 mentor. Our Sixth Form students provide a friendly, familiar face and someone younger students can talk to about everyday school life.
The mentoring relationship helps Year 7 students settle into JHN, develop confidence and feel that they belong to our community. It also gives our Sixth Form students an important opportunity to develop leadership, responsibility and service to others.
This is an important part of our seven-year pastoral journey: our youngest students experience what it means to belong to the JHN community, while our Sixth Form students use their experience and talents to support others.
Year 11 Mentoring - Supporting the GCSE Journey
Year 11 can bring different pressures as students prepare for examinations and make decisions about their next steps.
Year 12 and Year 13 students support Year 11 students through mentoring, providing encouragement and sharing their own experience of managing revision, organisation, examinations and the transition to post-16 study.
Having recently completed their own GCSE journey, Sixth Form mentors can offer a valuable peer perspective alongside the support students receive from teachers, tutors and the pastoral team.
Individual Mentoring and Additional Support
We recognise that there are times when a student may benefit from some additional individual support.
Where appropriate, students may be matched with a member of staff who can provide regular mentoring and encouragement. This might focus on organisation, attendance, confidence, engagement with learning, overcoming a particular barrier or simply providing a consistent adult who checks in regularly.
Support is tailored to the individual student and reviewed to make sure that it is making a positive difference.
Who Can I Talk To?
If something is worrying you, you do not need to work out which member of staff has the 'right' job title before asking for help.
You can speak to any adult in school whom you trust.
Your Form Tutor will often be a good first person to speak to. You can also talk to your Learning Coordinator, Director of School, a teacher, a member of the Safeguarding Team or another trusted adult.
If the first person you speak to cannot provide the help you need, they will help you find someone who can.
The important thing is to tell someone. You do not have to manage a worry or difficulty on your own.
I Need Help With...
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I need help with... |
Where to go |
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A worry or something that doesn't feel right |
Safeguarding / SHARP |
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Friendships, confidence or settling in |
Pastoral Support |
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Attendance or coming into school |
Attendance |
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Learning or SEND |
SEND |
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Mental health or emotional wellbeing |
Wellbeing |
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Everyday practical school issues |
Student Services |
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Careers or my next steps |
Careers |
Support That Grows With Our Students
The support available at JHN changes as students grow. In Year 7, mentoring helps students establish belonging and confidence. As they move through school, they are encouraged to develop increasing independence, resilience and responsibility while knowing that support remains available when they need it.
By Sixth Form, students are not only receiving support but increasingly providing it to others through mentoring and leadership. This reflects our wider aim to develop young people who notice others, contribute to their community and use their gifts and experience for the good of others.
Useful Links
ATTENDANCE - EVERY DAY MATTERS
