Be your best
Wellbeing and Pastoral
Pastoral
Pastoral care is one of our top priorities at Carshalton Girls and we aim to focus on each individual learner to ensure that she is able to achieve her potential in an environment in which she feels safe, supported and valued.
The year leaders aim to foster positive and close working relationships with parents in order to remove any barriers to learning and the tutor teams help to deliver a specially designed tutor time learning plan which covers a wide spectrum of teenage and social issues in a constructive manner.
Pupil Wellbeing at CHSG
At CHSG, pupil wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. Guided by our values of Community, Accountability, Resilience, Empowerment and Sisterhood, we are committed to nurturing confident, compassionate, and courageous young women who feel supported to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
A Caring and Connected Community
Kindness and community are central to life at CHSG. We celebrate the diversity of our students and ensure every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. Throughout the year, we mark key wellbeing and inclusion events such as Mental Health Awareness Week – which includes our Time 2 Talk initiative – Anti-Bullying Week, Pride Week, Disability Awareness Month, and a variety of cultural and religious celebrations including Black History Month, Diwali, Chinese New Year and more. These experiences are carefully planned in response to our context and the needs of our students, fostering empathy, understanding, and global awareness.
Our pastoral team supports students through challenges. Pastoral Support Officers are always on hand to guide pupils, and our trained peer mentors provide additional support, ensuring students have trusted friends to turn to during tough times. We also run the Little Sister - Big Sister Programme for Years 7 and 8, helping younger students build confidence, resilience, and lasting friendships through mentoring relationships with older peers.
Empowerment Through Education and Role Models
As an all-girls school, we empower students to recognise their potential and aspire to achieve their goals. Each year, we celebrate International Women’s Day, highlighting inspirational women – both those we know personally and global figures in leadership, sport, science, the arts, and literature. These stories of courage and achievement show students the power of resilience, ambition and sisterhood.
A Rich and Responsive Personal Development (PD) Programme
Our Personal Development (PD) programme at CHSG is designed to nurture students’ wellbeing alongside their academic and social growth. It focuses on building strong, supportive friendships and developing the skills to show kindness, empathy, and care for others. Students learn how to support their peers, recognise and respond to challenges in relationships, and protect their own mental health and wellbeing. Through guidance on trust, communication, boundaries, and recognising unhealthy behaviours, pupils gain the confidence and knowledge to maintain positive relationships, make safe choices, and thrive emotionally, socially, and personally.
Support and Opportunities Beyond the Classroom
We work with a wide range of external agencies and partners to enrich the wellbeing and personal development of our students, particularly those who may need a little extra care and support in their educational journey. These include:
- Crystal Palace Mentoring
- Sutton United Mentoring
- Timeout Boxing Mentoring
- Brilliant Scholars Programme
- The Diana Award
- Chain Reaction Theatre Group
- Girl Guides
These programmes are designed to bring out the best in every student, and provide tailored guidance alongside the usual school experience. Through these partnerships, students work with external mentors and have enjoyed a variety of unique opportunities, including trips to ITV studios, football matches, bespoke workshops and even work experience placements. The feedback from students has been outstanding – they love feeling part of something special, building confidence, resilience, leadership skills, and empowerment while strengthening the sisterhood that is at the heart of CHSG.
Free sanitary wear
We do not want our students to worry about their periods or to feel uncomfortable about coming to school.
Sanitary wear is available from pastoral teams or from the school office. Students can help themselves to whatever they need, be it for that day or for that cycle.
Douglas the wellbeing dog
Students can enjoy time with Douglas our wellbeing dog.
Wellbeing Support
Feeling anxious or worried is a normal part of life for children and young people. However, it’s important to recognise when these feelings become overwhelming or persistent. Knowing when to seek help — and how to start the conversation — can make a real difference.
Drop in provision:
Off The Record (OTR), Sutton young people’s counselling service, offers a weekly drop-in service:
- Every Tuesday from 3.30-5.30pm
- If you are aged 11–25, you can drop in at our main office at 172 Croydon Road, Beddington CR0 4PG to speak to a counsellor, with no appointment needed.
- For further information please go to: www.talkofftherecord.org/sutton
School nurse drop in:
Your school nurse has a drop-in service in the school's Interview Room on Tuesdays 12.30pm-2pm during term time.
Telephone/online support:
- Samaritans on 116 123 email jo@samaritans.org
- Off the Record Online counselling service for young people aged 11-25 in Sutton. Sign up at https://talkofftherecordonline.org/
- ‘The Mix’ – support for young people under 25 Tel: 0808 808 4994, 1-1 chat & crisis messenger text service https://www.themix.org.uk/
If you are concerned about your child / young person, please feel able to contact the Sutton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Single Point of Access (SPA) on 020 3513 3800 (option 1) and ask to speak to the duty clinician, who will be available 9am-5pm to discuss any concerns.