The School Counsellor

School counsellors are fully accredited psychologists with a teaching background and postgraduate qualifications in counselling.  Their prime responsibility is student welfare.  They are able to provide a unique service within the school system – a psychological perspective on problems that young people face and the psychological expertise to handle these issues.

School counsellors work with students, parents or carers and teachers in a variety of ways.  Their work includes:

• Counselling students
• Assisting parents or carers to make informed decisions about their child’s education and welfare
• Assessing students’ learning and behaviour
• Assisting teachers to set up programs to meet the needs of individual students
• Liaising with other agencies concerned with the well-being of students.

Students may refer themselves to the school counsellor or may seek an interview at the suggestion of a teacher, parent or carer, or a friend.  A student’s reasons for seeing a school counsellor may include worrying about school work, conflict with friends, being in trouble at school or just feeling “down”.

Parents or carers may seek advice from school counsellors about their child’s school progress, their behaviour, family issues and for information about help available from other agencies

School counselling is a confidential service and school counsellors will check with students, parents or carers before passing on information to others.  However confidentiality will not be maintained where legal requirements, eg child protection legislation, override it.  Nor will confidentiality be maintained where someone may suffer serious harm from information being withheld.

Randwick Boys’ High School has access to the school counsellor three days per week.  Parents or carers can make an appointment by telephoning the school.