Mr Michael Bond

Vice Principal

Berkhamsted Schools Group

Hertfordshire

“Jeanette joined us in 2008 and her time at Berkhamsted has coincided with a sea-change in society’s interest in and understanding of wellbeing and mental health. That we have had someone so well qualified and equipped to whom we’ve been able to entrust the development of a strategic approach to an area that is increasingly dominating the national and international debate, has been our very good fortune.

When Jeanette arrived, the counselling team consisted of one person! Today, the counselling and coaching team includes two lead counsellors and eight volunteers. It is no exaggeration to say that we are streets ahead of most other schools in terms of the provision we offer in this area, and that is largely due to Jeanette. Her doctoral research on online counselling has meant that we are, we think, the only school in the country offering this service.

But Jeanette’s Berkhamsted story goes well beyond counselling and coaching. With the help of the Wellbeing Team, itself a fairly recent innovation, our Pupil Wellbeing Strategy has allowed us to maintain and enhance our provision for those who are unwell but also to ensure that do all we can as a school to support those who are thriving, whilst recognising that we all experience difficulties – at times during our lives. Jeanette has been instrumental in rolling out AS Tracking this year, a tool that will enhance our pastoral care, for example.

Working with the chaplaincy, nurses, counsellors and PSHE teams to compliment our pastoral structures, Jeanette has helped establish pupil wellbeing as one of the central considerations in all we do. Very few schools have a pupil wellbeing strategy – we know this because of the number of requests Jeanette receives to speak to others – and perhaps the best testament to the impact she has had at Berkhamsted was the creation of the position of Deputy Head Pupil Wellbeing.


Mr Richard Smith

Principal

St. Gabriel’s School

Newbury, Berkshire

“I worked with Jeanette when she was school counsellor at Headington School. She is someone who takes a dynamic approach to all issues and her ability to see clear pathways to help young people was one of the many things that impressed me during the time that she was with us. Always professional, she is someone who has broken ground in the world of school counselling, clearly trying to utilize the technologies that we now have in our everyday lives, but at the same time making the experience meaningful and worthwhile for the individual. Her position as someone in the vanguard of emotional support at a time when the world has woken up to the very pressing need of mental health issues. A most impressive and capable woman”.


Miss Natacha Goul-Wheeker

Assistant Head

Royal Grammar School

Guildford

“Jeanette came recommended to me by our Head of Lower Sixth, who had heard her speak at a conference and found her incredible articulate and well informed. I contacted Jeanette, as I was preparing a Wellbeing Inset for our staff and was keen to learn from her experience as Director of Wellbeing at Berkhamsted. I was thoroughly impressed by her wealth of knowledge, experience and her willingness to share ideas. Jeanette delivered a fantastic training day to our pastoral team and the everyone was universal in their praise for her professionalism and the high quality of the training day. Jeanette draws on her extensive research, training and experience and will be able to support you in delivering high-quality care for your students.”