Bishop of Rochester Academy

Place2Be is a national children’s charity working with 200 schools across the UK. They provide a safe space where students can express their feelings through talking, creative work and play. Place2Be works with students, teachers and parents/carers, providing therapeutic support to address social, emotional and behavioural problems. Place2Be helps build student’s confidence and self-esteem, enabling them to cope with difficult life events, establish friendships and focus in class. This in turn makes school a happier place to be for all the children and the school staff.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays Year 7 and 8 Students will have access to One to One time with a Place2Be Volunteer Counsellor for an hour per week - the number of sessions will depend on each individual child but will typically range from between 8 to 24 sessions. Referrals are made through Academy Staff to Chloë Langan, the Place2Be Project Manager for BoRA.

There will also be a lunch time session, the Place2Talk, where students can refer themselves for a chance to talk to Chloë for 15 minutes. This can be as an individual or with a friend. To make a self-referral, students need to complete a request form which they can find in their mentor room, and post it in the red Place2Be postbox outside the Place2Be room. They will then be sent an exit slip with an appointment time and date on.

Place2Be also provides support for parents to help them come to terms with events in their own lives, and to better understand and communicate with their children. Place2Be can provide a safe place to work through their own thoughts and feelings. We are currently able to offer up to 5 counselling sessions to parents.

If you would like to discuss the Place2Be service further or are thinking of making a referral please do not hesitate to contact me.