Student Counselling

Our Counsellors are part of a team located in the Student Services Centre of the College. The Counsellors aim to support the girls as learners and as fully participating members of the College community. They assist each girl with any issue that is preventing her from working towards this goal.
The various approaches used by the Counsellors include individual work, group work, programmes, and student systems including a Peer Support system, Travellers’ Groups and the Junior Leadership Programme. Their methods are an informed but practical way of helping the girls develop independence in finding their own solutions to the many problems faced by teenagers in today’s world.

The Counselling team works together with families and is well trained to work with other members of their profession and with other helping agencies.
They are able to act as Case Managers or to follow up and coordinate services in order to work as quickly and efficiently as possible towards reaching a solution.
This team is responsive to need and always open to suggestions from parents.

They also assist with Professional Development, Parent Evenings and developing the Kahunui programme.

Mrs Jennifer Goddard

Mrs Rose Jenkin

Mrs Rose Jenkin has worked in a variety of educational settings both in New Zealand and the U. K.
She has been a primary and secondary school teacher but decided to further pursue her passion for pastoral care after her first child was born.
She completed a post-graduate counselling degree at the University of Auckland.
Mrs Jenkin works primarily in the Junior School. She is experienced in many creative therapies such as drawing and sand tray work that the younger girls relate to particularly well.
Although recognizing and respecting a child’s right to confidentiality, Mrs Jenkin likes to work collaboratively with the family and classroom teacher of the girl she is seeing if the girl wishes.
With her teaching background Mrs Jenkin is thoroughly comfortable in the classroom, and is available to take sessions on a variety of subjects that can affect a child’s well being, happiness, and ability to learn. “Building resilience and paying attention to self-care, along with caring for others deserves early attention and continuous consolidation throughout our lives.”

Mrs Fiona Pritchard

Mrs Fiona Pritchard has over 20 years experience in secondary schools in New Zealand and overseas.
Formerly the Head of History and the Social Sciences Faculty in a large co-educational secondary school, she became increasingly involved in both school administration and pastoral care systems.
It was during her tenure as a Deputy Principal in a secondary school that she made the decision to undertake and complete university qualifications in Counselling.
Her areas of interest are in ensuring pastoral care systems support academic achievement, and in supporting individuals and groups of students in overcoming barriers which may prevent them from achieving their potential.

From Mrs Jennifer Goddard

I come from a lengthy career in education generally, starting with my introduction to Play Centre when I first arrived from Australia some years ago. 
In recent years I retrained at Auckland University in Guidance and Counselling, specializing in Adolescent Psychology.
I have worked as a Counsellor at a number of Auckland schools and was recently employed on the Foundation Staff of Botany Downs Secondary College, where I was Director of Student Services, setting up all the support services in a new school as well as working on many other aspects of the foundation of the school.
Because of staffing allocations I also had to return to the classroom where I enjoyed teaching French.
It is a real pleasure to be back in Counselling and especially at St Cuthbert’s.
I have worked extensively with the previous counsellor, Ms Ginny Silva, in professional supervision, in policy writing and in running workshops together, especially in the area of managing Traumatic Incidents.
I am pleased to be following in Ms Silva’s footsteps as I know a sound professional practice will have been established by her.
My own particular interests lie in trying to work proactively to support students as learners, since this is the central mission of the secondary school.
I enjoy a team approach and particularly value the work of Learner Support and Careers as these are two vital aspects of Guidance work.
I am also excited to be working in a school with a Chapel and all the extra opportunities that offers for the all round development of students.
In particular I believe senior students should aim to give back to the school community as they already do at the College. Adolescence is a time of such rapid development and change that it throws up many challenges for young people trying to concentrate and achieve in class at the same time as coping with the other demands of their ages and stages.
I find they cannot concentrate in class if there are personal issues upsetting them.
These range from friendship and peer issues to difficulties in relationships with family.
The College is strong in developing peer systems of support and I hope to continue and develop these.
I hope also to help students to strengthen relationships in their own families so that they can be supported in their endeavors at school.
They really need our help and understanding even if sometimes they seem reluctant to accept it.
Please feel free to approach me and ask me about my work while understanding that student information is confidential. Could you also contact me if you have any concerns about your daughter, even if it is just a vague feeling that the student is not herself, or has changed in some way.
These micro-clues are sometimes the only indication we have that a student is struggling with something difficult in her life.
I look forward to working with you all.

Jennifer Goddard
College Counsellor.