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Trust Counsellor

Meet the Kings Academy Trust School Counsellor - 

David Montoya

I joined Kings Academy Trust as School Counsellor in 2022. Since then I have been supporting children at all Kings Academy Trust sites with counselling sessions and drop in sessions. I also work closely with the pastoral team, intervention team, safeguarding team, teachers and parents.

I am a qualified and accredited Psychotherapist and Counsellor. I am an experienced counsellor of young people, having set-up and delivered a counselling programme at a pupil referral unit for children with behavioural, emotional and special educational needs.    

I have over 14 years of experience working with children and I have been counselling children for the last 8 years.

To keep myself up to date with current issues and frames of work, I have completed a child psychology diploma and a Neuroscience and development child psychology diploma. I also regularly complete various CPD training courses in child and adolescent mental health. I am also pursuing a Master’s Degree in Neurodiversity.

I have a great deal of experience with child mental health issues and complex learning difficulties such as ADHD and autism. I use a range of therapeutic models depending on age and needs, including play, Art and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and other models to help children cope with the demands of school life, help with social skills and help them deal with change and loss. 

I am a big advocate of inclusion, disadvantaged and disenfranchised pupils and I ensure that children are not discriminated against for any reason.

What is Counselling – How does it work ?
Counselling and therapy are both types of talking therapy. They involve talking about, or even exploring through art and other creative materials, feelings, thoughts and experiences. This can help children and young people to make sense of what is going on in their life and find ways of coping during difficult times.

At any time pupils may need extra emotional support beyond the normal pastoral care offered by teaching staff or the intervention team. Pupils who have suffered bereavement, trauma, family break-up, who are young carers, or are experiencing other emotional difficulties may benefit from the opportunity to speak to an adult who is not directly involved with their education.

School based counselling provides that opportunity and offers pupils a comfortable, non-judgemental and confidential safe space to talk about their difficulties, so that these issues do not become a barrier to their learning and self-development.

An effective counselling service needs to be responsive to pupils needs and must operate as an integral part of a school’s pastoral care provision. This requires a collaborative and cooperative partnership. Here at Kings Academy Trust the key parties to this partnership are the Headteacher, Safeguarding Team and the School Counsellor.  The Designated Safeguarding Lead is the main point of contact.

If your child is struggling with their emotions (which may present as behavioural issues), it can be really difficult and worrying as a parent.  It might feel like a big step to decide to reach out to a counsellor or therapist. Parents tell me that when they were in this situation, they worried about whether they had done something wrong, or whether their child’s counsellor or school would blame them. In fact, lots children and young people come to counselling at some point, and for all sorts of reasons, and a counsellor and school should work with you supportively to think about what’s going on and how all together we can makes things better.

Counselling can help young people deal with a range of personal problems. Common issues addressed by counsellors in schools include:

Anger / aggression
Anxiety
Body image
Bullying
Depression
Eating disorders
Emotional issues
Exam stress
Family breakdown
Illness
Loss/bereavement
Low self-confidence
Low self-esteem
Puberty
Relationships and sex
Self-harm
Sexual identity
Substance abuse
Trauma
Young carer responsibility
Depending on the pupil’s age and what stage they are at, the counsellor may utilise a combination of therapeutic play, art therapy or talking therapy. The counsellor will establish a therapeutic relationship with the child or young person through acceptance, trust and empathy providing them with an opportunity to express and process feelings at their own level and pace.

David Montoya

Help & Support


What Help and Support is available for the Family?


We liaise with a wide range of external agencies to help to support families.

Through working with EWOs, the Educational Psychology Service, the SEN Department, Social Services, CAMHS, Health and a range of other practitioners we can ensure that a package of support is put in place for the whole family’s needs to be met thus improving outcomes for the young person involved. Should parents/carers require assistance in completing paperwork, guidance is offered by the individual academies in the Trust.

If parents would like any help or support then they can contact schools directly to arrange an appointment to discuss their requirements.

Help & Support Links


In this section we have collated useful links for parents and careers to provide further information on a range of topics and signpost you to further help and support.
 

Mental Health & Behaviour Support

If you think your child is unhappy or if you are worried about their behaviour, it is easy to be hard on yourself and think you are not doing a good job. The following tips are for any parent who is worried about their child, or their own parenting skills:

You and Your Child
Make sure they know you love them and are proud of them.
Even when things are busy or stressful, and it feels like you are in survival mode, a word or a hug can reassure them a huge amount. Praise them for what they do well and encourage them to try new things.

Be honest about your feelings - you do not have to be perfect.
We all get things wrong and shout or say unkind things from time to time. If this happens, say sorry to your child afterwards and explain why it happened. They will learn from you that it is OK to make mistakes and that it does not make you a bad person.

Be clear about what is and is not acceptable and tell them why.
Children need to know what is OK and what is not and what will happen if they cross the line. Follow through on what you say as otherwise they may get confused or stop respecting the boundaries.

Own your own role - you are the parent, so do not be afraid to take tough decisions.
If your child sees you are scared of their reaction and always give in to them, it can make them feel very powerful, which can be frightening. Children need to know that you are there to keep them safe.

Helping Your Child
Worrying or difficult behaviour might be short-lived, so give it some time. All children go through stages of feeling anxious or angry and they can show this in lots of ways, for example, tantrums, crying, sleeping problems or fighting with friends or siblings. They might be adapting to a change in the family or in their school life, or just trying out new emotions and will generally grow out of worrying behaviour on their own or with family support.

Talk to your child: Even young children can understand about feelings and behaviour if you give them a chance to talk about it.
Take it gently and give them examples of what you mean, for example, ‘When you said you hated Molly, you looked really angry. What was making you so cross?’ or ‘When you can’t get to sleep, is there anything in your mind making you worried?’

With older children, they might not want to talk at first.
Let them know you are concerned about them and are there if they need you. Sending an email or a text can work better if this is the way your child likes to communicate.

Ask your child what they think would help.
- they often have good ideas about solving their own problems.

If you can, talk to your child's other parent about your worries, when the child is not around.
They might have a different take on what is going on. Try and sort out how to deal with the behaviour together so you are using the same approach and can back each other up. Children are quick to spot if parents disagree and can try and use this to get their own way.

More advice on when to think about getting professional help and what to do.
If you are concerned about your child's behaviour.

Looking After Yourself
If your child is having problems, do not be too hard on yourself or blame yourself.
Although it can be upsetting and worrying if your child is having a bad time and it makes your relationship with them feel more stressful, you are not a bad parent. Children often take it out on those closest to them, so you might be feeling the effect of their very powerful emotions.

If you had a difficult time growing up yourself or have had emotional problems or mental health problems.
It can be very worrying to think that the same thing might happen to your child, but the love and care you show them and the fact that you are trying to help will protect against this. Getting help for them and perhaps for yourself too can give them the best chance of feeling better.

If things are getting you down, it is important to recognise this.
Talk to someone you trust and see what they think. Many people go on struggling with very difficult situations because they feel they should be able to cope, and do not deserve any help.

Friends and family can often help – do not be afraid to ask them to have your child for a bit if you need some time out to sort out your own stuff.
You can repay them when things get better for you! It is easy to say take some time for yourself, but in reality this may not feel possible. You might be too busy, exhausted or hard up for exercise or hobbies, but even a night in with a friend, a DVD box set or your favourite dinner can help.

Go to your GP if things are really getting on top of you.
Asking for some support from your doctor or a referral to a counselling service is a sign of strength. You cannot help your child if you are not being supported yourself. Some people worry their parenting will be judged and their children will be taken away if they admit they are struggling to cope. This should only happen if a child is being abused or neglected and the role of professionals is to support you to look after your child as well as you can.

Young Minds Mental Health Support

Young Minds Helpline
Parents, if your child has been denied support from CAMHS, or you are still waiting to be seen, we are here to support you. You can call our Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544 from 9:30am - 4pm, Monday - Friday or email parents@youngminds.org.uk.

You’ll be connected to one of our trained advisors, who will listen to your concerns, and ask key questions to understand your situation as best as they can. They will tailor advice to your situation and suggest practical steps you can take and ways to support your child whilst waiting to access help from services. This could include contact details for relevant support services, practical tips you can implement at home or giving you advice around alternative options for support.

We know how lonely it can feel to be left without access to the professional support your family needs – but we are here for you.

Mental Health Conditions
Just as your body can become unwell, your mind can become unwell too. And just like with physical illnesses, treatment and support is available.

Visit Young Minds website and use their guides to find out more about different mental health conditions, how to cope with your feelings about it and what support is available to you.

Student Counsellor Placements

Welcome to Kings Academy Trust Counselling Placement 
On 1st May 2012 Oakwood High School changed status to become an academy operating within a single academy trust (SAT) and changed its name to Oakwood Academy. We were inspected by Ofsted in July 2013 and were judged to be outstanding in all areas. In July 2015 we converted to a multi academy trust (MAT) as we felt strongly that single academies needed to work in collaboration with other schools. The Trust is called Kings Academy Trust.
Since becoming a Multi Academy Trust, we have had several schools join our trust. We now have 4 schools across Salford and Warrington local authority, Kings Academy Trust also have a free school due to open in Salford authority in September 2025.
Kings academy trust has all of our pupils wellbeing at the heart of all it does and as part of this we had a particular focus on supporting young people’s mental health. In July 2022 we started our own “In house” counselling programme to support the mental health across all of our schools. Due to the success and demand for the programme we are looking to extend our counselling programme and enhance our offering.
We are excited to now be in a position to offer placements to counselling students looking to build their counselling practice hours.  The schools within the trust cover all areas of edication from Primary through to 6th form, meaning that the opportunity to gain experience in counselling practice for ages 5 to 19 years old.
Kings Academy Trust schools are: Oakwood Academy (Eccles) Oakwood Willows Primary, (Irlam) Oakwood Academy 6th form (Media City). Arbour Academy (Eccles), Moss Valley Primary Academy (Irlam) and Kassia Academy and Orford Jubile (Warrington). Please see the website https://www.kingsacademytrust.org/ for further information on the trust and the all the schools linked to Kings Academy Trust.
Our Counselling Placements are an excellent opportunity to work with young people in a safe therapeutic setting and to help and support them through talking, creative work and play.   
About the Counselling Programme at Kings Academy Trust
The aim of the Trust wide counselling services is to help students have good mental health and be resilient young people who are able to access an outstanding education and improved socialisation within the school community. 
Possible counselling topics may include;
·       coping with changes
·       Transition to/from others school
·       Self-esteem
·       Friendship/family issues
·       Bereavement
·       Trauma
·       study skills
·       stress management
·       Fears or worries
·       Academic progress
·       Conflict resolution
·       Social skills
·       Adjustment to school or culture
·       Or other issues a young person may want to explore. 
 
Placement structure
Each student will spend up to one day per week in one of our schools during term time.
Placements will be carried out during school hours with up to half day placements available.
Students can start at any point in the school year to fit alongside their studies or schedule.
Each student will liaise with and be closely supported by Kings Academy Trust Counsellor and the Director of Safeguarding and Inclusion.
 
Requirements for Applicants and How to Apply for a Placement.
We offer student placements to people who are undertaking any of the following qualifications;-
·       Diploma in Counselling and/or Psychotherapy (Level 4 or above in England and Wales).
Students working towards a Degree in Counselling, Psychotherapy or Play / Art Therapy
Please note that some courses do not accept child counselling hours, so please check with your tutor before applying.
We will ask you to provide the following:-
·       Completion of a Kings Academy Application form, See Kings Academy Trust Website.
Provide two references, this can be from your Counselling Tutor
Student membership of either the BACP or the NCS or any other recognised counselling body
Student counsellors insurance
A supervisor that understands and will support our values and mission. (details of the supervisor required before placement begins). 
A clear enhanced DBS check. 
How to Apply
Please email your completed application form, along with a supporting letter expressing your interest in the student counselling programme including a brief summary of your background and experience and the course you are undertaking and confirm whether you meet the criteria listed above, to dmontoya@kingsacademytrust.co.uk
Once we have assessed your written application, we will invite selected candidates for an interview. 
We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities.