Managing Stakeholders

Students are generally receptive to counsellors’ guidance – and counsellors can maximise this influence, setting a standard for students to follow in their working life

Preparing and applying for higher education can feel overwhelming to neurodivergent students. These strategies can help the process feel more manageable for them

Why are Americans so extroverted? Why are Asian students so focused on rankings? We should avoid stereotyping students – but studying history can help put trends into context

Do students really need a specific predicted grade? Or do they just want – or demand – it? Understanding the difference between ‘need’ and ‘want’ can help counsellors form an appropriate response

Competitive job markets and fear of debt mean increasing numbers of students are applying for degrees that will lead to a job – but it’s not always so straightforward

Economic, social and cultural capital are important considerations when planning for the future – so perhaps it’s time to include them in conversations about best fit

Unsupported, students with special needs can lose touch with their own abilities – but with the right interventions, many will excel at university

Teenagers are the key population counsellors work with – so it can be useful to know what developmental psychology tells us about adolescence

Difficult topics and conversations often come when you least expect them. Here are some strategies to prepare you for these moments

By understanding the diversity of students with special educational needs, counsellors can better advocate for the necessary resources and systems to support them

As university counsellors, we become used to hearing confused or mistaken ideas handed down from year group to year group, or spread via social media

​​​​​​​Here are four simple ways for counsellors to support LGBTQIA+ students – helping an often-marginalised community feel heard, safe and included

Students feel under pressure to decide on their careers at an increasingly early age and are gravitating towards higher-paid careers, often at the cost of their own passions and interests. How can counsellors help combat this trend?

The education system is fixated on grades – but university counsellors need to demonstrate that good grades aren’t all that’s needed to succeed in life

Some students are not interested in higher education, even if they are academically talented. How can we respect their decisions, while also giving them all the options?

University admissions rates don’t tell the whole story – as international applicants, our students are competing for far fewer places

How do we, as school counsellors, give advice to students who are already facing professional career-related challenges as athletes or performing artists?

What does ’inclusivity’ mean? Who does it refer to? And, most importantly, how can we ensure that our practice is inclusive?

It’s important to understand what’s motivating students, and to get to know them outside the counselling office – as these four case studies illustrate

We like to think of ourselves as rational beings, but we approach life – and the university-application process – burdened with cognitive biases

Some students will need endless cajoling simply to register on a university application platform. Is there anything counsellors can do about this?

We are all shaped by our cultural context – but, in order to do our jobs effectively, we need to be able to transcend it

To nurture success, counsellors need to build strong relationships with students. Here are five ways to ensure that students feel valued

Applying to university involves successfully setting and completing a series of goals. How can we best help students with this?

What does an honest and authentic relationship with students look like? And how is it best achieved?

Delivering regular classroom lessons could make a huge difference to your counselling. Here are some ways in which it could help your students, along with a downloadable course curriculum plan to help you structure your counselling classroom sessions

Counsellors need to empower students and parents to make informed decisions about university admissions. Sharing our knowledge allows us to work together as a community

Working with senior leadership teams can be a challenge for high school counsellors. Here’s a case study on how one counsellor created clear working pathways between the SLT and counselling team

Teachers often try to offer university application advice to students, out of a well-meaning desire to help. How should counsellors tackle this?

The job of university counsellor is multifaceted, with a range of different roles and responsibilities. How do you make sure these are divided up fairly among your team?

Many university counsellors wince at the mention of agents – but their knowledge and contacts can complement our own role

The use of independent counsellors can make a school-based counsellor’s role more challenging – but it doesn’t necessarily have to

Colin Bell, CEO of COBIS, shares how COBIS is helping school counsellors to access professional development and gives some tips on how to work with stakeholders to champion their role

A counsellor starting at a new school needs to be able to understand its culture, speak its language and work out how they fit into the bigger picture

University visits and university fairs can be instructive, useful and enjoyable for all involved – with the right preparation

Actively listening, establishing trust and navigating challenging conversations with empathy will enhance your ability to help students and their parents

Students will take away far more from a university visit if reps talk about a specific subject or give practical advice on the application process

With nearly 30,000 universities around the world, it can be difficult for students to know which ones to apply to – which is why visiting some of them can be helpful

Admissions representatives are founts of knowledge when it comes to university applications – partnering with them is a win-win situation. There is also a downloadable letter template and spreadsheet to help your organise your relationships with admissions offices

Students have demanding schedules and differing needs. So it’s best to offer a range of options for university visits

If you want university representatives to visit your school, you’ll need to build positive relationships with admissions officers

University visits involve welcoming representatives from colleges and universities to your high school to speak to students. But what do they actually achieve?