Rode Heath Primary SchoolSupport For Parents
Developing a nurturing culture is different for every school. It isn’t about signing up to an off-the-shelf programme, but about looking at your school’s core beliefs and your pupils’ needs, and how you can support them to achieve their very best.
At Rode Heath Primary School, we are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our pupils. We have a supportive and caring ethos and our approach is respectful and kind, where each individual and contribution is valued. At our school we know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.
As a school we will offer support through targeted approaches for individual pupils or groups of pupils which may include: - Circle time approaches or ‘Friendship Terrace’ activities. - Managing feelings resources e.g. ‘worry boxes’ and ‘worry eaters’ - Managing emotions resources such as ‘the incredible 5 point scale’ - Mental health and wellbeing groups - ELSA support groups. - Therapeutic activities including art, lego and relaxation and mindfulness techniques - Cool Connections/Resilient Classroom Interventions.
When deciding on the best support possible for the pupils in our school, we will always take on-board the information from parents/carers and from other professionals; however, the strategies, interventions and actions will be decided and implement by the senior leadership team, which includes our SENCo/Mental Health Lead, our Assistant Headteachers, Safeguarding Lead and the Headteacher.
We have devised a nurturing flowchart which consists of 3 tiers. They range from in-class support to a bespoke nurturing intervention and even the potential of ELSA. All cases will be treated as separate and it is determined by the SLT which tier level of support will be given to pupils.
We see the nurturing pathway at Rode Heath as a long-term support package as opposed to a ‘quick-fix’ and like many health services, we are supporting as many children as possible but we respectfully ask for your patience in regards to supporting your child along this pathway. The support given is constantly reviewed and if there is very little progress then actions will be taken to support your child further. Please refer to our website which has a range of really useful information and links to support you and your child at home.
We have compiled a list of useful website which you may find helpful:
The Emotionally Healthy Children and Young People Programme aims to offer secure, sustainable support to all children and young people who may need help or advice in order to achieve good emotional wellbeing. The service brings together colleagues from early years, education, health and the voluntary sector to support children, families and professionals in Cheshire East in their efforts to improve mental health outcomes.
https://livewellservices.cheshireeast.gov.uk/Services/7301
Parent Peer Support For School Attendance Difficulties.
Define Fine is a parent/carer-led organisation set up in response to the growing number of children and young people who experience school attendance difficulties.
This is sometimes referred to as ‘school refusal’, or emotionally based school avoidance however these phrases may not explain the full picture of the barriers to attendance which may be due to any number of complex reasons such unmet Special Educational Needs & Disabilities including physical or mental illness, either suspected or diagnosed, bullying or issues relating to academic pressure, or even the school environment.
We are here to support parent carers and professionals to find solutions for children and young people who struggle with school attendance difficulties. The sooner we work together to work out why school is so difficult for them, the sooner we can plan a way forward.
Most of our children and young people want to attend school but just can’t. They may have barriers to attendance that need to be acknowledged and understood. Only then can an effective plan can be made.
Children's mental health - Every Mind Matters - NHS
As parents and carers, there are ways we can support our children to give them the best chance to stay mentally healthy.
Encouraging and guiding a child to think about their own mental health and wellbeing are vital skills you can teach them from a young age.
The importance of talking to your child
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-mental-health/
Giving our children and young people opportunities to open up is one of the biggest things we can do as parents and carers to support their wellbeing. It can be easy to forget the simple power of sharing what we’re going through and feeling heard. But even though you can’t fix everything when your child is struggling, you can make them feel seen and understood – and this in itself can make them feel more able to cope.
Talking about how they are, how their day has been and what’s on their mind as part of everyday family life shows your child that you're interested in them and want to listen. It also supports them to practise thinking and talking about their feelings, helping them to get to know themselves and what they need.
But talking isn't always easy. You might feel like you don’t know where to start, when a ‘good time’ is, or how your young person will react. Or, you might be worried about making things worse or saying the wrong thing. If this is the case, try to remember that your child doesn't need you to always get it right - they just need to know you're there.