Header

Believe

Achieve

Succeed

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 Kassia Academy.

If parents would like any help or support then they can contact school directly on 01925 452010 to arrange an appointment to discuss with us 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.

Careers Useful Links

These are a collection of useful links to external websites for help with careers, further education and qualifications and finding a job.

The Start, Careers Information Website can help students to see the connections between the subjects they chose now and the career paths that these can lead to.

Help & Support with Literacy

How can I support my child with Literacy outside of school?

There are several ways to support your child outside of school. Below are some ideas that could help shape and support the overall learning journey of your child.

Reading

One of the most integral methods when helping your child to improve their literacy skills is by encouraging them to read. Here are 4 tips on how to encourage your child to read at home:

1) Create a love of reading

Find out what your child is currently excited about and if see they might like to read something about that for example, a recipe book or a TV magazine. It is easier to encourage reading on something that already interests them, and they are familiar with. Don't try to force your child to read as they will end up relating reading to feeling pressured.

2) Different formats

Reading is a habit, and as long as they're in the habit of picking up something to read, it doesn't really matter what or how they are reading. Allow your child to read on an electronic device as they might prefer this format, and many library services offer electronic copies of texts.

3) Books based on films and games

Many children find it challenging to choose a book. Ask your child to look for a book based on their favourite film, television show or game. Using books based on existing interests can really help children pick out what they might like to read and gain confidence in choosing books for themselves.

4) Talk about books!

Some people believe that reading can only be achieved independently, but reading can be a social activity. Read together by each reading a page at a time. Letting your child see you reading and talking together about what you have learnt shows them that you find reading enjoyable and valuable and makes it a social activity. Be open about your reading experiences and the benefits you get from reading. 
 

Tips for GCSE students

Keep adverts that come through the door and ask them to think about how the text is trying to persuade the reader. Reading the newspaper is great practice for the Paper 2 language exam as this will be based on Transactional Writing!

Writing

Practice, practice, practice!

In order for your child to improve their writing skills, try encouraging them to practice their writing every day. This daily writing can take the form of a daily diary or ask your child to write about their hobbies or interests, even if it’s for only a 10 minute task every day. Using both a thesaurus and a dictionary will help with spelling and exposure to Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.

Spoken Language

Spoken language plays a significant role in literacy development as it provides the foundation for reading and writing.

Here are every-day tips to help improve your child's spoken language at home:

  • Engage in discussion with your child about current affairs or what they discussed in school that day.
  • Read with your child whether it be a novel, magazine or the daily newspaper.
  • Choose a ‘Topic of the Week’ and discuss at dinner time each evening.
  • Whilst out in public point out meaningful words that you encounter for example; on advertisements, timetables, leaflets etc.

Online Safety

A member of staff is responsible for the promotion of e-safety amongst pupils and parents.

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme – access to food and activities over the school holidays. Note that if your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll also qualify for this programme.

Cost-of-living Support

Let us know if you are in financial difficulty

We know that many families are going through a tough time and as a school we want to do everything we can to help you and your child. If you are struggling with your finances, please get in touch to let us know, as there may be things we can suggest which will help.

Cost-of-living Support

Download our Cost-of-living Support PDF to help you find out what support is available to help you and your family get through the cost-of-living crisis.