Early Help

At St. Margaret’s Primary Academy we provide excellent support to our children and families. We have a commitment to and focus on ensuring the school caters for the needs of every child and their family network.  

To support and advise you at such times we have an Early Help Offer and a holistic approach working together with our wide range of expertise to support a family's need. 

What support do we offer?

The Pastoral Team at St. Margaret’s can offer advice on a range of concerns or can signpost parents to other sources of information, help and support.

What sort of concerns might parents share with our team?

A wide range of concerns such as behaviour management, financial worries and debts, domestic abuse, housing concerns, mobility difficulties, parents in prison, bereavement and loss, cyber bullying – in fact any concerns which you are worried might be having a negative impact on your children.

What might we offer in response to your concerns?

We have Thrive practitioners and bespoke interventions to support pupils or groups of pupils. We have a Play Therapist who will carry out targeted therapeutic activities with children who display social, emotional and behavioural issues and may have experienced trauma in their lives. 

St. Margaret’s has a Forest School provision and this is offered as targeted support for some pupils alongside the class programme. 

For attendance concerns, support will be offered through school and if required the Educational Welfare Officer will be brought in for further help. Our school Attendance Officer works closely with our families to support their children with their attendance.

How might the support be managed?

There are a range of ways of delivering support. Informal pastoral support meetings with a record of conversation might be all that is required.  For pupils at risk of exclusion, Suffolk Pupils Support Frameworks could be initiated which involve frequent meetings between school, home and pupils to work together on agreed targets. Individual or group Thrive assessments will generate action plans for Thrive interventions and home plans can be drawn up for parents to use.

If referral to the Early Help team is requested the school will collate supporting documents with the parents and if accepted there will be Team Around the Child set up to plan and action the support required through a multi- agency team.

How will safeguarding procedures be effective in supporting families?

St. Margaret’s has seven trained Designated Safeguarding Leads. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all staff are trained to identify and report safeguarding concerns. Where concerns are raised the school will follow the reporting procedures. The team will work with families and all relevant agencies through Child in Need or Child Protection teams to reduce and remove identified risks to children. Support will be given to families by social workers and other relevant agencies including school.

How will our pupils learn to keep themselves safe?

Curriculum provision and additional work from outside agencies including the NSPCC and the police support our children in learning how to keep themselves safe. Children are also made aware of the role of the Pastoral Team in supporting them and many access the team independently.

Who might the school refer to?

The Early Help Team

Children and Young People’s Services

The In Year Fair Access Panel

Solution Circle

Suffolk Education Services

School Nurse

Speech and Language Therapist

Educational Psychologist

REAch2 Associate School Leader for Behaviour

REAch2 Associate School Leader for Safeguarding

DIAL

Shine

Young Carers

Sendias

Local Authority Family Services team

Educational Welfare Officer

Signposting: agencies the school might suggest as sources of further support

Citizens Advice Bureau

GPs

Occupational Therapists

Paediatricians

Children and Young People’s Services

Speech and Language Therapist

School Nurse

Young Carers

One Life

Freedom Project

DIAL

Housing Associations

Food Bank

Sendias – formerly known as parent partnership

Children's Centre

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service

When should I contact the Pastoral Team?

Our Pastoral team are available daily on meet and greet, they are often located on the gates in the morning. Please contact the school office if you wish to book a meeting with a member of our pastoral team or Safeguarding Lead.