Early Help

At St. Margaret’s Primary Academy we understand that from time to time family life can have its complications. These may the times when you need some extra help and support.

To support and advise you at such times we have an Early Help Offer.

What support do we offer?

The Pastoral Team at St. Margaret’s is made up of Mrs Skoyles, Miss Smith, Miss Gatley, Miss Jerome, Miss Harvey and Miss Zammit. We 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 issues 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 some 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 is a Forest School provider 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.

Outside counsellors are referred to for additional support.

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. Individual Consistent Management Plans and Risk Assessments can be used to support individual pupils. 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 work draw up the 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 four trained Designated Safeguarding Leads. 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.

The school nurse runs fortnightly drop in sessions for children who wish to talk in confidence to an adult who is not a member of the school staff.

Childline posters are displayed in school.

Who might the school refer to?

The Early Help Team

Children and Young People’s Services

The In Year Fair Access Panel

Solution Circle

County Inclusive Support Service

Counselling 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

SENDAT

Sendias – formerly known as parent partnership

Local Authority Family Services team

Educational Welfare Officer

Point 1

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

Citizens Advice Bureau

GPs

Occupational Therapists

Paediatricians

Children and Young People’s Services

The Early Help Team

Speech and Language Therapist

School Nurse

Young Carers

One Life

Freedom Project

DIAL

Housing Associations

Food Bank

Sendias – formerly known as parent partnership

Childrens Centre

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service

When should I contact the Pastoral Team?

Contact us when you have a concern which is affecting your child(ren). We will always try to see you quickly or to give you a call to find out what the problem is and arrange to meet and discuss it with you.

Policies

School policies are available on our website or paper copies can be requested from the school office.

Relevant policies include:

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Behaviour Policy

Attendance Policy

REAch2 Accessibility Plan

REAch2 Equalities Duties Framework