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The Pastoral Team at Abbey Park School consists of:
Heads of Key Stage are continually monitoring student data and identifying any relevant pastoral support required throughout the year. As each of our Heads of Key Stage & Pastoral Support Assistants are non-teaching it allows them to take parent calls and hold meetings throughout the school day.
The work/support carried out on a daily basis by the team is tailored to suit individual students to allow them to achieve to the best of their ability and overcome any barriers to learning that may be present.
We strongly believe in a multi-agency approach when working with identified students. We are fortunate to have access to the following agencies:
If you wish to discuss anything in relation to Pastoral Support for your child, please contact their tutor.
External support including websites are also available in the resources section below.
Abbey Park School takes seriously its responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of the children and young people in its care.
Here's a list of external resources which may be of interest.
LIFT Psychology offers a wide range of support, from psycho-educational courses to one-to-one intervention. Courses are free and available to people registered with a GP in the Swindon area.
The Healthy Mind course introduces Cognitive Behavioural Theory (CBT) and is aimed specifically at 16 - 19 year olds. It will teach skills that can be used to help reduce difficult emotions such as anxiety, depression and anger.
For more information and to view the numerous courses offered by LIFT psychology:
lift.psychology@nhs.net
Tel: 01793 836836
Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people's mental health. We will make sure all young people get the best possible mental health support and have the resilience to overcome life's challenges.
www.youngminds.org.uk
Pregabalin advice
Pregabalin is a prescribed drug used in the treatment for Epilepsy, Neuropathic pain and Anxiety disorders. Some people use Pregabalin recreationally and consequently the effects are horrendous and life threatening.
More information on Pregabalin can be downloaded here.
SafeCall service (missing people) – Children and Young People
SafeCall is a free confidential service to children and young people who have regular missing episodes. They accept self-referrals from children and young people and referrals from external professionals and agencies (police, social services, schools, charities, youth organisations etc). SafeCall work closely with children, young people and their parents/carers to ensure that the risk of exploitation is minimised and ensure that information is shared between social workers, youth workers and other services that they may be receiving support from.
SafeCall offer a non-judgemental service to ensure these children/ young people have a safe space to talk about their experiences in confidence. They also support the families and carers of those who have missing episodes; providing them with emotional support and guidance. The operating hours for the SafeCall team are Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm and they also have a free 24 hour helpline which is available should support be needed out of hours.
https://missingpeople.org.uk/missingpeople.org.uk/how-we-can-help/173-safecall/975-self-referral.html
Home alone during the summer holidays
The NSPCC has released figures from its helpline looking at calls from people worried that young children had been left at home unsupervised by a parent or carer during the summer holidays. Figures show that 849 referrals were made to the police during August 2017 by the helpline, a third of which were for children aged 5 or under. The NSPCC website includes tips and a tool to help parents and carers decide whether or not to leave their on their own for the first time this summer.
Source: NSPCC: Concern over young children left home alone for the summer holidays Date: 19 July 2018
Further information: Is my child ready to be left alone? (PDF)
NSPCC tool: Is my child ready to be left home alone?
Staying safe online in the summer holidays: advice for parents and carers
The UK Safer Internet Centre has published a blog outlining ways in which parents and carers can help keep their children safe as they start to spend more time online during the summer holidays. Tips include: have positive conversations with children about the internet; take the opportunity to learn more about the apps, games and services children are using and find out about their reporting and blocking features; and make a family agreement about how all family members use the internet.
Source: UK Safer Internet Centre Date: 19 July 2018
Further information from the NSPCC
Game and online safety website for 8-10 year olds
CEOP’s Thinkuknow has launched Band Runner, an interactive game for 8-10 year olds to help build their knowledge, confidence and skills to stay safe from risks they might encounter online. The game is hosted on area for 8-10 year-olds on the Thinkuknow website.
Source: Thinkuknow Date: 19 July 2018
Play the game: Band runner on Thinkuknow website
A parents guide to Fortnite: Battle Royale – Childnet
At Childnet our Education Officers go into schools each day to deliver online safety Education Sessions to pupils, parents and teachers. Recently in these Education Sessions we have been noticing an increasing number of young people talking about the game ‘Fortnite’. Read more
ThinkuKnowThinkuknow is the education programme from the National Crime Agency's CEOP command. Thinkuknow aims to empowers children and young people aged 5-17 to identify the risks they may face online and know where they can go for support.
Advice for parents about sexting
www.nspcc.org.ukHow to talk to children about the risks of sexting - and what you can do to protect them
Kooth - Free online support for young people
Swindon CCG have started to commission Kooth which is an online counselling and emotional well-being support service for children and young people available free at the point of use. As an early intervention solution, Kooth helps to reduce waiting times for young people seeking help while removing the stigma associated with accessing mental health support. Please see below a link to a recent article for the local area and a link to the site itself.
Kooth is an online counselling and emotional well-being support service for children and young people available free at the point of use when commissioned in their area.https://www.kooth.com/
Anna Freud National Centre For Children And Families
Anna Freud is launching on my mind, a tool to help young people decide what type of help they would like to support their mental health. Best of all, it’s a free resource.
https://www.annafreud.org/
Wiltshire Treehouse - Grief support for children and young people in Swindon & Wiltshire
Wiltshire Treehouse works closely with two national bereavement charities. Both support the development of country-wide child bereavement services in England and Wales. Wiltshire Treehouse wants to see a world where every bereaved child has the opportunity to receive guidance and support to help them through their grieving process. When a parent (or someone close) dies children experience a rollercoaster of different emotions – anger, sadness, guilt, shock. This is normal but can be very hard to deal with especially if they cannot find the support they need. Wiltshire Treehouse offers advice and creative programmes that support the social and emotional well-being of bereaved children and young people.
They can provide advice, guidance and reassurance to families with a child aged 0-18 (up to 25 with a disability). This can do this over the phone, or at a home or school visit. You can visit the website which has lots of useful resources http://www.wiltshiretreehouse.org.uk
The NEST - A bereavement support programme for young people in school years 7 – 13
NEST has been designed to meet the needs of grieving young people. By using creative processes, the NEST programme provides participants with the opportunity to explore thoughts, feelings and coping strategies, together with their peers.
Programmes take place at set dates throughout the year. Each programme takes place over 6 Monday evening sessions. This takes place in North Swindon where we operate on a self-referral basis.
Parents/carers should call Child Bereavement UK (CBUK) on 0800 02 888 40* Monday—Friday 9am—5pm. *Freephone. Some mobile providers may charge.
We welcome enquiries from professionals. Email: admin@wiltshiretreehouse.org.uk Phone: 07493 509750
Mrs K Stevens - Assistant Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs L. Bulpitt - Head of Key Stage/Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Ms V. Redondo - Head of Key Stage/Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Mrs K. Candy - Head of Year 7
Mrs J. Harewood - Pastoral Support Assistant Year 9
Mrs C. Charij - Pastoral Support Assistant Year 10
Mrs R. Evenett - Pastoral Support Assistant Year 7 & Attendance
Miss C. Yeoman - School Counsellor
Miss M. McAdam - Pastoral Support Assistant Year 11
If you wish to discuss anything in relation to Pastoral Support for your child, please contact a member of the Pastoral team.