At Shaw Ridge School we aim to develop and support the whole child, we take the wellbeing and emotional health of all our pupils and staff very seriously. We believe the school can help our children build resilience and support them to be mentally healthy.
The mental health and wellbeing of our pupils is supported by:
- Nurture support
- Family SEAL
- Young Carers
Nurture
Miss Gillian Ramsay is our schools family support worker who works closely with our school’s SENCo, Mrs Armstrong, and our nurture TA, Mrs Dudman, to ensure that not just our children but also their families are supported by the school.
Miss Ramsay works with parents and carers providing support and advice covering a wide range of circumstances. Some common issues are:
- Parenting challenges –sleeping, eating, routines, separation anxiety, behaviour etc
- Separation/divorce, co-parenting
- Bereavement
- Mental health
- Attendance
In school, we have a number of different resources which families can borrow, addressing the challenges listed above. On Thursday mornings we run a drop-in advice session from 9 to 9.30am with Mrs Dudman. Everyone is welcome and no appointment is necessary. Miss Ramsay can also sign-post families to organisations for further support if required.
To contact Miss Ramsay please email: nurture@shawridge.swindon.sch.uk
Resources to help parents and children
Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247 - 24 hour helpline
Young Minds Helpline - Information on young children/people's mental health
Family SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning)
The Family SEAL workshops have been running for many years at Shaw Ridge with Year 1 children and their parents. The workshops are run by Bernie Dudman. They consist of 6 x 1 hour sessions where parents have the opportunity to spend quality time with their children in an informal environment with organised games and activities. A crèche is provided for younger siblings. All parents who have attended have enjoyed the experience and have appreciated the special 1-1 time that they have spent with their children.
One of our parents wrote:
‘When you have such a busy hectic life where you’re always rushing around, it made you realise that sometimes you forget to stand back and just really listen to your children and spend quality time with your children and Family SEAL really does put an emphasis on this in a fun and positive way.’
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Shaw Ridge Young Carers' Charter:
At Shaw Ridge we believe that all children have the right to an education, regardless of their home circumstances. We acknowledge that being a young carer can have an adverse effect on a young person’s education.
We have adopted our Young Carers' policy so that we will be able to alleviate some of the worries which young carers may have about home and their school work. This policy operates alongside the Child Protection Policies and Procedures.
Who are Young Carers?
Young Carers are children whose lives are affected by looking after someone in the family home. They may be carrying out tasks and responsibilities, which are additional to those appropriate for their age. The person they are looking after may have one or more of the following:
- Physical disability
- Mental health issues
- Learning difficulties
- Alcohol or drug misuse
- Long term illness
Support offered:
At school, Mrs Dudman is the Young Carers' Lead. She arranges a weekly drop-in session where Young Carers can pop in and play games and chat with other Young Carers. Once a term the group gets together to share a fun activity.
Our Young Carers play an incredible role in the family. We are really proud to support these children and were one of the first schools in Swindon to achieve the Ambassador Award for Young Carers. If you need any further information, please contact Mrs Dudman, Lead Carer or Miss Ramsay, Family Support Worker.
If you wish to find out about Swindon Young Carers, please check out their website:
They will also provide a link to the Young Carers referral form, which we can provide assistance with in school, if required
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