Support for
Families
We believe in working together to allow all in our community to learn, flourish and achieve. A range of guidance and support is available for families.
Advice for Parents & Carers
There is a team of staff at the school who can support families or direct them to the best source of support.
The Priory Primary School receives support from a dedicated ‘Schools Navigator’ employed by BCP Council. The Navigator is regularly in school to hold workshops with families and can be contacted by the school in between these opportunities.
Further information and support is also available from BCP's Family Information Service.
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
At The Priory School, we embrace the fact that every child is made in the image of God and unique.
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are sometimes identified before they start school while others are initially identified by assessments carried out by school staff before being placed on the Special Educational Needs Register. Support from other agencies will be requested if required.
Concerns about your child can be shared with their class teacher or Ms Russell (SENCO), who can be contacted via the school office.
Further advice and support can be found on the BCP SEND Local Offer website or via SENDiass4BCP. SENDiass is an impartial, free, confidential and arms-length service for children and young people (up until the age of 25) with special educational needs and disabilities, and their parents/carers. They also run various information sessions and monthly drop-ins at the Somerford Family Hub - further information can be found on their events page.
Wellbeing & Pastoral Care
We recognise that strong mental health is just as important as physical health. We take a coordinated and evidence-informed approach to promote good mental health and wellbeing for all in our school community.
Further information on the school's approach to developing positive wellbeing is available on our Learning to Flourish page.
If you need to share a wellbeing concern regarding your child, please inform the class teacher.
In the morning you can pass on messages to staff who will always be on the front gate, or please contact the school office and they will ensure the message is passed to the right people.
Our pastoral care team comprises of Mrs Richardson (Safeguarding & Attendance), Mr McLean (Online Safety), Miss Field (Behaviour, Personal Development & Pastoral Care), Ms Russell (SENCO & Mental Health Lead), Miss Savin (PSHE Lead) and Mrs Poulter (Emotional Literacy Lead).
The charity YoungMinds has further information for parents on their website.
Young Carers
At the Priory, we recognise some of our pupils face additional challenges through their role as young carers.
We recognise how this may impact on their daily life and we are committed to ensuring that young carers are supported, that their skill-set is celebrated and that they are given the opportunities they deserve.
Through our partnership with the charity MyTime we are working to ensure that all staff are trained to identify and support young carers.
The BCP Council website contains information about young carers and the support that is in place. If you think your child meets the criteria, please register them with BCP using the above link and our pastoral team can support them further in school.
Looked After Children
We believe that in partnership with the Local Authority as Corporate Parents and the Diocese, we have a special duty to safeguard and promote the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children.
Our approach to supporting looked-after children and previously looked-after children consists of:
-
Providing a safe and secure environment, where education is valued and there is a belief in the abilities and potential of all children.
-
Supporting our looked-after children and previously looked-after children to give them access to every opportunity to achieve their potential and enjoy learning.
-
Fulfilling our school’s role as corporate parents to promote and support the education of our looked-after children and previously looked-after children.
Our Designated Teacher for looked-after children and previously looked-after children is Ms Russell, who will act as their advocate and co-ordinate support for them.
Free School Meals
In addition to the universal free school meal for all pupils in EYFS, Class 1 and Class 2, some children are entitled to receive free school meals.
You are eligible for free school meals if you are in receipt of certain allowances or benefits of you find yourself in particular circumstances.
Further information and details on how to apply is available on the BCP Council website. Alternatively, please speak to the school office and we will gladly assist you.
Online Safety
The NSPCC advises 4 stages for working as a TEAM to keep children safe online:
T – Talk to your child about staying safe online
E – Explore their online world together
A – Agree on rules about what’s ok and what’s not
M – Manage your family’s settings and controls
We hold workshops in school to support families with managing online safety issues at home. The latest presentation is available here.
The following links may be useful for families:
-
Internet Matters: A collaboration of different digital organisations that provide guidance and advice, including guidance on particular apps and guidance for setting up parental controls.
-
Childnet: Guidance and advice on online safety, including for particular topics and apps.
-
CEOP: Guidance and advice on online safety, as well as a tool for reporting inappropriate contact online.
-
DfE Guidance: Guidance from the Department for Education for parents and carers on how to keep children safe online.
Further information about the school's approach to online safety, and details on how to share concerns, is available on the Safeguarding page.
Early Help
Early Help support is available for families through BCP Council.
This could involve issues like parental separation, domestic abuse, behaviour challenges, self-harming, alcohol or drug use by family members or financial difficulties.
If you feel that you would benefit from help, you can contact early help through school or through the First Response Team.
Domestic Abuse
Our school is part of Operation Encompass. This is a police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Abuse.
Operation Encompass means that the police will share information about Domestic Abuse incidents with our school prior to the start of the next school day when they have been called to a domestic incident.
Operation Encompass will ensure that a trained member of the school staff, known as a Key Adult, liaises with the police to use information that has been shared, in confidence, to provide support for children, and their families, who have experienced a domestic abuse incident.
The designated Key Adults at the Priory School are Mrs Richardson, Mr McLean and Miss Field.
There is information and support about domestic abuse available from the NHS and BCP Council.
Substance Abuse
We know that substance abuse can have an impact on family life. Further information and support for families experiencing substance abuse is available from the Talk to Frank website and from the school's safeguarding team.
-
-
-
-