Support for our Families

Pastoral Care

The individual class teachers will care for children in their classes. Through developing close links with the children, they are able to cater for all the usual aspects of pastoral care. Parents are encouraged to discuss problems with the teachers and the Headteacher. From September 2024, Miss O’Callaghan will be working with our pupils and families to provide additional pastoral care.

Support Agencies such as the school doctor, nurse, dentist, speech therapist, educational psychologist and educational welfare officer are fully utilised as appropriate. Our Education Social Welfare Officer is Lyndsay Cumsiskay ; she supports schools and families with attendance and punctuality issues. Again, she can be contacted via the School Office.

The very culture of the school is based upon all children knowing that they are cared for at all times and that the Every Child Matters agenda is at the forefront of all elements of school life.

Making a Difference

To the children:

• Improved self-image, confidence and motivation
• Raised expectations of their own potential
• Improved social skills, forming improved relationships with staff, peers and family
• Improved attendance and punctuality
• Improved attitude and behaviour both inside and out of school

To the families:

• More positive attitude towards school
• Improved support and communication between school and home
• Access to support and someone to talk to
• Liaison between home, school and other agencies

Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Church Drive, we strive to actively promote positive emotional health and well-being throughout the school.

Within our school ethos, we promote a safe and open culture where children can talk about their feelings and experiences and learn in a fail safe environment. Our caring staff team are quick to pick up on children who may need additional emotional support. Should your child or family need extra support, Mrs Ellis is our school ELSA, while Mrs O’Callaghan is our Inclusion Lead. We understand that at times pupils and their parents/ carers may experience issues affecting their emotional health such as anxiety, stress, depression, bereavement and loss, eating disorders and self-harm.

We recognise that good mental health is as important as good physical health.

Our pupils are taught self-care techniques, including recognising and managing emotions, exercise, and how to build relationships through a rich and varied curriculum. We teach our children how they can help others with their mental health in age-appropriate ways. Often, we use stories with our children to help them to understand theirs and others’ feelings. We have a whole host of books to support our children.

We use the DfE’s guidance, Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools, as a guide and work to their ideals:

1. Prevention: creating a safe and calm environment where mental health problems are less likely, improving the mental health and wellbeing of the whole school population, and equipping pupils to be resilient so that they can manage the normal stress of life effectively. This will include teaching pupils about mental wellbeing through the curriculum and reinforcing this teaching through school activities and ethos.
2. Identification: recognising emerging issues as early and accurately as possible.
3. Early support: helping pupils to access evidence based early support and interventions.
4. Access to specialist support: working effectively with external agencies to provide swift access or referrals to specialist support and treatment.

Healthy eating

We think it is very important to learn about healthy eating. We offer the children three healthy lunch options every day for school dinners. Fresh fruit and vegetables are always provided. The children have access to drinking water in every classroom.

The children at Church Drive love to cook and we believe that this is the best way to learn about the food we eat. The children have the opportunity to prepare healthy meals as part of the curriculum, as well as learning about where their food comes from.

Gardening club will be starting again in the Spring Term when the weather will hopefully be just right for planting and growing!

As with everything at Church Drive, our partnership with parents/ carers is incredibly important.

Useful links

Samaritans

If you need someone to talk to, we listen. We won’t judge or tell you what to do.

Young Minds

Whether you want to understand more about how you’re feeling and find ways to feel better, or you want to support someone who’s struggling, we can help.

Family Toolbox

New website for parents and carers

Familytoolbox.co.uk is a free online hub to help Wirral families be the strongest they can be. It has been designed with families across Wirral and has loads of information about everyday family life to share, to help boost your confidence and skills and develop that vital bounce-back ability, so that you can weather life’s storms.

• Find loads of tried and tested tips on parenting, looking after yourself and life as a family.
• Introduce yourself to people and places who can give you a bit of support.
  Find out what’s on in Wirral for you and your family.
• Take space to reflect on what’s going on at home and what you’d like to change.
• Save your family’s favourite ideas, resources and places to your own Toolbox.

Citizens Advice Wirral

Citizens Advice Wirral is here to support by offering a range of services that are available and free to all.

They can support you as parents and families by providing information and advice to help identify and address the underlying reason for lots of the problems you may face, such as:

• looking at your income if you are struggling financially, to see if there is any financial support you may be entitled to
• support with debts to look for solutions to make repayment easier
• help with applications for benefits such as Disability Living Allowance if you have a disabled child
• identify and link you into grants and concessions that you may be entitled to if they are in fuel/utility poverty and cannot afford to either keep your home warm and/or repay fuel debts
• refer you for emergency fuel support if you have run out of credit on their meter
• negotiate with third parties on your behalf i.e. creditors, landlords, social services
• provide Wellbeing support if you are feeling lonely and isolated

They can talk through any problem and either look to provide advice themselves or refer to a third party, if that is in your best interest.

If you would like to speak to the team, please contact our school office and we will complete a referral form on your behalf after which one of their advisers will be in touch with you.

Recommended Agencies

The 0-18 Wirral CAMHS team is a community based specialist service providing mental health assessments and evidence based psychological treatments for children and young people with moderate to severe mental health difficulties, which is where mental health difficulties are having a significant impact upon day to day functioning.

Crea8ing Community (formerly known as Crea8ing Careers)

Their primary aim is to build the resilience, mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and families to enable them to live happy healthy lives through bringing people together and providing non-judgemental support, learning, and volunteering opportunities.

Call the office on – 0151 345 5836 for an informal chat about the free services and support they can offer.

ADDvanced Solutions

ADDvanced Solutions Community Network encourages, equips and empowers children, young people and their families living with neurodevelopmental conditions, specific learning difficulties and associated mental health needs.

Call the office on – 0151 486 1788 for an informal chat about the free services and support they can offer.