Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub Newsletter 5th July 2024
Friday 5th July 2024
You’re nearly there! It’s July and the end of term is approaching… You’ve got this!
A new month and a new calendar from Action for Happiness. Jump Back Up July is about resilience and bouncing back (maybe not the first thing that springs to mind for exhausted school staff in July?)
Training / Webinars
Education Psychology Service Wellbeing Practitioner Supervision
We are offering online, group supervision with a maximum of 4 participants that lasts for 2 hours. These small group sizes allow quality discussions to take place. We have found that there is strength in the diversity of roles of participants and the professional experience and expertise they bring.
Supervision, sometimes known as ‘A space to reflect’, is an important part of a range of activities and resources to support staff wellbeing as part of a whole school staff wellbeing policy.
LAST CHANCE this term:
Is it possible to have this information linked to the S4S/SLA Online platform where the course information and booking is held,
Creative Education highlights
- Break the Cycle of Emotionally Based School Avoidance (School Refusal) with Dr Pooky Knightsmith – a 10 module course exploring how the cycle of school avoidance can develop and strategies and steps to work with children and their families to break the cycle.
- Teach Difficult Topics Safely and Sensitively in PSHE This 13-module course walks you through a series of practical steps you can take when developing, delivering and following up lessons to ensure that pupils are appropriately safeguarded and that you do not inadvertently do harm. The course is suitable both for those leading and those delivering the PSHE curriculum at all phases.
- For parents and carers: Help Anxious Children Feel Calm & in Control - webinar (30mins) When faced with a child who is worried or anxious, it can be hard to know how best to help. In this short course, Dr Pooky Knightsmith helps you to understand the cycle of anxiety and the simple steps you can take to help your child feel like together you are taking control of their anxiety rather than letting their anxiety control them.
News / Resources / Updates
NEW: Parent and Carer Wellbeing Series 2: Education
Cornwall Council Health and Wellbeing and Public Health have just released the second series of video workshops for parents and carers. This series is focusing on themes and topics related to education with 21 sessions covering:
- PSHE
- Emotionally Based School Avoidance
- Safeguarding
- SEND
- And much more!
The videos will released throughout July and are available on the Headstart Kernow website and the Together for Families Facebook page.
Staff wellbeing
WORKSHOP: Self-Care Skills for Exhausted Educators – Dr Pooky Knightsmith
You’ve done so much for your students and their families these past couple of years; so this session is all about you. We’ll be exploring some skills and habits you can develop to promote your own wellbeing as we enter the next stage of the pandemic, whilst remaining realistic about the amount of time and resource we can each dedicate to looking after ourselves.
These slides and additional resources were developed to empower busy school staff to look after their own wellbeing.
Spectrum Gaming
Spectrum Gaming is an autistic-led UK based charity and online community that supports autistic young people. They aim to create a world where every autistic young person knows that who they are is ok and they can be themselves, whilst still developing meaningful relationships and achieving their personal goals.
They do this by providing spaces where they feel safe and accepted, amongst others with similar shared lived experiences, and opportunities to explore who they are. They also produce excellent resources for young people themselves, parents and carers and professionals.
They have a brand-new section of the website - a directory of every resource they have produced. Topics include anxiety, trauma, burnout and much, much more. There is also a search function so it is easy to find what you need.
Lisa Cherry (Trauma Informed Consultancy Services)
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Designated Teacher (DT) TRAINING for Schools / Colleges
- Introductory training for Designated Teachers for looked after children in schools
- Advanced training for Designated Teachers for looked after children in schools
- Introductory training for Designated Safeguarding Leads for in schools
- Advanced training for Designated Safeguarding Leads for in schools
Delivered in live Zoom session in small groups by Alexander Kemp, a leading national expert in practice with looked after children and former Her Majesty’s Inspector of children’s social care in England. Cost involved (see details on webinars page in shop on the website).
Cornwall Libraries Summer Reading Challenge Video
The Summer Reading Challenge is for children aged 4 to 11 and runs from 6th July to 14th September. The aim is to keep children engaged with reading, through their local libraries, during the long break from school. The outcomes in Cornwall are good, last year we had the best data in the Southwest, but we are always looking to improve and extend engagement to as many children and families as possible.
Dates for the Diary
STEM4 Youth Mental Health Day 2024 – 19th September 2024
The Theme is #ControlYourScroll. Find out more.
There is an excellent FREE downloadable #ControlYourScroll booklet for YP available now. Recommended.
Hello Yellow Day 10th October 2024
‘Wear it Loud, Wear it Proud’. Sign up here for free resources and information.
Family Information Service – new website
Cornwall’s Family Information Service (FIS) has launched a new revamped website to help families access the right support.
Super simple to navigate, it is designed to act as a ‘front door’ for parents, carers and young people looking for help with things like childcare, activities and the SEND Local Offer for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
It also provides direct links to the council’s Together for Families web pages for helpful information including parenting support, school admissions and general advice and guidance.
Transition
Schools in Mind
Moving Up! toolkit contains guidance and an animation to support students transitioning from primary to secondary school.
The ELSA Support website has lots of resources around transition. Some are free to download. Others are relatively low cost.
Starting Primary School advice and information for Parents and Carers from our colleagues in Early Years and Public Health, including a handy checklist to help parents and their children get ready for starting school and some excellent links for further support.
Order Transition Mission – our free guide for Y6 pupils.
Anna Freud Centre – CPD for 2024 / 2024
Anna Freud have announced courses for 2024/25. Featured courses include:
Autism and wellbeing in schools
We are excited to announce that our popular course is now more widely available! Designed for education staff, this course provides essential training on how to support the mental health of autistic young people and help them thrive in school. Enhance your skills and make a positive impact in your school community. (cost involved)
Mental health and attendance
Our highly successful course is for anyone wanting to develop a whole school approach to supporting attendance and wellbeing. You will learn the emotional, wellbeing and mental health causes of non-attendance and evidence-based interventions and strategies to use as part of a whole school approach. (cost involved)
Visit their booking page to view more information and the full list of available courses
Anna Freud Centre: Mentally Healthy Schools
Self-care summer toolkits - one for primary schools, one for secondary schools & FE settings - with resources to help support and boost mental wellbeing over the summer and beyond.
Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – New Blog
Five proven ways to protect student mental health
As the end of the summer term approaches, are you noticing some of your students struggling with the pressures of final exams, transitioning to new school years or schools or friendship issues?
This time of year can be particularly challenging, but with the right strategies, schools can help students build the resilience they need.
Take a look at our latest blog, where we share five top tips you can use to improve student mental health in the blog, you will discover strategies to:
- Build wellbeing into lessons
- Reduce exam stress
- Create peer support networks
- Promote self-care strategies
- Provide easy access to mental health resources and support services
Information to share with parents in East Cornwall.
A number of doctors surgeries in North Cornwall are offering free wellbeing advice for parents and children:
