Resources for parents and carers
Welcome to your new one stop shop for parents.
We have been creating and gathering resources for you over the past weeks of virtual school and have now organised them under the following three headings so they are all in one place for you.
Home Learning Resources
Keeping children safe online is paramount as the reliance on virtual and digital resources and means of communicating increases. We have a dedicated page of resources to help parents keep their children safe when they are online. Click the button below to visit it.
Careers guidance and help for parents of Year 11 students.
Click here to access a parents' careers guide, produced by Success at School. As well as useful activities and information about careers linked to school subjects, there is a link to their careers website, where students can find out about different types of jobs.
Our virtual learning platforms
On top of the specific resources our staff have produced there are several good national websites with home learning specific content to support you during the virtual school.
Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
Mental health and physical health are like two sides of the same coin - that's why we take emotional and mental wellbeing seriously at Southfields Academy. In order to provide the education children deserve, we consider the whole child with the understanding that a student who is struggling emotionally cannot learn.
Our aim is to help children develop the protective factors which build resilience and promote good mental health. What does good mental health look like?
- The ability to learn
- The ability to feel and express a range of positive and negative emotions
- The ability to form and maintain good relationships
- The ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty
Promoting good mental and emotional wellbeing is truly a group effort, with our pastoral ethos embedded throughout the school. And although students are encouraged to speak to any adult they like and trust, we also have multiple members of staff with special skills for supporting children, including those with counselling backgrounds, mindfulness, and cognitive coaching. And our mental health lead has her door open every day for break-time drop-in support.
Sometimes students request or require more structured help. In these instances, we have a range of visiting professional to help:
- Counsellors from Catch-22 (six session talking-therapy model)
- Education Wellbeing Practitioners/EWPs (guided self-help and cognitive behavioural therapy, part of the NHS-funded Trailblazer team for mental health)
- Free2B (bi-monthly, drop-in support for LGBTQ+ students and allies)
Often, when a student is struggling, families need guidance or support as well. Our
parent/carer liaison and on-site social worker are here for that purpose. Also, during lockdown we were inspired to produce a digital booklet full of information and resources concerning supporting and promoting good mental health for us all. You can view or download a copy by clicking here or by clicking the image to the right.
If you would like more information regarding support for your child or yourself, please contact your child's Head-of-Year, Tutor or our DSL for Mental Health Tricia Nearn. (tricia.nearn@southfieldsacademy.com)
Helplines & Support Organisations
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Anxiety UK (anxiety advice)
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Text: 07537 416 905 Helpline: 03444 775 774 |
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Beat (eating disorders) |
Helpline: 0808 801 0677 Studentline: 0808 801 0811 Youthline: 0808 801 0711 |
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CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably (male suicide prevention ages 15+) |
0800 58 58 58 |
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Calm Harm App (help for self-harm and anxiety) |
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CAMHS Wandsworth (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) 24hr crisis line |
0800 028 8000 |
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Catch-22 Wandsworth Young People’s Health Agency (counselling) |
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Childline (advice & support for any issue) childline.org.uk |
0800 1111
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Cruse (bereavement care & support) |
0808 808 1677 |
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Drinkline (advice about your own or another’s drinking) |
0300 123 1110 |
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FRANK (info & advice about drugs) |
0300 123 66 00 |
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Headstrong (Christian-based charity serving the emotional, social and spiritual needs of young people.) |
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Kooth (online mental wellbeing support) |
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The Mix (Essential support for anyone aged 12-25.) |
0808 808 4994 or text THEMIX to 85258 |
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Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH is a registered charity which provides pioneering faith and culturally sensitive services to Muslim youth in the UK.) |
0808 808 2008
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National Association for Children of Alcoholics Providing information, advice and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking |
0800 358 3456 |
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NSPCC - National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (abuse, neglect, domestic violence) |
0800 1111 |
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Off the Record (free self-referral counselling support, ages 14-25, for those who live, work or study in Croydon, Merton or Sutton) |
Croydon: 020 8251 0251 Merton: 0203 984 4004 Sutton: 020 8680 8899 |
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Papyrus (youth suicide prevention) |
0800 068 4141 |
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Rape Crisis (Confidential support for women and girls who have experienced sexual violence.) |
0808 802 9999 |
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Refuge (free 24-hour national domestic abuse helpline) |
0808 2000 247 |
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Relate (UKs largest provider of relationship support; many resources available on their website) |
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Samaritans (distress, despair, suicide prevention) |
116 123 |
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Shout (crisis support) |
Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 |
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Switchboard (LGBT+ helpline) |
0300 330 0630 |
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Victim Support (crime & traumatic events support) |
0808 16 89 111 |
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Wandsworth Young People’s Wellbeing Service (Education Wellbeing Practitioners - EWPs) |
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Winston’s Wish (children’s bereavement support) |
08088 020 021 |
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YoungMinds (info & advice about mental health) |
Text ‘YM’ to 85258 |
Anna Freud Centre
The Anna Freud Centre has prepared excellent resources for self-care over the summer holidays to help children, young people and their parents/carers.
Since the lockdown started back in March 2020, the impact on mental health and wellbeing for all has been significant. Vulnerable children and young people need all the help they can get to come back to education in September with a sense of wellbeing. This resource is easily accessible and there is a crisis contact line families could use.
Keeping children safe online is paramount as the reliance on virtual and digital resources and means of communicating increases. We have a dedicated page of resources to help parents keep their children safe when they are online. Click the button below to visit it.
Children and Young People's Mental Health and Coronavirus
stem4 have published a useful book of effective strategies to help parents help their children to deal with new challenges and establish resilience for the future.
Download a copy of this excellent resource here.
Parent / Carer Liaison
Jemma Hughes is our Parent / Carer Liaison, if you need support with tips and guidance then please contact her either via email: jemma.hughes@southfieldsacademy.com or leaver her a telephone message on 020 8875 2229
Gaming and gambling awareness
Follow this link for a useful resource for your child about the dangers of online gambling.
Safeguarding
During the summer break, Wandsworth Lifelong Learning are running a short course for parents to help them keep their children safe when they are online. See details below to sign up:
Keeping Children Safe Online
During this short course you will learn how children and young people use the internet and technology, explore the risks encountered by young people and learn how to minimise these risks. You will also learn how to support your child and young person to become resilient when online and discover how to help your child to use social networking safely.
Duration
2 x 2 hour sessions
Starts the 4th August
Times: 10.00am – 12.00pm
To register your interest please click here
Online Platform: Google Classroom
For more information please contact Sharon and Betty:
t: Sharon on 077 685 42337 (Mon – Tues), Betty on 07951 149695 (Wed – Fri)
e: edlifelonglearning@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk
Helpful organisations
We will post a list of helpful organisations here in the near future. In the meantime Wandsworth Borough Council provides many useful resources and sources of help for parents on their Family Information Service website.
Physical Health and Wellbeing:
Coronavirus Information.
Central London Community Healthcare are there for you.
Your CLCH health visiting and school nursing service in Wandsworth are running a 7 day a week 9am-5pm duty line for parents and young people to call for support and advice.
Call them on: 0330 058 1679
Or email them on: Clcht.0-19wandsworthandrichmondadmin@nhs.net
They have also produced these helpful resources for you: