Parenting & Wellbeing Support
We appreciate how difficult it can be to juggle work and family life sometimes. Here we will share information about courses, activities or suggested reading that you may find helpful.
Parenting
Families in Focus
Families in Focus works with children and families with multiple needs or whose needs are more complex, such as families:
struggling with parenting and child behaviours, such as anxiety or violent outbursts
who live with physical or mental health difficulties which have a significant impact on their wellbeing
You can access the latest Families Help bulletin here
and a Parenting Groups Information Booklet.
If you'd like support in talking to your child about difficult issues, have a look at the NSPCC website which has a wealth of information:
Suggested reading
The Whole-Brain Child by Dr Daniel J. Siegel and Dr Tina Payne Bryson
Hold Onto Your Kids: Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté
When the Parents Change, Everything Changes by Paul Dix
Wellbeing
Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community.
(World Health Organization)
At Brunel Field, we aim to promote positive mental health for every member of our community, fostering engagement, motivation and joy for learning through an inclusive approach. We aim to recognise and respond to mental ill health, and promote a safe and stable environment for pupils affected both directly, and indirectly by mental ill health.
Mental health and safeguarding are everyone’s responsibility but our mental health first aiders are Lou Brewer and Jiah Wells. They have been trained how to support positive mental health and recognise warning signs which might indicate a person is having difficulties. Disclosures will be managed sensitively and confidentially in a calm, supportive and non-judgemental way and signposting offered to help find solutions to problems.
Teaching about Mental Health
The skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our pupils to keep themselves and others physically and mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our PSHE and RSE curriculum, using the Jigsaw programme. The content of lessons will be determined by the specific needs of the cohort we’re teaching, but there will always be an emphasis on enabling pupils to develop the skills, knowledge, understanding, language and confidence to seek help, as needed, for themselves or others. We ensure that we teach mental health and emotional wellbeing issues in a safe and sensitive manner which helps rather than harms, through emotion vocabulary, Zones of Regulation and developing an understanding of the body’s internal senses.
Working with Parents
We want to keep parents informed about the mental health topics their children are learning about in PSHE and share ideas for extending and exploring this learning at home. There is also a Spotlight on Safeguarding section in our weekly newsletter which often focuses on mental health issues and signposts to supportive agencies.
If you have concerns regarding your child’s mental wellbeing, please talk to their teacher or contact our SENDCO, Kate Spens, to see how the school can support you.
For more information and suggested self-help ideas, go to: