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Nurture and Well-being

Edith Moorhouse Primary School is committed to supporting all individuals to access school life and develop their confidence and nurture their individuality.

When a child needs support, we offer an approach that is personalised to the individual needs of the child and is regularly assessed based on the progress. Depending on the success of the intervention, it may either be withdrawn or extended.

Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

Well-being for Kids

With well-being increasingly hot on the agenda, helping children manage their health and well-being is a top priority. Nothing can beat getting out in the fresh air, meeting friends and having fun, but some children may find apps useful for things such as learning about emotions, managing anxiety etc. There are thousands of these types of apps, but to cut through the fog, Internet Matters have put together a list which gives details such as: suitable ages, purpose, how the app works and (where applicable) the cost.

You can find the list of apps HERE.

The Ark

"A highlight of your culture is the support you provide for the children of Forces families who experience unique challenges both socially and educationally. The Ark Nurture base is a star here as it supports children to write letters, facetime and provide care packages for parents when they are deployed." Edith Moorhouse Primary School RLT Safeguarding Review Feedback - Barb Timms, RLT Safeguarding Lead 6.3.24 

The Ark

At Edith Moorhouse we are very proud of our nurture provision within the Ark. Mrs Parry (Family Links Nurture Practitioner) works with children from across the school in a range of activities to support children with Emotional literacy and social skills. Some weekly sessions are 1:1, some are in small groups. 

The Ark is a calm and welcoming space for all children to access should they need to. It is a place for children to have the opportunity to grow in confidence and become engaged, successful learners in their classrooms and the school community.

The Ark is an environment where adults and children work closely together; where children learn about themselves and their world, at a pace and in a way that suits them.

Our nurture provision is designed to be a bridge between home and school; a place where children can feel safe and secure. There is much evidence that children’s learning is most effective when they have a sense of emotional well-being and positive self-esteem. The Ark provides children with this opportunity and so helps to develop their maturity and resilience.

The Ark is a place of learning. As well as weekly 1:1 and small group sessions, The Ark is also open and available to access at lunchtimes. All children are able to come and spend time with their friends, play games and have the opportunity to talk to a trusted adult in a safe
and warm environment.

Currently available:

  • Strengths and Needs family support
  • 1:1 targeted nurture or ELSA support 
  • Skills group
  • Friendly forces
  • Military children's club
  • Lunchtime club

The Ark's Aims

Which children attend nurture?

Children may attend sessions in The Ark for specific reasons, for example:

  • Friendship support – keeping/making friends
  • Quiet, shy, withdrawn
  • Support with listening to others or join in
  • Support with how to accept losing a game, sharing and taking turns
  • Transition support
  • Low self esteem
  • Bereavement
  • Family illness or break-up

How long will my child be visiting The Ark for?

Children attend on a short-term basis in weekly group or 1:1 sessions. However, we ensure that the children do not miss special assemblies, guests in school, outings or anything else that may be different from the normal routine of the week.

How will The Ark help my child?

The Ark will boost confidence and self-esteem and provide children with the extra help sometimes needed to improve social skills and independence for example:

  • To join in
  • To settle
  • To listen
  • To concentrate
  • To share and take turns
  • To accept losing a game
  • To build up friendships with their classmates

It gives them a chance and helps to encourage a more positive profile among their peers and members of staff.

Young Carers

Are you a Young Carer?

A Young Carer is someone under the age of 18 who has caring responsibilities for a family member at home.

The caring tasks that a Young Carer can deal with ranges from:  

  • Practical tasks 
  • Physical care 
  • Personal and intimate care 
  • Emotional support 
  • Household management 
  • Looking after siblings 
  • Interpretation 
  • Administering medication 
  • Taking responsibility of younger siblings 
  • Financial care 

If you are a Young Carer, doing some of these tasks might make it hard for you to come to school or affect your ability to focus and concentrate to the best of their ability when you are here. 

  • Concentration problems, anxiety or worry in school  
  • Emotional distress  
  • Tiredness in school  
  • Lack of time for homework  
  • Poor attainment  
  • Physical problems such as back pain from lifting  
  • False signs of maturity, because of assuming adult roles  
  • Being late or absent due to responsibilities at home  
  • Behavioural problems (taking out their anger or frustration)  
  • Lack of time for extracurricular activities  
  • Feeling that no one understands and that no support is available  
  • Low self esteem 

At Edith Moorhouse Primary School, we want to ensure all Young Carers are offered support.

To read the Edith Moorhouse Young Carer Policy, please visit the policies page. 

Finding Help Outside of School

There are lots of people and organisations that offer support and advice. Try to be open about being a young carer with these organisations, as hiding it may prevent you from getting the help you may need.

  • Be Free Young Carers The only charity in Oxfordshire devoted to improving young carers’ well-being and opportunities, through the provision of recreational, emotional and social support.
  • Swindon Carers Centre We provide respite opportunities, through term-time groups and/or holiday activities, to allow young carers to have a break from their caring responsibilities. Additional services can be available at the charity’s discretion, such as 1:1 support and/or funding when respite alone is not enough.
  • Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the front door to Children’s Social Care for all child protection and immediate safeguarding concerns. If there is an immediate safeguarding concern where a child is deemed at risk or has potentially suffered significant harm, the MASH team should be contacted immediately.
  • NHS Help for young carers If you're a young carer, friends and relatives are often the first people to turn to for help with problems. Talking things through with them can be really helpful. If you find it hard to talk to others, try to write your thoughts in a diary, poem or letter first. This can help to make sense of your thoughts and how you feel, before getting help.
  • Young Support for Young Carers If you are a young carer and looking after someone on a regular basis, there is support and help available to help you cope. If you're helping to look after someone – for example, you're cleaning regularly, helping them move around indoors or outdoors, or supporting them with their personal needs – you have certain legal rights to help you get some extra support (introduced in the Children Act 1989 and the Children and Families Act 2014).
  • The Children's Society Our legendary Young Carers Festival has been giving carers the opportunity to have fun, relax, and meet other carers for the last twenty years. And that’s not all. The festival is also a political platform for young carers to get their voices heard and influence change for others around the country. During the last festival weekend, we asked young people about their experiences of loneliness and isolation. They shared their stories, told us how they were identified as a young carers, and all of their words fed back to help influence a Government funding scheme.
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