Mental Health & Parenting - Support and Advice
We think you will find the information and advice helpful, but please remember these are links to external websites and documents created by others. The Beacon is not responsible for their content.
There is further information on the Supporting My Child’s Learning page and Online Safety page.
Anxiety
Toolkit for Parents and Carers. Explanations and practical ideas which follow the same strategies we use for all children in school. From the Anna Freud Mentally Healthy Schools website.
What Parents need to know about Worry and Anxiety This guide explores the impacts of worry and anxiety on children, and offers advice on how to support young people struggling with these experiences.
Bullying.
TheAnti-Bullying Alliance website has a large selection of tools, information and ways parents and carers can support their child and work positively with school to resolve bullying.
Devon Services this website has links to all sorts of different Devon services providing for every need, contact details for disability services, carers services, safety and much more.
Depression in children. This guide is published by the Welsh Government and helps you spot the signs, gives advice and practical ways you can support your child.
Disability
The Scope website has a list of books and resources to support parents and carers talk about disability with their child.
Drugs and Alcohol
The Devon Children's Safeguarding Board has information and support including links to other sites.
Early Help
Early Help is an offer across Devon from all professionals working with and supporting families. We all recognise that there are times when all families need help, support and advice to find solutions to a difficulty they are facing. Early Help is a proactive, solution-focussed strategy that supports the family to move forward. It’s a way for professionals to support you - it’s certainly not a ‘done to’ but a ‘done with’ experience. There’s more information onDevon’s Early Help here. If you would like to find out more, just mention it to any member of staff.
Food Bank A link to the Exmouth Food Bank, or ask us in school. Please note we do store a small amount of food for emergencies - ask in the office.
Friendships and relationships
This website has a range of videos, ideas and resources to help parents support their child to develop and maintain positive relationships and learn the vital skills of conflict resolution.
The National College have issued a guide to Encouraging Healthy Friendships - 10 Top Tips to help foster healthy friendships among children and young people.
The National College have issued a guide to Fair Play and Friendly Competition - Top Tips to help you ensure your child has an enjoyable game without unhealthy approaches to winning and losing polluting what could be an uplifting experience for all.
The National College have issued a guide to Making Friends Online. It offers advice for parents and educators on helping children navigate online friendships safely.
Happy Families at The Beacon every half term, our SEMH Advisory Teacher Mrs Beverley Cawthera runs a Happy Families session which is open to all parents, carers, grandparents - all the adults who care for our children. Mrs Cawthera is an expert is all sorts of areas of children's mental health, wellbeing and learning. She's a designated safeguarding lead and an experienced SENDCo. We will advertise the sessions on Jotter and our newsletters, but drop in or email us if you want to find out more. Parents and carers who have attended tell us these sessions are really helpful.
Mental Health. The Anna Freud foundation has lots of advice around Mental Health, neurodiversity, anxiety and much, much more - this is a link to their resources page.
10 a Day for Mental Health is a super set of resources and advice for everyone from the Normal Magic team.
NHS site - includes information about a range of areas of mental health and wellbeing
School Avoidance - this guide aims to help you understand the issue of school avoidance - not only its potential roots and ramifications, but also what you can do to help children and young people navigate these obstacles and continue their education.
Promoting Physical Wellbeing Physical activity isn't only beneficial for our bodies; it also plays a role in promoting mental wellbeing. This guide provides expert advice on how to impress the importance of physical wellbeing on children and young people.
Top Tips for supporting children to build emotional resilience
Parent Guide to Mental Health & Wellbeing apps
Safety over the Festive Season
Racism and Black Lives Matter. This guide offers support to parents and carers who may worry about how to open up conversations about racism with their children.
Routines and developing independence. This website has a range of videos, ideas and resources to help parents support their young child to develop healthy routines.
Solihull Parent Support
Solihull is one of those things that parents and carers who’ve done it wish they’d known about before! It’s a nationally recognised programme where parents and carers can learn from professionals about childhood development, and take the time to consider the changes they can take control of so that the stresses of family life and being a parent are reduced for you and for your child. We aim to run Solihul twice each year. Mrs Julie Garrett and Miss Leigh Pavey are both trained to lead this. Please do get in touch to find out more.
Special Educational Needs
See also our SEND webpage
Devon's SEND and Local Offer - information about Special Educational Needs.
SEND transition support - moving class / moving school.
Starting School and Transitions.
This website has tips for parents of children in the lead up to and when they first start school.
Creative Education have a course parents and carers can sign up for about supporting your child when they're starting a new school.
12 Tips for a smooth Year 6 to 7 transition
Separation Anxiety. Explanations and practical ideas to help parents and carers to support their child and reduce separation anxiety. From the Anna Freud Mentally Healthy Schools website.
Separation - when families separate. Advice and support for parents, carers and schools where parents are separating. Devon Family Separation Support Pack.
Sleep - Mind provide helpful advice to support your child to return to a positive sleep pattern.