Coronavirus - School Information
Maintaining your family’s wellbeing while children are at home is very important.
The Department for Education have published the the following information and signpost to helpful links which can be used to support your family at this time.
Social connections, alongside exercise, sleep, diet and routine, are important protective factors for mental health. Materials to promote and support mental wellbeing are included in the list of online resources we have published to help children to learn at home. Public Health England’s Rise Above platform supports young people. The Department of Health and Social Care is providing £5 million of additional funding to support mental health charities to increase their provision for adults and children at this time. Social isolation, reduced exercise, and bereavement, may affect children’s wellbeing in this period.
Resources to promote and support children and young people’s mental wellbeing include:
- MindEd educational resources for adults about children and young people’s mental health, which is relevant for parents and carers as well as volunteers, teachers, and other professionals working with children
- the Every Mind Matters platform which supports looking after your own and other’s mental health
- guidance on looking after wellbeing and mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
- guidance on supporting children’s wellbeing and mental health
All NHS mental health trusts are setting up 24/7 helplines, and seeking to use digital and virtual channels, to continue delivering support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers
-------------------------------------------------------
As a school, we have gathered the following information and links that you may find useful in supporting your child at this time.
Coronavirus – A guide for Children by the Children’s Commissioner
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/cco-childrens-guide-to-coronavirus.pdf This booklet contains lots of reassuring advice for children, as well as ideas for and links to some interesting activities.
Advice for parents and carers on supporting children concerned about COVID
https://emergingminds.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/COVID19_advice-for-parents-and-carers_20.3_.pdf
Parents guide to supporting anxiety
This is a fantastic website that has details of books, weblinks, apps, videos and contains resources around emotional / mental health.
https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/
Bereavement Support Winston’s Wish https://www.winstonswish.org/
Young People’s area https://help2makesense.org/
Child Bereavement UK https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
Wellmind
WellMind is a free NHS mental health and wellbeing app designed to help you with stress, anxiety and depression. The app includes advice, tips and tools to improve your mental health and boost your wellbeing. (Available on iOS and Android)
Sleep
Relax Melodies - Combining over 100 relaxation sounds, melodies, binaural beats and white noise, Relax Melodies allows you to create your very own relaxing soundscapes. Play them all night or for a determined period of time, thanks to its built-in timer. (Available on iOS and Android)
Staying Safe Online During Lockdown
To support parents during COVID-19 and the closure of schools, CEOP we will be releasing new home activity packs each fortnight with simple, age appropriate, 15 minute activities you can do with your child to support their online safety at a time when they will spending more time online at home. https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Support-tools/home-activity-worksheets/
