What is Early Help?

Early help, also known as early intervention, is support given as soon as a concern emerges, at any stage in a child or young person's life (Department for Education (DfE), 2018).

Early help services can be delivered to parents, children or whole families, but their main focus is to improve outcomes for children. At Great Waldingfield CEVC Primary School, we understand that from time to time family life may have its complications. To support and advise families at such times we offer Early Help.

Why might I need Early Help?

There are lots of reasons why people look for early help:

Worries about a child’s health, development or behaviour; worries about how they are doing at school; there may be worries about money or housing and how that is affecting the family. Families may be affected by domestic abuse, separation, bereavement, drugs, alcohol, mental health or crime. Early help can provide the tools to solve any challenges or problems experienced by children and their families.

What support can we offer?

Everyday Support

There is lots in place in our school every day that provides additional early help and support:

• Early Birds breakfast club – sometimes it helps children to settle into their school day if they arrive a little earlier and enjoy breakfast with friends. The outside activities promote a healthy lifestyle.
• T. Birds after school club – it may help to introduce children to a wider circle of friends and an opportunity for different types of play
• Opportunities to access nurture and support to help children to talk about their emotions and cope with feelings with support from our ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants)
• Our school curriculum which promotes the importance of health, open minds and kind hearts
• A range of intervention programmes including early language intervention, maths, phonics and reading to provide extra support for children if they need it
• Events for you as parents and carers to come into school, including opportunities to learn alongside your child/ren.
• Access to daily fresh fruit and vegetables for our EYFS/KS1 pupils through the Government’s scheme
• Our School Council which seeks and represents the views of our pupils
• Second hand uniform and financial support for trips, residential trips, clubs etc. (Free School Meals/Pupil Premium children)
• Strong links with the community and our local church
• Robust system for recording, sharing and monitoring concerns

Community Resources

Our school has links with a range of agencies to whom a referral for extra support can be made including:

Children and Young People’s Services

Special Education Services (SES)

Speech and Language

School Nursing

Suffolk Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing Hub

Primary Mental Health Workers (Suffolk)

One Life Suffolk

Suffolk Young Carers

Suffolk Parenting Hub

Educational Welfare Officer (EWO)