Well-being Information and Resources

At Thomas A Becket Juniors we understand the importance of working in partnership with our families and this is key when supporting the wellbeing of our children.  We hope you find the information and links on this page a useful resource to support you as parents and carers now and in the future.  Please remember to be mindful that we have endeavoured to check all the suggested websites but there are many links within them and checking them all would be impractical and impossible. We trust that our  parents and carers are best placed to decide what they feel is appropriate for their child's needs.

Useful Resources, Information and Web Links

We have a commitment to wellbeing at TAB and have, for some time, used the ‘Five ways to Wellbeing’ ethos to improve outcomes for our whole community.  You may already be aware of this but if not here is a good place to start.

NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing

We understand there are times when parents and carers need some more specific information to help the children manage their feelings and emotions.

Physical tools for reducing anxiety written by Mel Newton and Fliss McHale.

Self-harm

As a school we are also aware that some primary school children will self-harm, we are aware that this can be quite shocking for parents/carers to discover.  West Sussex has invested in training and advice for professionals and within this advice is the document below.

Understanding Self-Harm

YMCA DownsLink Group and West Sussex Mind are working in partnership to form the Self-Harm Learning Network - a new initiative to help children and young people who are at risk of self-harming. The network provides inclusive training for parents and professionals, focus groups with young people, and a range of helpful resources (below) to support youth mental health and self-harm. The resources offer practical tools, advice, and guidance for parents and carers, teachers, and healthcare professionals.

Some Book Recommendations

Starving the Anxiety Gremlin 5-9 (Kate Collins-Donnelly) older version also available

Starving the Anger Gremlin 5-9 (Kate Collins-Donnelly) older version also available

The Huge Bag of Worries (Virginia Ironside) -  younger children

What to Do When You Worry Too Much (Dawn Huebner PHD)

What to Do When Your Temper Flares (Dawn Huebner PHD)

Help I’ve got an Alarm Bell Going Off in my Head (K.L Aspden)- older children- particularly those who have experienced trauma/ have pronounced anxiety

The Invisible String (Patrice Karst) - for young children who may be missing contact with significant people in their lives.

Beyond Toddlerdom (Dr Christopher Green) - has some short, practical advice sections on sibling conflict and routines

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) Resources

A site created for young people, carers and professionals to pool together resources from across the internet that are available to help support your mental health and wellbeing.  There is a collection of downloadable self-help guides, websites, Apps (some chargeable), videos and recommended books.

CAMHS Resources: HOME

Click the link below for the most up to date Parent/Carer worlshops from CAMHS. These are regularly updated by the service and have sessions on anxiety, behavioural challenges and sleep to name but a few.

CAMHS Parent/Carer Workshop Pre-recorded Webinars

Events in Ukraine

The media (television, radio, print, and the internet) play a part in our lives. The media can inform and educate us and our children. Unfortunately, the media coverage of a traumatic event also has the potential to upset and confuse. There are many ways that parents can help children understand media coverage of traumatic events and manage their exposure.  Here are a couple of links that offer advice.

Top tips for talking to your young person about the events in Ukraine

Tips for Parents and Caregivers on Media Coverage of Traumatic Events by NCCTS

Bereavement Support

There are times in children’s lives where someone they love dies, many children are able to manage during this time with nurturing support from school.  However,  they need extra support to manage their emotions. Please talk to us during these times we can then offer advice and signpost to specialist support.  Below is a short animation that can help those bereaved to understand grief and how to manage it and some useful websites.

Zones of Regulation at TAB

At Thomas A Becket Juniors we are committed to help the children learn about, recognise and understand their emotions and begin to find strategies to regulate those emotions themselves. This is based on the ‘Zones of Regulation’ by Leah M. Kuypers.  Every class has lessons that encourage the children to talk about the various ‘Zones’ they find themselves in throughout the day and strategies they can use to move into a  ‘ Zone’  that promotes learning or encourages them to have a positive playtime.

We want the children to understand that everyone encounters different emotions but it is the situation they find themselves in that can cause difficulty, not the emotion itself.  To help the children we began by discussing feelings using this clip Inside Out: Guessing the feelings.  You will probably recognise them from the film ‘Inside Out’.  We encourage parents to use the ‘Zones’ language at home to help the children develop strategies for home use too.  We hope the following information will help you understand and feel free to let us know if you have any questions.

We are helping the children to create a toolbox that they can use to regulate their emotions (some classes are currently at different stages in this process).  If your child is struggling to regulate their emotions, you may find the resources below useful to discuss with your child and to create your own toolboxes that can work at home.  In class, they are encouraged to think about the tool that they need to use to get them back to the appropriate zone for the activity they need to do.

This is a really useful resource explaining the Zones of Regulation.

Useful Resources, Information and Web Links for Home Learning

Here is some information that although were created for home learning during the pandemic have strategies that support parents with homework.

Information for families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities