Collingwood Primary School

Family feedback: *All staff go out of their way to make sure my child is safe and happy. Excellent care. *I feel the school goes above and beyond to support my child. Thank you. *This school is very caring to the children, and always has a lovely atmosphere. Thank you! *Both of my children are very happy at this school and I am very happy with their progress. The school has good/effective communication with parents. *My child’s older siblings went to this school when they were younger and also loved it. The teachers are fantastic. *Always been a lovely school. All of family members, including myself, went here. *Have always been happy with Collingwood staff and their teaching with all of my children. *Brilliant school – I even returned my child back here after leaving. *The teaching staff are very accommodating and cheerful. Our kids are happy and they always look forward to going to school. *

Support for parents and families

At Collingwood, we have a wide number of systems to support families and children. We provide every child with a key adult to talk to and the opportunity for help with friendships, building self-esteem and for extra nurture time if needed. Parents and carers are encouraged to approach school to request an informal chat or specific support with any issues which may affect their child. This can be via a phone call or a visit. We work very closely with a number of outside agencies such as the North Tyneside Early Help team, and can refer parents and carers for extra help if needed.

At Collingwood, we have a school nurse who visits two afternoons each week to offer support for children, parents and carers. We also work with Debra, who is part of the Family Gateway team and she is always ready to help you and your child with a range of issues.

Hello, I’m Nurse Jane.

I’ve been a Children’s Nurse for thirty years. For the first twenty, I looked after children in the RVI with all sorts of conditions and illnesses. Everything from a bumped head to cancer. For the last ten years I’ve been working in schools. School Nursing is different from hospitals because most of the children I meet now are very healthy and well. But everyone has things that they struggle with from time to time. Because of that, I’ve specialised in supporting parents and children. As well as being a Specialist Nurse I’m a Sleep Practitioner, A Mental Health First Aider and a Solihull Parenting Practitioner.

I’ve trained and developed my skills so I can help with things like:

*Managing an angry child at home and at school. * Picky eaters and over eaters

*Children who may have mental health problems. * Children who don’t sleep or sleep too much

*Children who have experienced or need to prepare for bereavement. * Children who need to build confidence

*Managing children who are challenging or defiant at home. *Children who struggle when their parents separate.

*Supporting parents with strategies to cope and stay calm *Children who may have sensory issues.

*Children who self harm or hurt themselves intentionally. *Children who have speech problems.

*Constipation, Soiling, daytime wetting, bedwetting *Children who are anxious, sad or worried.

*Testing children’s eyesight and hearing and referring them *Children who may have Autism or Attention Deficit

*Measuring children’s height and weight and monitoring them.

*Talking to GP’s and Hospitals on parent’s behalf to find the right services for their child

If you want to make an appointment to speak to me about your child then please speak to the school staff and they’ll book you in to see me or for a telephone call.

FAMILY WORKER -

My name is Mrs Cunningham and I am the Family Worker at Collingwood. I am available for support for children and families across a wide range of issues. Please don't hesitate to contact me at school if you would like a chat about anything.

Part of my role is to support attendance and achievement within school and to form an important link with home. I can support parents and carers with a range of issues eg: boundaries and routines, behaviour difficulties, mental health issues, sleep issues, young carers, debt and housing for example.

I have lots of experience working with families and children and pride myself on being a good listener and problem-solver. I have 2 children myself so am sympathetic to the stresses and strains of modern life. I have links with a wide number of local agencies and charities so can offer practical help. At Collingwood, we are dedicated to improving life chances and opportunities for families through bespoke support and guidance.

My main aim with children is to achieve and maintain health and well-being.

School also runs a number of Early Help Plans in conjunction with North Tyneside. Please visit this website for further information and/or contact school directly if you would like this support for your family.

https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/500/early-help

Happy Child app:

There is one app at the moment which I find fascinating and well worth a look for any parent, it is called “The Happy Child”

Within the app you will be shown short videos and will be asked a few short questions here and there. The main areas that are covered are; the happiness chemicals, the importance of labelling emotions, naming emotions, building deep bonds, the emotional sandbags, communication mistakes, and so much more. This app is great as you can choose how long you want to spend on it daily, 5 minutes or 20, you choose and it doesn’t take long to get through the app, and the best thing is you can go back and refer to at a later date.