We care about all our families and we are here for you!
Social Learning Mentor
Mrs Atkinson Jones
Mrs Atkinson Jones is our full time Social Learning Mentor who works alongside staff to further support both children and families from Nursery to Year 6.
Mrs Atkinson Jones supports school staff to meet children's needs. Mental Health and Social Emotional wellbeing are essential basic needs for children and their families to thrive. Often it can be difficult to know what supporting services are available in Newton Aycliffe and the wider community.
Mrs Atkinson Jones has a wealth of experience in signposting families to other services including voluntary services that can help support families.
We encourage all families to trust that information you share with us is confidential and that we will do all we can to access support that will make a difference.
Mrs Atkinson Jones has a personal message to all families-
IngredIents for Making a Difference
0- ZERO PRESSURE - it's not necessarily about fixing everything- it's about having a chat and sharing worries and concerns.
1-FRIENDLY EAR (or two). We understand that listening is as important as talking.
2. CUPS- natter over a brew or a biscuit or drop a text. Recognise that small actions make a big difference.
3. LITTLE WORDS- 'How are you?' Showing we care- just being there. Mixed together with one large spoon of understanding. We understand that with mental health not all days are good. We are here to support you.
METHOD- start today, stir it up and contact Mrs Atkinson Jones.
If you would like support/advice from Mrs Atkinson Jones please contact school on 01325 300334 or by contacting her direct on her work mobile 07767 675110 during the school day in term time.
Mrs Atkinson Jones covers gate duty at entrance B morning.
News
Wellbeing Award for Schools
On March 30th 2022 we earned the Wellbeing Award for Schools. As part of this award we have completed a Case Study of the work we have completed. We are proud of our Verification Report and are delighted to share this with you via our website.
We are currently working with a mental health practitioner, who comes into school once a week to work with staff and children supporting emotional literacy and helping children to understand their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Piece of Mind colleagues deliver many different interventions and over the course of time we will be developing a programme of support across the whole school.
As part of this work we hope this booklet we have produced helps parents and carers know more about local services and services in the wider community.
Wellbeing Award for Schools Verification Report March 30th 2022
Information Booklet
for
Additional Support
Mental Health and Emotional Support in County Durham
Useful Links
Mental Health Charity for Children and young people committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Lots of useful information as well as a Parent Helpline: 0808 802 5544.
find support that's right for you in our area.
Durham local offer is designed to help you find the very best support for your child from birth to 25 years if the have special educational needs and disabilities. You will find information, advice and guidance about the types of services and support available to you.
This is a really useful website with lots of emotional and mental health advice and information.
Deputy Head Teacher, Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator and Wellbeing Lead.
Mrs K Legge
Mrs Legge is our Deputy Headteacher, Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator, Designator Teacher for Children Looked After, Safeguarding Lead and Wellbeing Lead.
Mrs Legge works closely with Mrs Atkinson Jones co-ordinating support for children and families. Our plan for this academic year, following the lifting of Covid19 restrictions will be to plan parent/carer events to support families. More information will be sent in school newsletters.
We do have a school instagram account 'Sugar Hill Primary' linked purely and simply to share emotional wellbeing posts. We warmly invite you to become one of our followers.
Mrs Legge has a personal message to all families-
I have worked at Sugar Hill Primary for ten years now. Throughout this time I have worked alongside Mrs Atkinson Jones supporting families. We are committed to helping families find solutions to any concerns and worries. Reaching out for support when it is needed is the first step to making a difference. Life can be a real challenge for us all and there is no shame in asking for help when it is needed. We have links with other professionals and voluntary services that we can signpost families to. We often can't control what happens in our lives but we can control what we do about it.
ALWAYS REMEMBER-
'People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don't need help'
Glennon Doyle
UPDATE LETTER RE EMOTIONAL WELLBEING AWARD FOR SCHOOLS March 29th 2022
Dear Parents and Carers,
It is an exciting week here at Sugar Hill Primary. On Wednesday March 30th Colin Noble will be visiting school and speaking with children, staff, parents and governors about all the work we have been doing for the Emotional Wellbeing Award in Schools.
School Leaders, Staff and Governors have always shared a commitment and passion for driving school wellbeing and from parent/carer surveys we know that this is equally as important to you. Thank you!
We are proud of our real sense of belonging here at Sugar Hill and our strong community approach. We are so grateful for all your positive comments about how you feel school have supported you and your family throughout the Covid19 pandemic. We have certainly worked as a team and we could not have done, what we have done, without your trust and support in us. It has been an unprecedented time for us all and what a journey it has been!
We are proud of the work we do in this area and how the promotion of emotional wellbeing and mental health is core to our whole school community. We are proud of our school and our welcoming, none judgmental, caring, supportive, nurturing, happy, safe and positive ethos.
A strong vision and ethos, alongside our commitment to wellbeing aims have been shared by everyone as we have worked to improve the emotional wellbeing and mental health of our whole school community particularly throughout the Covid19 pandemic.
We feel that this work has allowed us to demonstrate our open door policy, listening to the needs of everyone, and breaking down barriers where we hope everyone, children, parents, carers and staff can feel confident to ask for or seek support and through this work that staff are more confident in identifying those who require support and signposting or providing support.
I am delighted to let you know that parent and carer surveys were extremely positive and overwhelmingly support the work of staff and children in school. Parent/carer praise and gratitude for staff in school is exceptional. Comments will be added to our school website page after Colin’s visit on Wednesday.
We are extremely proud of all your children and how they have returned to school since the lockdowns. Our new Global Curriculum is well underway and we can’t wait to see you all at the Showcase Events to celebrate learning throughout Spring Term 2022.
As we carry forward this area of work in school it is important to note that all staff in school are Emotional Wellbeing Ambassadors and children in each class have been appointed as ambassadors too. This includes children as young as three, who attend our Nursery,
We are hoping that with the easing of Covid19 restrictions across school that this pupil voice group will be able to support children across all year groups in school. These pupil ambassadors will be working alongside our Year 6 Pupil Leadership Team to ensure we keep emotional wellbeing at the very heart of what we do here at Sugar Hill.
For all parents and carers who completed the Parent Carer Emotional Wellbeing Survey the lucky winner for the Emotional Wellbeing Hamper will be contacted on Friday 1st April when a Year 6 pupil will randomly select a winner during our celebration assembly.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Mrs K Legge (Deputy Head Teacher and Emotional Wellbeing Lead)
