Early Help Offer

Early Help Lead - Mrs Gascoigne

“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few we can solve by ourselves.”

― Lyndon B. Johnson

Early Help is about working together with our families to make sure every child has the best possible start in life. We know that providing the right support, at the right time, can make a big difference. By identifying and addressing a child or family’s needs early, we can increase protective factors that support their wellbeing and reduce any risks that may be impacting their life.

We believe that strong partnerships between home and school are key to a child’s happiness, health, and success.

Pastoral Support – Miss Teale

Our Pastoral Lead, Miss Teale, is regularly available on the playground at the start and end of the school day. She is there to:

• Offer a listening ear.

• Provide guidance and emotional support.

• Help families access further advice or services.

If you would like to speak with Miss Teale in more detail, you can contact the school office to make an appointment.

A Home Visit for Every Child

We believe the first meeting with a child and their parents should be in a place where they feel comfortable and confident — their own home. A home visit allows:

• Children to meet their teacher or key person in a safe, familiar space.

• Parents/Carers and children to build a positive relationship with staff from the very beginning.

• Opportunities to share important information about your child so we can tailor support from the start.

Our Sunflower Room 🌻

We are proud to have created our Sunflower Room – a warm, comfortable space designed for:

• Private meetings between parents and our Learning Mentor, SENDCo, or other professionals.

• Supportive conversations in a calm and welcoming environment.

• Workshops, small group sessions, and coffee mornings where parents can access advice and guidance.

The Sunflower Room is at the heart of our Early Help approach, ensuring families feel valued, listened to, and supported.

Health Visitor Support

Our nursery has regular visits from the School Readiness Health Visitor who can:

• Give advice on toilet training, behaviour, sleep routines, fussy eating, and dental health.

• Quickly refer children to other services if there are any concerns about their development.

• Signpost parents to useful resources and local support groups.

School Nursing Service

Supporting children and young people throughout their school years. School Nurses can provide advice on physical health, emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, sleep, continence, toileting, and medical conditions. They can also offer health assessments, support families with health concerns, and signpost or refer to other specialist services when needed.

SEND Support, Workshops, and Coffee Mornings

SENDCO - Mrs McNamee

Our SENDCO and Pastoral Lead host regular coffee mornings and workshops where parents can:

• Share experiences and concerns.

• Learn about the Local SEND Offer.

• Find out about services and resources available for their child’s needs.

• Meet visiting professionals who are linked to the needs of our families – for example, specialists in speech and language, behaviour support, occupational therapy, and emotional wellbeing. These sessions give parents a valuable opportunity to ask questions, seek guidance, and build connections with services that can offer ongoing support.

• Some recent coffee mornings included a focus on: Masking, Behaviour, Anxiety and Transition to the junior School. 

Mental Health Support

• Our Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) visits regularly and works closely with our Senior Mental Health Lead – the Headteacher. This includes, small group support for children as well as advice and guidance for parents.

• The SENDCO attends Future in Mind training sessions and shares the latest guidance, strategies, and resources with staff to ensure our whole team is up to date and confident in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing.

• We are also running a collaborative project with Wrockwardine Wood Church of England Junior School to further develop our mental health and wellbeing offer for our whole community.

Working with Other Professionals

We work closely with a range of other professionals, please see our Early Help Services Directory page for more information. 

Attendance Monitoring

Attendance is closely monitored each week. Poor attendance can often be a sign that a family needs extra support.
We work with our  Education Welfare Officer (EWO) Helen Carolina to:

• Identify barriers to attendance.

• Offer guidance, support and solutions.

Signposting & Community Support

We regularly share information with families through our weekly newsletter about local support services, workshops, drop-in sessions, community events and activities that may be helpful to parents and carers.

This may include information about:

• School readiness workshops and drop-in sessions
• Family Hub events and activities
• Parenting courses and support groups
• Health and wellbeing sessions
• Cost of living support
• Holiday activities and community events
• SEND information sessions and parent workshops

For information about organisations that provide ongoing support, please visit our Early Help Services Directory, where you will find details of local and national services available to support children, young people and families.

Early Help Assessment

At Wrockwardine Wood Infant School and Nursery, we are committed to working in partnership with families to support children’s wellbeing, development and learning.

Sometimes families may benefit from a little extra help or advice. This might be around routines at home, behaviour, sleep, parenting support, family relationships, emotional wellbeing or accessing services in the community. Early support can help prevent small worries from becoming bigger concerns.

What is an Early Help Assessment?

An Early Help Assessment is a way of identifying support for children and families at the earliest opportunity. It allows us to build a clear picture of what is going well and where additional support may be helpful.

The assessment is completed with parents and carers and focuses on the strengths of the child and family, as well as identifying any areas where support may be beneficial.

An Early Help Assessment can help to:

• identify the needs of a child and family

• bring together the right support at the right time

• ensure professionals work together to support the family

• develop a simple plan to help achieve positive outcomes.

Working with Family Hubs

Our school works closely with Telford & Wrekin Family Hubs, who provide a wide range of support for families with children.

Family Hubs can offer support such as:

• parenting advice and courses

• support with routines, sleep and behaviour

• emotional wellbeing support

• support with family relationships

• access to local services and community groups.

With parental consent, we may work with a Family Hubs practitioner to help coordinate support for families where it may be helpful.

Working Together

Early Help support is voluntary, and families are fully involved in every step of the process. Our aim is always to work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.