Additional care and support for your child and family
As well as working hard to support children’s special educational needs, we also work hard to support the emotional well-being of children and the families in which they live and to do this we employ a small team of pastoral care professionals.
Mentors
At St Luke’s we have 4 experienced mentors who support children with additional emotional, well-being or social needs. Where such needs are preventing a child from being happy or making progress at school, we will ask parents or carers (or indeed parents and carers may ask us first) about ways a mentor’s support could help their child. Mentoring support may last for a short time or a long time: this all depends on the child and his/her needs. Mentors work closely with parents/carers and class teachers and the way they work with children will be completely individualised to a child’s needs. Mentors will share their plans for improving a child’s school experience with everyone and keep everyone informed. Our mentors also support children in transition and crisis.
Transition
Children new to our school (after the normal starting dates in Reception), are given some mentor support to help them settle in; learn about the school and make friends.
Crisis
Children experiencing a crisis (eg bereavement; family break-up; other family or medical crisis etc) can be offered mentor support as long as we know about it! Please let us know if your child could benefit
Counselling
St Luke’s also funds a counselling service for our children. Vicky is our wonderful counsellor who we employ through Dialogue.
Our counsellor supports children who need more intensive emotional support because their emotional needs are impacting on school life. School will contact parents/carers when we would like to refer a child to this service. Parent or carer referrals for her support must be directed through Danny Annaly or Diana Bell.
Vicky works closely with parents and carers of the children she supports and checks in with them regularly even after she has finished working with them.
Safety Support worker
Any parent/carer who feels that their family needs support is encouraged to contact Diana and Danny, Inclusion Managers
Children who are adopted or in care
At St Luke’s we have lots of experience educating and caring for children who are adopted or in care and we have a particularly high number of adopted children. We feel we have a good understanding of children’s attachment needs in school and children who are looked after or adopted make good social and academic progress in our care.
The school receives some funding for each adopted child and we have chosen to spend this money to fund a specialist attachment mentor, Jo Stodart. Jo is undertaking full training as an attachment lead.
AMAZE
Amaze is a charity that offers information, advice and support to parents and carers of children and young people with special needs and disabilities in Brighton & Hove
Amaze is an independent charity whose work with parent / carers and is funded from a variety of sources: Brighton and Hove City Council, health services, grants and donations and dedicated fundraising activities such as the Brighton Marathon and the BIG Cheer Comedy night.
Amaze can support parents who feel their children with SEND are not being well supported by a school; they can support parents through the process of applying for an EHCP; they have wide knowledge of all services available in Brighton & Hove and also organize events themselves. Many St Luke’s parents/carers have found their support invaluable. Click here to go to their website or ring 01273 772289
Additionally…
You may also find this poster of support service contacts useful:
