Early Help

Early Help

Early Help is everybody’s responsibility. Together we will make sure that children, young people and their families are safe, happy and ready for school, work and life’s challenges.

Early help may be provided unknowingly by families, friends or neighbours but we know organisations like the local authority, the NHS, the education sector and the voluntary and community sectors have an important role to play.

There is strong evidence that helping families early and providing support at the right time in the right place can reduce the likelihood of problems escalating and improve long term outcomes for children, young people and their families. This enables families to move on from difficulty and lead happier and healthier lives with students more likely to achieve their full potential.

Early Help supports better outcomes for children and families.

At Laurus Ryecroft, our early help offer starts within school. Please contact your child’s Head of Year (HOY) if you require any more information.

Visit Tameside’s Early Help Webpage for more information and resources.

Support in School

At Laurus Ryecroft, we have a range of support and opportunities available to all students.

Electives Programme

Electives are additional opportunities aimed at broadening students’ horizons. All electives at Laurus Ryecroft fall into one of the four cornerstones of the Laurus Trust. Visit our Electives page for more information.

Form Tutor

All students have an allocated form tutor who they see on a daily basis. This is their first point of contact for any issues and parents/carers are encouraged to liaise as required. Form tutors are responsible for overseeing the academic and pastoral wellbeing and liaising with other staff within the school as required to ensure that the appropriate support is in place as soon as a need is identified.

Head of House

All students have an allocated Head of House (HoH) who will work with students on prioritising academic progress, supporting the student to access other help if needed. Visit our House System page for more information.

Head of Year

At Laurus Ryecroft each year group is assigned a specialist Head of Year (HOY). All Heads of Year are dedicated non-teaching members of staff. Heads of Year are able to support students and parents/carers daily with all manner of pastoral issues. Like our learning behaviour mentors, Heads of Year are able to support with social, emotional, behavioural and academic issues. Heads of Year are a first point of call for parents/carers and students, and will be key in any early help offered.

Learning Behaviour Mentor

Learning Behaviour Mentors to work with students who have an identified need, whether that be social, emotional, behavioural or academic.

Team Around the School (TAS)

TAS is a local network consisting of school and other family support services that meet on a regular basis. During meetings, they have a shared conversation about students they may be worried about who may benefit from early help and intervention.

School Nursing Team

School nurses are available on a drop-in or referral basis to see students with medical or wellbeing needs.

Personalised Timetable

Students who have specific needs may be offered a bespoke timetable in conjunction with advice from appropriate professionals.

Kooth Online Wellbeing Support

Kooth is an online wellbeing service, run in partnership with the NHS. Visit the Kooth website for wellbeing resources and free, anonymous support.

Targeted Intervention

Students who receive targeted intervention are supported with reading, comprehension, spelling, grammar, punctuation and basic maths skills.

PP+R Club

At Laurus Ryecroft, homework is known as Preparation, Practice and Retrieval (PP+R). PP&R electives run Monday to Thursday every week. Staff are on hand to support with all PP+R for an elective each school day.

External Agency Support

We work closely with external agencies to access additional support where appropriate. For example, we work with youth engagement workers, family intervention workers, social workers, parental programmes, the local police and PCSO and health professionals.

Wellbeing Drop-In

A weekly wellbeing drop-in session run by the school counsellor is available to any student who would like to discuss a concern.

School Counselling Service

At Laurus Ryecroft we understand that young people benefit from help and support with their emotional and mental health.

School counselling can provide the opportunity for students to talk about any problems or worries that may be troubling them.

Our school counsellor is Mrs C Shaw. The school counsellor offers a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space for students to be able to freely discuss and express their emotions and feelings, helping them to improve the way they feel.

Counselling can help young people learn different ways of coping with their issues, which can help to improve their resilience, both in and out of school.

Counselling remains confidential to ensure there is trust between the counsellor and student, the counsellor will not discuss what has been said in counselling sessions with anyone else, in or out of school, unless there is cause for concern.

If the counsellor is concerned for the student’s wellbeing, and feels that they are unsafe or in danger, they will speak to the Safeguarding officer in school, and potentially parents and carers, and external agencies.

A range of issues can be brought to counselling including stress, anxiety, low mood, bereavement, self-harm, anger, confidence issues, friendship issues, family issues etc.

Students are usually offered up to 6 counselling sessions. In some cases, and dependent on the student issue, more sessions may be arranged.

Sessions are 45 minutes and take place during lesson time.

School Police Officers

At Laurus Ryecroft we have school police officers, read our School Police Officers leaflet for more information.

School Nurse

Our school nurse provides medical and wellbeing support:

  • We provide a comprehensive immunisation and screening programme.
  • We work with children and families to promote and support healthy lifestyles.
  • We work to improve emotional and mental health in children and raise awareness on how to access services.
  • We support children with bed wetting.
  • We support children with additional needs and ensure children have a school focused care plan.
  • We provide a drop in service within most high schools where young people can obtain confidential advice on any aspect of their physical and emotional health.
  • We work closely with our partners in social care to provide support to families dealing with issues surrounding safeguarding children.
  • We give training to school staff and parents regarding medical conditions which may affect children in school.
  • Our health mentors work with families offering brief interventions to children to improve health and well being.

Email [email protected] for more information.

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