Medical needs can vary considerably from pupil to pupil and range from acute (broken bones), chronic (brittle bones) to life limiting/threatening. The impact of the medical condition can also vary and therefore an individual response is required for all pupils with medical needs.
In many instances reasonable adaptations and inclusive practice can improve access to education for pupils with medical needs, without needing to escalate to alternative provision. In Cambridgeshire we use a tiered approach, as per the below picture.
| Tier 4 | Alternative Provision |
| Tier 3 | Specialist support: training, interventions and referrals to external services |
| Tier 2 | Targeted support: Individualised assessments and reasonable adjustments |
| Tier 1 | Universal support: Whole school policies, planning and OAP |
Tier 1 approach is often effective for repeated childhood illnesses. Cambridgeshire County Council recognises that some pupils, depending on the medical condition and medical information received, may have to escalate straight to tier 4, for example unplanned surgery, life threatening/limiting conditions etc.
The below PowerPoint is a useful tool which explores different approaches which can be used in each tier
Primary School aged pupils
SEND Access and Inclusion Co-ordinators advise primary schools on exclusions/suspensions, medical needs, reduced timetables and Alternative Provision.
They can be accessed via a referral to the primary school’s Link Practitioner, emailed directly or during Access & Inclusion consultations and via the exclusion hotline.
Secondary School aged pupils
Education Inclusion Officers (EIO’s) work with secondary schools to ensure all students have access to suitable education provision that meets the needs of the students.
They work with schools, families and external agencies to oversee educational provision for students with medical and mental health needs, in line with Section 19 statutory requirements.
EIO’s advise schools on gathering and recording information, available alternatives to mainstream education and mediation with families. EIO’s can signpost to external agencies that may be able to support the young person.
Every secondary school has an allocated EIO who meets regularly with the school’s Inclusion Leads and Heads. Pupils can be discussed during inclusion meetings or via contacting the EIO directly.
EIO’s recommend that secondary schools follow the checklist for medical needs, please see attachment below.
Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
The impact of EBSA can vary from pupil to pupil, in many instances, prompt support and adaptations can help reduce anxiety and improve school attendance. The below EBSA toolkit provides information, guidance and strategies to help support pupils with EBSA on both an individual and school-based approach.
Medical Needs Supporting Documents
It is essential that all interventions are recorded, monitored and impact analysed. This can help to manage expectations and assist professionals to understand what has been tried, before they offer solution-focused support. The following list can assist with recording and monitoring:
- IAEP – secondary-age pupils
- Individual health care plans (as part of ADPR)
- Electronic reduced timetable (records hours and type) – for LA
- One page profile or written record – signed by parent
- Provision map/ ADPR
- TAFs and/or meeting notes
- Full chronology of all interventions and communication
- Secondary schools - use AP directory for approved provision and quality assured
- Transition plan from AP back into school for both short and long term
- Outcomes which are measurable and realistic, developed based on individual need
Parents are not required to provide schools with medical evidence in order for an absence to be recorded with an I code. If a school has no reason to disbelief the validity of the absence, then an I code should be used.
Medical information can be sought if, as a school, you have doubts or require additional input from professionals to guide interventions, especially concerning the need for external alternative provision.
Medical information is not essential for the tiered approach to be used; schools should recognise that pupils on the waiting list for support may struggle to provide such information. In which case liaising with GP’s and other professionals may be helpful but shouldn’t delay using the tiered approach.
|
Don’t |
Do |
|
Repeatedly ask for medical information.
|
Use the term medical information |
|
Ask for a sick note/ medical certificate. |
Follow your medical needs process in your attendance policy
|
|
Refuse to put in adaptations because medical information has not been received.
|
Liaise with medical professionals to discuss provision on offer and obtain guidance |
|
Refuse to use the I code (not unless medical needs process has been followed first).
|
Consider I coding absences, unless you have reason to doubt the validity of the absence |
|
Explain why medical information and gaining consent is so important |
If a pupil is unable to access the school setting or alternative provision due to ill health and there is no doubt to the validity of the absence, then an I code can be used.
When a pupil on a reduced timetable is not expected to access the school setting or alternative provision then a C2 code will be used.
If alternative provision has been arranged in response to a pupil’s medical needs, as per section 19 duties, then a K code should be used for the face-to-face sessions attended by the pupil.
Please note that a K code can not be used for pupils accessing remote online learning. Pupils accessing remote online learning whilst on the school site, would be coded with a present mark and start time reflected on the reduced timetable.
In some instances, school or Local Authority may put in place remote online learning in response to the specific individual need of a pupil, as per professional/ medical advice. In this instance, the sessions attended by the pupil in the community or home would receive a C code. Schools will therefore need to keep a separate record of the pupil’s attendance of the online learning, responding appropriately if the pupil does not engage or access the online learning regularly.
If a pupil does not attend the school setting or alternative provision due to accessing a medical appointment (including dentistry), then the M code would be used.
More information about complex attendance coding can be found in our 'Local Guidance' tile on Learn Together:
The DfE guidance titled ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’, stipulates that schools should notify the Local Authority when a pupil has been recorded as absent with code I (illness) for 15 consecutive days, or where school have reasonable grounds to believe a pupil may miss 15 consecutive days due to sickness.
This also applies to pupils who have had 15 days of cumulative illness due to a chronic condition. This do not include pupils who have 15 days of cumulative I codes, as a result of childhood illnesses. In this instance, if you have concerns, please raise this young person at your target support meetings or seek advice (if needed) from the Non-School Attendance Helpline by emailing NSA.Helpline@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Cambridgeshire Medical Needs Policy July 23 (cambslearntogether.co.uk)
Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Supporting pupils with medical conditions: links to other useful resources - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Supporting_pupils_with_medical_conditions_-_templates.docx (live.com)
Template A: individual healthcare plan
Template B: parental agreement for setting to administer medicine
Template C: record of medicine administered to an individual child
Template D: record of medicine administered to all children
Template E: staff training record – administration of medicines
Template F: contacting emergency services
Template G: model letter inviting parents to contribute to individual healthcare plan development.
Cambridgeshire Online | SEND Information Hub (Local Offer)
www.cambslearntogether.co.uk/cambridgeshire-send/cambridgeshire-send-services
Cambridgeshire Access and Inclusion - Learn Together (cambslearntogether.co.uk)
PSHE Service Public Health funded work
The Cambridgeshire PSHE Service provides guidance, training, consultancy and resources to support schools’ curriculum development and whole school approaches to wellbeing. This includes their highly regarded Primary Personal Development Programme for teaching and leading PSHE (sold nationally as well as locally), as well as projects funded by Public Health which, for example, specifically address Anti-bullying, and Healthy Relationships for better mental health. We also offer funded resources for both Primary schools (Safer Spaces) and Secondary schools (Safer Corridors), designed to be used to promote positive interactions and a feeling of safety for all pupils outside of formal teaching time, and to raise awareness of sexist behaviours, including harassment. The PSHE Service also runs the Health Related Behaviour Survey for Years 5/6, 8 and 10, which provides valuable data to individual schools about their pupils’ learning, views and behaviours across a wide range of health and wellbeing topics. Please see our full range of information via the link, or contact us: pshe@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Directory of Community Support
Many young people benefit from accessing social opportunities outside of the home and establishing peer friendship groups. This can help to improve overall wellbeing. There are also many support groups within the community that young people may feel beneficial or provide a safe place to discuss their feelings and experiences.
The below tabs provide services within the community which may be helpful, many of which are free of charge. In some instances, referrals from schools or professionals may be needed, however many can be arranged by the parent/guardian or young person directly.
Please note that we do not endorse, quality assure or conduct safeguarding checks on the establishments/ organisations stated below, therefore if any of the below are arranged by parent/guardian or schools, this should be done so using their own due diligence and acceptance of full responsibility:
CAMH
Service detail | CPFT NHS Trust – CAMH work with children and young people with a range of moderate to severe mental health needs including anxiety, low mood, depression, self-harm, obsessive-compulsive disorders, psychosis and the effects of trauma. The link will take you to the website where you can find lots more information and referral criteria.
CENTRE 33
YOUNITED
YOUnited offers support to children and young people aged 5 to 17 with their mental health and emotional well-being. CPFT, CCS, Ormiston and Centre 33 are all partners to this service. Young people up to the age of 18 can be referred to YOUnited where the difficulties relate to eating concerns or seeking a neurodevelopmental assessment. Further information can be found following the link.
KEEP YOUR HEAD
Keep Your Head brings together reliable information on mental health and wellbeing for children, young people, adults, professionals, and schools across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. There are 4 tabs: Children and Young People, Adults, Professional and Schools giving you a directory of support and explaining who can help you and how.
Keep Your Head Mental Health Service (keep-your-head.com)
KOOTH
Kooth is a transformational digital mental health support service. It gives children and young people easy access to an online community of peers and a team of experienced counsellors. Kooth has no referrals or waiting lists, and young people can access this service anonymously by signing onto the Kooth website, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
NESSIE
NESSie is funded by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough County Council to support families of children and young people with emotional and mental health needs. This project began with a specific focus on supporting families with children of self-harming behaviours in Cambridgeshire but now the funding has been extended geographically to Peterborough and covers a range of emotional and mental health needs. This service offer includes: Free webinars and events, parents support line, facebook groups, peer support groups and one to one sessions.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough parents - NESSie IN ED, CIC
BLUE SMILE
Blue smile are a leading children’s mental health charity working in schools across Cambridgeshire providing one to one specialist counselling and art based therapy to pupils aged 3 to 13, a range of psychoeducational groups and additional services to support the child and the community around them. Children will use proven art-based therapies to help them to engage, organise their feelings and process traumatic experiences.
Blue Smile | Children's Mental Health Charity in Cambridgeshire
THE MIX
Speak To Our Team | Support For Mental Health & Other Issues | The Mix
The Mix are a trained team who provides help for young people aged 11-25. This Mix isn't just about young people and mental health, they also provide support for relationship issues, working life, school life, housing, depression and any other issues all year round. Sign up for free counselling online or text their 24/7 crisis line.
YOUNG MINDS
Discover information, advice & support for young people affected by mental health. YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People. Training Professionals. Supporting Parents. Improving Mental Health.
www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/
www.youngminds.org.uk/professional/
MINDED
MindED is a free educational resource on children, young people, adults and older people's mental health.
For Professionals and Volunteers
This is for you if you work, volunteer or are studying to work with infants, children, teenagers or adults. MindEd has elearning applicable across the health, social care, education, criminal justice and community settings. It is aimed at anyone from beginner through to specialist.
For Education and Healthcare staff working in Education Settings
See our learning programme on “Every Interaction matters” and “Wellbeing for Education Return” for easy to use slide sets, webinar recordings and tools.
See also our tips for education staff to look after themselves and colleagues and browse our wider resources which will be of relevance. See our Education learning paths section for an idea of what other services have selected.
MERMAIDS
Supporting trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families since 1995.
Children & Young People
Find help and support, join the Mermaids community and watch videos.
Families
Find out how Mermaids can offer support and guidance to loved ones of trans young people.
Professionals
Mermaids offers training for schools, organisations, health professionals, public bodies and private companies.
Homepage - Mermaids (mermaidsuk.org.uk)
CRUSE BEREAVEMENT
Cruse Bereavement is the leading national charity when it comes to care, support, advice and information for those who have lost a loved one. In Cambridgeshire they run their services from two centres; Peterborough and Cambridge. From these centres, they provide a telephone helpline (0808 808 1677), one-to-one support with a trained volunteer, occasional coffee mornings and support groups.
CAMBRIDGE ACORN PROJECT
Cambridge Acorn Project offer therapeutic work with children (aged 5 and above) and families connected to trauma, abuse, and financial hardship. They believe things should be different and that families who have lived through adverse experiences should be able to access support quickly and in a way that is meaningful to them. They believe strongly in the need for individual choice, and provide a range of services and approaches which respond to individual circumstances.
KICK YOUTH
KICK ALTERNATIVE PROVISION
KICK are a registered Alternative Provision provider for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We work with young people in 1:1 and small group settings who are;
- experiencing low self-esteem and lacking confidence
- not accessing mainstream education
- excluded or at risk of exclusion
- suffering mental health conditions
- have poor school attendance or refusing to attend school
- dealing with life challenging circumstances.
MENTORING
Network 7 – a social skills programme for year 7 students.
The aim of Network 7 is to make each individual more able to deal with the varied situations their encounters in the school and to increase their confidence. The approach we use is designed to:
- raise self esteem
- provide teacher and peer support
- teach a set of problem-solving skills
- encourage the setting of goals
- help draw up individual action plans
This course runs for six weeks. Each week the sessions focus on a different area to help the students settle in to life at Secondary School such as, organisation skills, problem solving, friendships and communication skills.
Through a series of workshop activities the students explore skills they already have and learn how to expand and improve them to benefit their school life, friendships, relationships with parents, carers and teachers and their confidence and self-esteem in general.
Network 8 – a social skills programme for year 8 students.
The aim of the Network 8 is to aid students in their personal development and make each individual more able to deal with situations they encounter in and out of school and to increase their confidence. The approach we use is designed to:
- raise confidence and self esteem
- increase inter-personal and intra-personal skills
- develop a set of problem-solving strategies
The course runs for six weeks. Similarly to Network 7 each week focuses on a different topic to help the students develop their inter-personal and intra-personal skills. These sessions are based around the topics of support networks, communication and problem solving, emotions & feeling under pressure, stress and peer pressure and friendship.
By using workshop activities that get all the students involved they are learning about these areas in an interactive and fun way and seeing for themselves the areas of their lives that they can enhance with the skills they work on each week.
TLS – The Listening Service
The Listening Service is a volunteer mentoring programme for year 10 students to be peer mentors to year 7 tutor groups.
The year 10 volunteers take part in a training day where they will participate in group activities, role play and discussions. These activities and discussions cover the following areas;
- What is mentoring?
- What are the issues facing young people in their area?
- What are the benefits of peer mentoring?
- Boundaries of mentoring
- Friendship Vs Mentoring
- Communication skills
- Child protection and what to do in the event of a disclosure
Once the TLS volunteers have been trained they can then go into a year 7 tutor group once a week and deliver fun activities, support the form tutor and provide a listening ear for anyone who may not feel confident to speak to an adult in school about an issue or problem they are facing.
The TLS volunteers can also help to run a lunchtime club aimed specifically at year 7 students to further help them settle in to Secondary School.
This programme not only provides support to the whole of the year 7 year group but also provides the year 10 volunteers with an invaluable skill set that they can go on to use in their own lives, enhancing their opportunities in and out of school.
LIVING SPORT
Living Sport is an independent charity focused on improving the health, happiness, and wellbeing of the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. They work collaboratively with partners and communities to support more people to be active in a way that works for them.
Their three strategic priorities are driven by local insight and data.
They focus their work on championing inclusivity, addressing inequalities, and removing barriers, to support communities in the geography we work in.
Communities
- Supporting the wellbeing of communities to thrive by becoming more resilient, inclusive and connected
Children and Young People
- Supporting positive physical activity experiences for children and young people
Health
- Embedding physical activity in prevention and management of physical and mental health conditions
ASC: PROVISION AND INTERVENTION
Evidence based interventions are used to support the development of skills or target gaps in learning. Examples of interventions to support autistic children and young people include the following:
- Social skills group, such as Circle of Friends.
- Sensory Circuits based on the theories of sensory integration and sensory processing.
- Lego Based Therapy - Using Lego therapy with autistic pupils.
- Attention Autism - What is Attention Autism?
- Intensive Interaction.
- TEACCH (training required) responds to the needs of autistic people using the best available techniques.
- ELKLAN (training required) is training to support children's language and learning.
- Identiplay (training available) helps children on the autistic spectrum, and those with specific communication disorders, learn to play with play scripts. It promotes the development of social skills, understanding, imagination, and exploration.
- Talkboost (training available) approach helps children to develop important skills.
ASC: Provision and Intervention (cambslearntogether.co.uk)
SENDIASS - SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) offers impartial and confidential information, advice and support to parents and carers who have a child or young person with special educational needs (SEN) or a disability or have concerns that their child has special educational needs. They also offer impartial and confidential information, advice and support to young people and children with special educational needs (SEN) or a disability or who have concerns they may have special educational needs.
SENDIASS can help you with
- Confidential support and someone to talk to in confidence
- Advice and information about special educational needs
- Independent Support for children, young people and families as Statements are transferred to EHC Plans
- Preparing for meetings with your child’s school or with professionals who are working with your child
- Information on your rights and responsibilities as a parent, children’s rights and SEN law and guidance
- Information about local support groups and voluntary organisations
Cambridgeshire Online | SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
PINPOINT
Pinpoint give help and information to parent carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and/or additional needs, as well as give parent carers opportunities to have a say and get involved in improving local services.
No formal diagnosis is required in order to access support from Pinpoint – for example, a child may be on a waiting list, accessing services, had a referral turned down, or just be struggling.
Cambs SEND Parent/Carer Support from Pinpoint Cambridgeshire (pinpoint-cambs.org.uk)
CHILDREN’S HEALTH
Home - NHS Children's Health (cambspborochildrenshealth.nhs.uk)
Find your local community services:
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Cambridgeshire
- Children in Care Health Service
- Children's Occupational Therapy Service
- Children's Physiotherapy Service
- Children's Speech and Language Therapy
- Community Paediatrics
- Other Cambridgeshire Service
- Peterborough
LITTLE MIRACLES
Little Miracles is a charity that supports families who have children with additional needs, disabilities and life-limiting conditions. They provide a non-judgemental environment where they use our holistic approach to support the needs of the whole family. They specialise in providing advice, guidance, support, activities, training and safe places to any family that has a child with an additional need, disability or life-limiting condition.
This includes providing support before they are diagnosed and from birth to 25.
www.littlemiraclescharity.org.uk
CARING TOGETHER
Caring Together is a leading charity supporting carers of all ages across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.
Support for unpaid carers and give information and advice, and to provide services and support, to make your caring role more manageable, to benefit you and the person you support.
Parent Carers | Infomation And Support Services | Caring Together
TRANSPORT
School transport | Cambridgeshire County Council
Pre-16 transport (mainstream) | Cambridgeshire County Council
Pre-16 transport for pupils with special educational needs (SEND) | Cambridgeshire County Council
SOCIALISING/FRIENDSHIPS/WELLBEING
How Are You Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | H.A.Y. Home (haycambspboro.co.uk)
H.A.Y. is all about helping you look after you. The websites provide not just listings of local activities, groups and services but also video introductions to group organisers and taster clips of what to expect. H.A.Y. aims to support you both finding out what you might like to get involved in and in taking those first steps.
Connecting with others, getting active, learning a new skill, being creative, seeking professional support, exploring the outdoors, volunteering – all of these things (and more) can improve our wellbeing. However, it isn’t always easy to know what is out there locally or to feel comfortable trying something new.
From yoga to singing, sports clubs to arts groups, or perhaps somewhere to talk or get a cup of tea, H.A.Y. brings you ideas of local things to do to get a wellbeing boost. Plus a wide range of local professional support.
How Are You Cambridge? | Activities (haycambridge.co.uk)
How Are You Cambridge? | Support (haycambridge.co.uk)
How Are You Hunts? | Activities (hayhunts.co.uk)
How Are You Hunts? | Support (hayhunts.co.uk)
How Are You East Cambs? | Activities (hayeastcambs.co.uk)
How Are You East Cambs? | Support (hayeastcambs.co.uk)
How Are You South Cambs? | Activities (haysouthcambs.co.uk)
How Are You South Cambs? | Support (haysouthcambs.co.uk)
How Are You Fenland? | Activities (hayfenland.co.uk)
How Are You Fenland? | Support (hayfenland.co.uk)
How Are You Peterborough? | Activities (haypeterborough.co.uk)
How Are You Peterborough? | Support (haypeterborough.co.uk)
MUSEUMS
Cambridgeshire has a large variety of museums and places to visit, often free of charge. Please below links for more information:
List of museums in Cambridgeshire | Cambridgeshire County Council
Places to visit in Cambridgeshire | VisitEngland
YOUTH CLUBS
Youth Club can help young people to socialise with peers. Youth Groups are popular and often found across Cambridgeshire. Please see below links for more information:
Youth Clubs and Groups | East Cambridgeshire District Council (eastcambs.gov.uk)
How Are You South Cambs? | Youth Clubs and Groups (haysouthcambs.co.uk)
ROMSEY MILL TRUST
Romsey Mill's Youth Development Team works with disadvantaged, at-risk and vulnerable young people (aged 10 - 21 years) across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
They support over 1,500 young people every year, placing a strong emphasis on nurturing developmental relationships with each young person through shared experiences that the young people enjoy.
Youth workers work in specific geographical areas where they become embedded in the local community. Areas where we work include:
- Cambridge city (north, east and south); and new communities bordering the city (Trumpington and Orchard Park)
- Sawston, Shelford and Stapleford (in partnership with SSYI)
- Cambourne (in partnership with CYP)
- Linton (in partnership with The Beacon Trust)
- Hampton (Peterborough)
- Northstowe
They seek to engage young people in multiple settings meaning they often engage with a youth worker more than once a week and may be involved in a wide range of activities during their time with Romsey Mill.
For more information, contact Jon Sanders, Youth Development Team Coordinator at jon.sanders@romseymill.org, or 01223 213162.
Youth Development Team | Romsey Mill Trust
LIBRARIES
What's On in Cambridgeshire Libraries guide | Cambridgeshire County Council
From craft groups to Shakespeare on a Saturday, from Lego clubs to LGBTQ+ talks, there is something for everyone at Cambridgeshire Libraries this spring. The libraries team have produced a handy What’s On guide, listing events taking place at our 33 libraries across the county from mid-February to the end of April.The guide also includes information about other services including the mobile libraries, Business & IP Centres and the range of meeting facilities.
You can pick up your copy from your local library now.
KICK ALTERNATIVE PROVISION
KICK are a registered Alternative Provision provider for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We work with young people in 1:1 and small group settings who are;
- experiencing low self-esteem and lacking confidence
- not accessing mainstream education
- excluded or at risk of exclusion
- suffering mental health conditions
- have poor school attendance or refusing to attend school
- dealing with life challenging circumstances.
MENTORING
Network 7 – a social skills programme for year 7 students.
The aim of Network 7 is to make each individual more able to deal with the varied situations their encounters in the school and to increase their confidence. The approach we use is designed to:
- raise self esteem
- provide teacher and peer support
- teach a set of problem solving skills
- encourage the setting of goals
- help draw up individual action plans
This course runs for six weeks. Each week the sessions focus on a different area to help the students settle in to life at Secondary School such as, organisation skills, problem solving, friendships and communication skills.
Through a series of workshop activities the students explore skills they already have and learn how to expand and improve them to benefit their school life, friendships, relationships with parents, carers and teachers and their confidence and self-esteem in general.
Network 8 – a social skills programme for year 8 students.
The aim of the Network 8 is to aid students in their personal development and make each individual more able to deal with situations they encounter in and out of school and to increase their confidence. The approach we use is designed to:
- raise confidence and self esteem
- increase inter-personal and intra-personal skills
- develop a set of problem solving strategies
The course runs for six weeks. Similarly to Network 7 each week focuses on a different topic to help the students develop their inter-personal and intra-personal skills. These sessions are based around the topics of support networks, communication and problem solving, emotions & feeling under pressure, stress and peer pressure and friendship.
By using workshop activities that get all the students involved they are learning about these areas in an interactive and fun way and seeing for themselves the areas of their lives that they can enhance with the skills they work on each week.
THE LISTENING SERVICE
The Listening Service is a volunteer mentoring programme for year 10 students to be peer mentors to year 7 tutor groups.
The year 10 volunteers take part in a training day where they will participate in group activities, role play and discussions. These activities and discussions cover the following areas;
- What is mentoring?
- What are the issues facing young people in their area?
- What are the benefits of peer mentoring?
- Boundaries of mentoring
- Friendship Vs Mentoring
- Communication skills
- Child protection and what to do in the event of a disclosure
Once the TLS volunteers have been trained they can then go into a year 7 tutor group once a week and deliver fun activities, support the form tutor and provide a listening ear for anyone who may not feel confident to speak to an adult in school about an issue or problem they are facing.
The TLS volunteers can also help to run a lunchtime club aimed specifically at year 7 students to further help them settle in to Secondary School.
This programme not only provides support to the whole of the year 7 year group but also provides the year 10 volunteers with an invaluable skill set that they can go on to use in their own lives, enhancing their opportunities in and out of school.
CHILDREN AND FAMILY CENTRES
Child and Family Centres are welcoming spaces where families can access a wide range of support. They have lots of fun things to do for families with children from birth to age 19. The centres offer groups, events, activities, and courses.
Child and Family Centres | Cambridgeshire County Council
HAF PROGRAMME
The Cambridgeshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme offers funded holiday scheme places. It runs during the 2024 Easter, Summer, and Christmas school holidays. Eligible primary and secondary school children and young people can attend subject to availability.
- Families receiving income-related free school meals (FSM).
- Families where FSM eligible and non-eligible children live in the same household.
- Siblings of eligible children, aged 4, starting school in September 2024.
- Families just managing financially (subject to referral from a professional).
- Recently arrived refugee families.
Cambridgeshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme | Cambridgeshire County Council
ACTIVITY CAMPS
A great adventure for kids in the school holidays!
- Easter camps, summer camps and half term holiday activity camps
- Unrivalled activities all in one place
- 6 sessions a day and a choice for every one!
- Kids develop skills and enjoy new experiences
- Secure settings where safety comes first
- The best staff:child ratios for any comparable provider
- Experienced, qualified and caring staff team
- Flexible hours for working parents from 8am to 6pm
- Great value for money
- OFSTED registered - rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted more times than any other activity day camp provider!
- Loved by parents – Excellent independent Trustpilot rating!
Activity Camps | School Holiday Clubs for Kids | Barracudas
SPORT 2 DAY
Coaches are there to help and assist your children on their pathways into sport. And with over 10 years experience working with schools, sports clubs and community groups they pride themselves on high quality engaging sessions in a huge variety of sports and activities.
HOLIDAY PLAYSCHEME - CAMBRIDGE KIDS CLUB
Holiday Playscheme: Bookings Now OPEN (cambridgekidsclub.com)
Trips / Special Activities this Summer include
- Trip to local Park
- Trip to Jungle Park – Rope climbing
- Animal Experience Activity
- Beach Trip
- Mad science visit
- Summer Party @ Shelford
When approaching tier 3 or 4 of your medical needs processes you may find the following useful, however, before arranging this should be considered alongside advice received from your SEND Access and Inclusion co-ordinator/Education Inclusion Officer. Both of which as best placed to provide guidance on internal and external alternative provision.
FOREST SCHOOL
Forest School is holistic approach to learning in an outdoor environment
Forest School (cambslearntogether.co.uk)
Forest School and Outdoor Learning training (cambridgeforestschools.co.uk)
Fireflies Forest school is based at Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Huntingdon Cambridgeshire.
Forest School Cambridgeshire - Fireflies Forest School
THE DOG MENTOR
Therapy Dogs in Schools Cambridgeshire | The Dog Mentor
COUNSELLING
The NHS has services in place to offer mental health support as shown in the Mental Health Directory section, however, if school are considering arranging their own internal offer of counselling inside school then we have the below links. Please note that we do not endorse, quality assure or conduct safeguarding checks and therefore if any of the below are arranged this should be done using the school due diligence and accepting full responsibility:
Find Creative Therapy Counsellors and Therapists in Cambridgeshire - Psychology Today
www.cambridgecreativecounselling.co.uk
cambridegscreativecounsellimg@gmail.com
The full day workshop costs £45 some basic creative materials will be required.
Hello and Welcome to Cambridge Creative Counselling, I am Emma Moat. I am a counsellor, a registered SandStory® therapist, a play therapist and a trainer, having taught extensively in the UK and Europe. I also work in schools across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. I have a private practice near Newmarket and can offer tailored training to groups of people both in schools and in a dedicated venue. I work creatively if needed, using materials such as Art, Sand, Clay and Puppets. I am a member of BACP and adhere to their ethical framework. Below are introductions into each of the services I currently provide. If any of these appeal to your needs or requirements, please go to the specific page to discover more.
CLICK KIDS
Click Kids offer your school a Lego Kit building club, led by an experienced former primary teacher/SENDCO and mum!
