Parent Support and Advice
Relevant information related to school closures will be added to this page. Please check back from time to time. Rather than putting it into the sections below, it will be kept at the top so it can be easily found. Please email admin@markyate.herts.sch.uk if you require any further information or support.
Useful Links Regarding Returning to School
The following resources may be helpful in supporting discussions regarding transition back to school:
Going back to school - simple Social Story with symbols
Transition Back to School Talking Mat
General Resources During School Closure
Please follow the links below for ideas of activities to do with your children. The first is aimed towards the younger children but you may find things that you enjoy in all of them.
Activity ideas from LINKS family Services - younger children
Activity ideas LINKS family Services
Early Years Activities for Families at Home
The following document provides advice on managing the transition between school and home for those who may find it particularly tricky. There are also many ideas for activities that can be done that are not directly linked to the school curriculum.
Managing the transition to home schooling
Useful links Related to Coronavirus
Social story for Coronavirus by Carol Gray: https://carolgraysocialstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pandemics-and-the-Coronavirus.pdf
Information for children, families and professionals re Covid 19. It provides a summary of key resources: https://edpsy.org.uk/blog/2020/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-children-families-and-professionals/
Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
BBC Newsround: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51342366
Makaton signed video by to help people with SEN and communication difficulties understand where we’re at with Covid19: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3200706309959280&id=258662387497035
The DSPL fortnightly newsletter contains information on support groups that can be accessed during this period of school closure. Parent and Carer Newsletter
Hertfordshire Educational Psychologist Service have set up a helpline that will run Monday-Friday 2pm-4:30pm. They can offer support with any concerns and signpost to relevant agencies where appropriate. The number is 01992 588574 More information from this service can be found on the links below.
Tips for families from the EP service
Coronavirus Herts EP Service advice
Contactline Poster for EP Service
GENERAL RESOURCES
LINKS Family Services
School Family Worker leaflet.pdf
At Markyate we use a local advice and support service service called LINK Family Services. They support the school in a variety of ways including specific work with individual pupils or families and fortnightly surgeries. Katie Chamberlain, our Family Worker, holds a surgery at school on alternate Wednesday mornings. Katie provides a wide range of advice and the appointments are free to access.
Please see below for more information on what Katie can support with.
Please contact the school office to book a 1-1 session.
The dates for this term are 15/1/20, 29/1/20, 12/2/20, 4/3/20, 18/3/20, 1/4/20.
Family Support Services
Please use the following link to visit the Family Action website where you will find lots of useful information.
http://www.family-action.org.uk
There is a wide range of advice and support groups available within the Dacorum area for parents and children. Please find links below to the most up to date information.
DSPL 8
Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL) is a Hertfordshire-wide initiative, working to improve the range of provision and support services available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, aged 0-25.
It aims to secure a range of provision, support services and resources in each area that:
• meets the needs of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 as close to home as possible
• improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment
• widens choice for children and parents/carers
• removes barriers to learning
• uses resources effectively
Dacorum DSPL (DSPL Area 8) is one of 9 areas in Hertfordshire where parents, early years settings, primary and secondary schools, further education, local authority professionals and other agencies work together to review what is available and develop provision to fill in the gaps.
For more information on the work carried out by Dacorum DSPL8 follow the links below.
http://www.dacorumdspl.org.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/dspldacorum
Information on courses and groups run through DSPL8 are available on the website. The link below details the current support on offer.
Please use the link below to find out about how testing in Maths and English is carried out in schools in England at the end of year 2 (KS1 SATs) and at the end of year 6 (KS2 SATs).
key stage 1 and 2 SATs information. gov.uk
For more information please use the link below for the Department of Education (DfE) website.
