Parents and Families

Community – Parents and families

‘Families First’ is a whole system, countywide multi-agency response to supporting family outcomes at a local level.  It brings together organisations that provide early help services under one umbrella of consistent practice and clear processes.  The ‘Families First Portal’ can be accessed through the link below.  Once on the website click on the ‘Public Area’ button where a comprehensive list of agencies/charities and resources available to parents in the Hertfordshire region can be found.  The ‘Public Area’ is split into six sections and covers a wide range of issues:

  1. Parents and Children (childcare, children’s centres, family support and parenting courses).
  2. Keeping Safe (domestic violence, bullying, crime and disorder).
  3. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (activities and leisure, childcare, education and training, support and advice).
  4. Health and Wellbeing (pregnancy, sexual health, carers, counselling and therapy, bereavement, drugs and alcohol).
  5. Money and Housing (benefits and debt advice, food banks, housing support).
  6. Education and Employment (apprenticeships, colleges, private tuition, employment advice, adult learning).

Click here to view the Hertfordshire Families First Portal

You can also find helpful advice about where to go if you are concerned about any aspect of your son or daughter’s wellbeing in this document.

You can also click here for young person’s guide to services that can support them around mental health and wellbeing issues.

Learning – Student welfare

The ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda is very much at the heart of our student welfare policies and procedures.

Every child belongs to a tutor group and is in the first instance monitored and looked after by a tutor.  The Head of Key Stage, the Pastoral Care Co-ordinator and the team of tutors are responsible for the welfare of the students.

We have an extensive mentoring and counselling system in place that supports the needs of all of our students.  In this we are hugely supported by a host of outside agencies including: a Health Advisor; Connexions Personal Advisors; Outreach Workers from the local Education Support Units; Police School Liaison Officers; Mentors and Translators from the Multi Ethnic Agency; and the Social Services.

We have an extensive PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education) programme throughout the school which offers information and advice on a wide range of issues in interesting and interactive ways.