Burley St Matthias Primary School

Dear Parents

Even at its best, being a parent can be one of the hardest jobs in the world.

But in these strange times, parents are under more pressure than ever as we try to keep the balance through lockdown.

Trying to support our children in their school work, ensure our families stay physically and mentally healthy, stop arguments spiralling out of control, juggle work (if we are lucky enough to have it) and look after our own wellbeing somewhere in the mix can feel overwhelming.

In normal times, Parent Gym’s school-based interactive sessions help build the skills and confidence of parents to create a calm home environment and raise happy children.

With schools closed, Parent Gym are developing a brand-new set of short online modules, offering quick, practical techniques to help create a happier family during these tricky times.

E-workouts are free and fun and take only a few minutes to do on your phone, tablet or laptop – perfect for when you are making a cup of tea.

The first module - Keep Talking, looks at ways to get our families communicating.  (We are busy producing more workouts so watch this space!).

Click https://storefront.themindgym.com/store  to head through to the Mind Gym Storefront, pop the Parent Gym Keep Talking module in your shopping basket and ‘purchase’ the eWorkouts (it won’t cost you a thing though…).

Why not also visit Parent Gym’s facebook group, Parenting through uncertainty https://www.facebook.com/groups/148481499806766/ to share your experiences of parenting in lockdown and pick up some ideas from other parents for ways to keep our family life calm?  

Best wishes 

Helen Jackson

Senior Learning Mentor & Family Support

We recognise that modern technology offers significant opportunities for learning and socialising and ever more so in these difficult times. Responsible use of technology to learn, communicate with friends and family and access support will be really important as the opportunities for face to face communication are restricted.

We want to ensure that students and parents/carers understand how to ensure young people stay safe online.

Advice for Staying Safe Online.

Keep personal information private, do not share personal details like your address, school, phone number or location. Avoid posting anything that can identify you to a specific location such as your school, football club etc. That includes avoiding posting pictures in an identifiable uniform or saying where you are going online.

Make sure your security settings are in place so that you control who sees anything you share online and check these regularly. Don’t share your passwords even with friends, make them hard to guess and if you think your account has been hacked or cloned report it straight away and change your password.

Remember that people online are not always who they say they are. Never agree to meet someone in person you have only met online. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable online, log off or block them and tell a trusted adult. Use reporting buttons to report inappropriate behaviour.

Think before you post or send anything online, would you be happy for anyone to see it? Even if you send something privately the person you are sending it to could screen shot it and share it. Would you be happy for your family to see it? What about a future employer?

Don’t accept or open files from people you don’t know they could contain viruses or inappropriate messages or pictures. Delete suspicious emails.

Not all information online is reliable, check if it is a trusted source before using it. Beware of pop ups that take you to less trusted sites and check web addresses look genuine. Beware of fraudulent emails, texts and links that take you to fake sites and never give your bank details even if they are promising you a cash prize or refund.

Be aware that most people are likely to exaggerate online and only share their perception of events, people often only share the best times. It’s not likely to reflect their everyday real life and you shouldn’t compare it to yours.

It’s good to know what’s going on in the world but if it gets too much take a break from it and do something that takes you off line and helps you relax or focus on something else.

If you do send something you regret or feel you shouldn’t please tell someone so we can try and help you put things right. Don’t let anyone use something you have shared online to make you do or say things you are not okay with.

What do I need to do if I am worried?

All staff who work in school have a responsibility to safeguard and protect children and young people. If you are worried tell an adult you trust or speak to one of our safeguarding team.

Safeguarding Staff are available through the school number 0113 336 7401 or Learning Mentor  07891278262

If you are worried you have been a victim of online abuse or you're worried about somebody else you can also report this to CEOP online at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre

www.thinkuknow.co.uk have advice for all different ages including parents/carers on all sports of online issues and where you can get support.

If you're being bullied online and would like to talk to someone in confidence you can also speak to Childline on 0800 1111 or talk to them online at www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline