When we have a good night's sleep it helps:

-our bodies to grow and heal
-our brains process and store the information that we have learnt through the day
-improve our concentration, productivity, and performance.
-support our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
-improve our immunity and helps our bodies fight off infections and viruses
-maintain a healthy weight

Some children find it more difficult than others to get to sleep. Here are some tips to try and support you & your child if you are struggling with a bedtime routine.

Just like adults, children and young people feel worried and anxious at times. But if your child's anxiety is starting to affect their wellbeing, they may need some help.

Children can feel anxious about different things at different ages. Many of these worries are a normal part of growing up.

It is common for preschool-age children to develop specific fears or phobias. Common fears in early childhood include animals, insects, storms, heights, water, blood and the dark. These fears usually go away gradually on their own.

There may also be other times in a child's life when they feel anxious. For example, many children feel anxious when going to a new school or before tests and exams. Some children feel shy in social situations and may need support with this.

Anxiety becomes a problem for children when it starts to get in the way of their everyday life.

If you go into any school at exam time, all the children will be anxious, but some may be so anxious that they do not manage to get to school that morning.

Severe anxiety like this can harm children's mental and emotional wellbeing, affecting their self-esteem and confidence. They may become withdrawn and go to great lengths to avoid things or situations that make them feel anxious.

If your child's anxiety is severe, persists and interferes with their everyday life, it's a good idea to seek some support. Please let your child's class teacher know if you have any concerns, or contact Natalie Boyne (Pastoral & Mental Health Lead) or Claire Hardy (Pastoral Support) directly.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is really important for the whole family. Some children can be fussy eaters and it can be really difficult for parents & carers to encourage their children to try new foods or snack less! Here are some tips about healthy eating to try and support you & your family to have a balanced diet.

Self-esteem is how a person feels about themselves. Most children will have dips in self-esteem as they go through different stages or challenges in life, and there are different pressures that may affect them.

Things like starting a new school, moving house or going through changes in the family can also affect a child’s confidence - but with support from parents and other adults they can usually get through this.

Here are some helpful hints about supporting your child to build their confidence and self esteem.

Anger is a normal and healthy reaction when things don’t go the way we expected, life feels unfair or people upset or hurt us. It can be a helpful thing - letting us know that something is wrong or not okay with us.

It’s normal for children and young people to find it difficult to manage their angry feelings sometimes, and it’s helpful to remember that the part of our brain that helps us do this doesn’t fully develop until we’re in our mid-20s.

Anger can become a problem for your child if it feels overwhelming or unmanageable, makes them unhappy, affects their relationships or is expressed through unhelpful or destructive behaviours – towards either themselves or other people.

Here are some tips to support your child when they are finding it challenging to self regulate and manage feelings of anger.

Please follow the link for more advice, ideas & useful resources to help support with a number of challenges you may be having at home.