This handbook is for families that would like to know more about Autism and ADHD. The sections include where to go for help surrounding health, education and your rights and benefits. There are also tips to help manage your child's behaviour. To download this handbook please use the link below:

This workbook delves deep into how settings can view children differently to have a positive impact on the child, creating a safe and secure environment while they are in your care. It covers appropriate language to use and why this makes a difference, questions to ask other members of staff who regularly interacts with the child(ren). Neurodiversity covers: Autism ADHD Synesthesia Language traits Dysgraphia Epilepsy Dyspraxia Obsessive compulsive disorder Sensory processing issues Post-traumatic stress Multi-sensory William syndrome Down syndrome Dyscalculia Bipolar To download the workbook please click the link below:

This toolkit is suitable for EYFS and childcare settings that have migrant or refugee children attending. The downloadable resource guides early years educators and practitioners with a framework, offering ideas and knowledge with play and sensitivity at the forefront of children’s learning, alongside their family support. The toolkit firstly offers an opportunity to give voice to the hopes, beliefs, and concerns of migrant and refugee children. Second, it identifies relevant and thoughtful themes for practitioners to share with young children in the hope that they can learn together by exploring ideas that expand their repertoire of the possible, and also challenge taken-for-granted assumptions. Third, the toolkit models a process for ECEC staff to engage in positive and strength-based dialogues about the lives of the newly arrived young children. This creative and inspiring toolkit highlights the enormous potential of listening well to young children about their lives and through the play activities it encourages, successfully realises the authors’ intentions of developing a Froebelian-inspired pedagogy which helps children to connect with their inner self in relation to feelings, lived experiences and thoughts and therefore helps them to understand not only themselves, but the world and people around them. To download the document please click below:

Don't miss last term's Newsletter! Pulling all the latest information from the team.

Don't miss out on the upcoming training on the 17th May to Support Memory Difficulties of children within your school/classroom. Memory Difficulties causes weakness in their reading, writing and spelling because the child's brain is struggling to recall the abilities to do all this skills whilst juggling everything they're learning in the classroom. A child that has Memory Difficulties can struggle processing simple tasks and can forget what they've just read or been told. They can also find it difficult to retrieve information they've previously learnt for exams and tests, again, because their brain is unable to juggle the multiple pieces of information they're trying to process. During this training session Sherrie, our STLS Trainer will go through ways to make appropriate adaptations within your classroom to support the children in your class. Alongside the guidance to make the children's environment more accommodating, Sherrie will also delve deeper into strategies to manage a child's memory skills, retaining children's attention and helping them to work independently and confidently within the classroom environment. If you or a colleague would like to book a place on this training please contact lizzie.wells@goldwyn.kent.sch.uk

This week Heather and Amy held their ACEs Attachment and Trauma Training and shared a very powerful video which we will share below. It shows how engagement and responses to children (in this case a baby) are so important in their development, making them feel safe and secure. Without engagement and attachment with people around them a child can feel stressed and out of control causing problematic behaviours. The link to the video which shows how even at a really young age children require you to be emotionally available is below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Heather and Amy will be running their ACEs training again next school year so for those that have missed out, keep an eye on our training schedule for the updated training available.

All schools in the Ashford district have another opportunity to send their staff members on the Behaviour Awareness and Emotion Coaching Training in term 5. Due to the popularity in term 4, our STLS teachers Amy and Heather would like to offer this training again to any teaching professionals that would like to upskill in this area. The training course will cover: Factors that influence behaviour and how self-esteem impacts on negative responses Identification, observation and recording behaviours and using these mechanisms in a supportive manner Delegates will learn about co-regulation and the appropriate strategies to support anger responses and crisis management A child’s ability to manage their emotions can be related to their environment. When they’re unable to regulate and understand their emotions it will cause a strained relationship between the child, their peers and their teaching staff. It can also lead to suspensions from school in some circumstances. By the end of this training session delegates are able to understand the reason children and adolescents experience strong emotions and how to effectively manage these emotions and challenging behaviours. The course is suitable for all teaching staff within a primary or secondary school. If you are interested and would like more information please contact lizzie.wells@goldwyn.kent.sch.uk

For parents & carers of children with a disability or additional needs (no diagnosis needed) living in Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe. The ‘My Time’ groups provide a relaxed and informal space for parents & carers to get together and access support. Speakers are regularly invited to these sessions to provide information and advice about specialist services. Please email familysupport@includesus2.org.uk to book a free space at the face to face meetings. To see all the dates and times of groups in your area please click here

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme in Kent focusses on children’s physical health and wellbeing by providing healthy food and exciting activities for children and young people during the school holidays. Families of children aged 4 to 16 years, who are in receipt of benefits related to free school meals, can access FREE opportunities during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays throughout 2022/23. This programme is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) For more information and to contact the HAF Team click here

For all the latest news and information in the Kent district click here to be taken to South Kent (Ashford, Dover, and Folkestone & Hythe) Local Children’s Partnership Groups March Bulletin. This Bulletin has information on: Community support and services updates Children and young people's wellbeing Domestic abuse Training, webinars and events for practitioners and parents/carers Financial hardship Funding and opportunities Surveys - a chance to have your say

Below is a really useful chart provided by the Kent Resilience Hub to offer the most appropriate support for your students when faced with concerns about their emotional wellbeing or mental health. The flow chart includes reference to the Resilience Conversation Tool, which facilitates conversations with young people to listen to their experiences and can enable solutions to be found.