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The majority of our students needs will be met with quality first teaching and reasonable adjustments in the classroom. However some students will be identified as needing a more personalised provision. The Learning Base is home to our dedicated team of Learning Support Assistants, Assistant SENDCos, and the SENDCo. Together, we provide targeted interventions to support students who need additional help on their educational journey. The base comprises of a smaller classroom, intervention rooms, and supported social spaces.

Intervention rooms offer targeted support with numeracy, literacy and social skills.

The Nest offers students a calm and supportive start to the day, providing a space to connect with our team and prepare for the day ahead. During social times, it supports the development of social skills through small group activities such as board games, LEGO, and mindfulness colouring.

Take 10 offers a space to students who need to regulate and reset before returning to lessons.

ELSA/Nurture room facilitates soft starts to the school day, a little nurture and TLC and of course ELSA intervention.

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Starting secondary school - BBC Parents’ Toolkit - BBC Bitesize

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Advice for parents who have a child starting secondary school this year, with tips on the emotional and practical sides of the transition.

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Resources for parents and carers | Oxford Health CAMHS

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Advice for parents and carers who are supporting children and young people with mental health difficulties.

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Oxfordshire's - support and services for young people with additional needs

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Oxfordshire's - support and services for young people with additional needs

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Does my child have special educational needs?

You may worry that your child finds learning harder than other children of the same age. Somebody may have told you your child has special educational needs (SEN).

Find more about this and what you can do to help your child.

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Oxfordshire SEND local offer | Oxfordshire County Council

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Support and services for children and young people with additional needs from 0-25.

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Your first point of contact for day to day issues and communication is always your child's form teacher. If you would like to talk about a specific SEND issue then please complete the Microsoft Form and someone will be in touch. 

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Your first point of contact for day to day issues and communication is always your child's form teacher. If you would like to talk about a specific SEND issue then please complete the Microsoft Form and someone will be in touch. 

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We strive to nurture every student’s potential, helping them thrive and be their best selves. We hope this padlet is helpful in signposting you to information that will help support your child's education and wellbeing.

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Mrs Katherine Elliot

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Mrs Shelia Wyatt

Miss Rebecca Bisson

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Teresa Meadows

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Helen Mason

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Our team of dedicated Learning Support Assistants

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Our team of dedicated Learning Support Assistants

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® accelerates literacy gains for students in grades 6-12 who are at risk of not meeting College- and Career-Ready Standards.

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What is ELSA Intervention?

An ELSA in a school is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. There is a recognised training course aimed specifically at Teaching Assistants or other specialist school roles. ELSAs are specialists with a wealth of experience of working with children and young people. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by Educational Psychologists. The course tends to be 6 full days and covers many areas from emotional literacy to active listening.

Supervision

ELSAs must be supervised regularly by the Educational Psychologists who trained them. This supervision is key to good practice and allows the ELSA to bring up any problems with a group of other ELSAs along with the Educational Psychologist.

Scope of practice

It is important that ELSAs work within the their scope of practice and only cover things they are trained to cover. Any concerns out of their scope of practice should be discussed with their Educational Psychologist and potentially referred on to outside agencies. ELSAs SUPPORT NOT FIX.

ELSA Relationship

ELSAs are warm, kind and caring people who want to make children and young people feel happy in school. and to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically. They understand the barriers to learning that some children and young people might have and can help them with this.

They can support the children and young person's emotional development and help them cope with life's challenges. ELSAs will also help children and young people to find solutions to problems they might have.

An ELSA is not there to fix problems but to help them find their own solutions and offer that important support to a child or young person.

Relationships are key in helping children and young people to feel safe and nurtured. ELSA is about creating a reflective space for the child or young person.
Please see our leaflet on ELSA
What areas does an ELSA help with?

Loss and bereavement

Emotional Literacy

Self-esteem

Social Skills

Friendship issues

Relationships

Managing strong feelings

Anxiety and worries

Bullying

Conflict

Emotional Regulation

Growth Mindset

Social and therapeutic stories

Problem solving

How are children or young people referred for ELSA?

Class teacher referral

Sendco referral

Parent referral

Child referral

Outside agency referral

How long should an ELSA Intervention last?

ELSA intervention should be a short term focus intervention with clear aims. Usually half a term to a full term in length.

ELSA Short term focused intervention

The vast majority of ELSA sessions are proactive. This means that there are targets for the ELSA to achieve with the child or young person. This makes the intervention measurable so the school knows the child or young person has made progress and the intervention has been successful. The targets are known as SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time limited. For examples of targets please see our blogpost

It is helpful to measure data prior and post intervention to ensure the child or young person has progressed or to see what the next steps might be. We at Elsa-Support developed our own measure that is very popular (with many comments being made from SLT and even OFSTED) - Social and Emotional assessments

Once the target has been set an ELSA can plan a series of sessions for that child to help them achieve their target. This might be a one to one session or a group session. The usual intervention is 6 sessions (half a term) but it could be a little longer if necessary. It is important the child or young person doesn't become too attached and reliant on the ELSA because the aim for most children or young people is to cope independently with any challenges that they face.

Our planning templates can be found here

- Individual session planning

- Group session planning

We also have a huge list of typical learning objectives

A typical ELSA lesson

There would be a welcome for the child or young person along with an emotional check in. How do they feel today?

A warm up or icebreaker game or activity would be played. This part is important because it helps the child to feel relaxed and it's fun!

The main activity would follow where the ELSA would be teaching something to help the pupil with their target. The ELSA would also review what was learnt last time to see if the child or young person has remembered and if they used the skill taught.

There would be a relaxation exercise to help the child or young person be ready for class and a quick review on what the child or young person has learnt that session. At this point the ELSA may ask the child or young person to do something for next time. eg. practise star breathing when feeling angry.

Here is a visual timetable of a lesson to download ELSA Session This is helpful for the child or young person, ELSA and also a great way to show other members of staff what goes on in a typical session.

ELSA Reactive Support

Sometimes things happen in life such as a death, divorce, illness, hospital stay, and so on. An ELSA can help the child or young person reactively which means they can support them immediately when things like this happen. Through a strong relationship with the ELSA, the child or young person can feel safe and cared for and know that someone is there for them. Reactive support is very much about active listening which is taught on the course. It is child or young person led and there aren't any targets.

Where do sessions take place?

This all depends on the school and the space available. Ideally there is a room especially for ELSA intervention.

Here some ELSAs have shared displays they have done in their rooms. We also have a blog post on setting up a room - Setting up an ELSA room

Parent Communication

Whilst permission isn't needed to run a school based intervention with children, it is important to work with parents and inform them. Children or young people can make so much more progress when the parent and ELSA work together. Perhaps the parent can continue the learning outside of the session eg. practising coping strategies when the child has big emotions.

We do have a few leaflets to send home to parents that might be helpful.

ELSA Resources

We have developed many resources over the past 10 years and are leading in this area with many ELSAs using our resources. We have resources for children from 4 years old to 18 years old. (EYFS, KS1, KS2, and Secondary). Our resources are not only suitable for ELSAs but also for other practitioners. There are a huge list of people who use our resources and here are a few of them:

GPs

Teachers

Learning mentors

Social Workers

Camhs

NHS Nurses

Counsellors

EMHPs

Education Psychologists

Teaching Assistants

HLTAs

Family Support workers

SENDCO

Head Teachers

We have a huge library of over 500 free resources available for ANYONE to download. There is no catch, no sign up, just download. We hope they help you to support children - Free resource section Each Friday we add a new one to the free resource section. Known as #elsafreefriday. Of course we often add more than one but this one is guaranteed every single week.

We have lots of low cost resources available for you to download. Full programmes of support linked to areas covered by ELSAs and tools for you to use with your training knowledge. - ELSA Support resources

Most of our resources are digital downloads. Recently we designed and created some Notepads and Stickers and you can find them in 'Debbie's Hive'

New ELSAs or anyone else that work with children

Please join us in our ELSA Support and Wellbeing Mentors group. This is a caring community of other practitioners (over 15,000) who support each other. No question is too small and there is always someone who can support and help you. (me included).

Follow us

Find out more about ELSA

To find out more about the ELSA course, contact the Educational Psychologists in your local authority and ask them if they are running one, if not ask them if it is possible for the future. Additionally check out neighbouring local authorities because they will sometimes take people out of their area to make up numbers. To find out more about ELSA visit the ELSA Network site

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What is ELSA Intervention? - ELSA Support

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What is ELSA? What is ELSA INTERVENTION? This post should help to clearly explain the purpose of the ELSA programme.

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Learn touch typing online using TypingClub's free typing courses. It includes 650 typing games, typing tests and videos.

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About Fresh Start – secondary schools - Ruth Miskin Literacy

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Fresh Start is a systematic synthetic phonics programme for struggling readers aged 9 to 13+. Students make as much as two years’ progress in only two months and can quickly begin to access the wider curriculum.

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SEN Support Services Communication and Interaction

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SEN Support Services Communication and Interaction

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Michael Parker

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https://oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/cit/speech-language-therapy

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Guide to getting an Autism or ADHD Assessment 

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Guide to getting an Autism or ADHD Assessment 

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Getting an autism assessment is important for several reasons. An autism diagnosis will provide you with important information about your child's development and behaviour and could enable you to unlock further support to meet their needs.

Even if you're not sure about whether your child is autistic, going through the assessment process may help you to better understand and cater for your child's needs.

How do I request an autism assessment?

You will need to have a conversation with your GP or health visitor in order to request a referral for a paediatric assessment. The professional you speak to will want to know what is causing you concern and will evaluate whether your child needs an assessment.

To help you collect your family history and evidence of your concerns, we have created an observational diary in our parent toolkit which you can use to track and record your child's development.

What will happen at the assessment?

Exactly how the assessment is carried out depends on your local authority. In its autism guidelines, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) says that every local area should have a multi-disciplinary team who will carry out the autism diagnostic assessment. This team might include a paediatrician, an educational psychologist, a child psychiatrist or a speech and language therapist (SaLT), for example.

Further information about these different roles can be found in our parent toolkit.

In some areas the assessment might involve the GP or health visitor coming to visit your child at home or at their nursery, or you may be invited to a 'screening playgroup'. Alternatively you might be referred directly for a diagnosis appointment normally at a clinic, a health centre or a child development centre.

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Getting an autism assessment is important for several reasons. An autism diagnosis will provide you with important information about your child's development and behaviour and could enable you to unlock further support to meet their needs. Even if you're not sure about whether your child is autistic, going through the assessment process may help you to better understand and cater for your child's needs.

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SENDIASS Oxfordshire | Information, advice & support in Oxfordshire

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SENDIASS Oxfordshire provides impartial information, advice and support to parents and carers of children with SEND and children and young people themselves

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SEND Support Banbury Ltd was set up by an independent social worker who has personal and professional experience of supporting & assessing people who have SEND (special educational needs & disability).

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Sparx Maths builds maths confidence through personalised homework for students aged 11-16 and is proven to significantly boost grades by the University of Cambridge

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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We are the UKs leading charity for autistic people and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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Our dedicated sleep service is here to help.

Alongside our Sleep Tips booklet and relevant guides, we also offer one-to-one support. This involves completing an application form for your child and two weeks' worth of sleep diaries which we'll send out to you as long as you come under our criteria for support.

If you need one-to-one support and are a parent/carer or a professional referring a family with their consent to having sleep support, please click the button below to contact the sleep service.

If you have a question or query about our services please email us at [email protected].

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Sleep tips Our Sleep Tips booklet introduces and explains different techniques for you to try that may improve your child's sleep. It covers ten main topics including bedtime routines, daytime napping, comfort objects and moving bedtime backwards or forwards. It gives lots of illustrated hints and tips for putting the...

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Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for autistic children and young people. We stand with autistic children, young people and their families to champion rights, campaign for change and create opportunities.

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Dr Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist, author and speaker specialising in parenting, mental health issues in children, autism and trauma. She runs EMDR Basic Training and Refresher Day courses. Dr Abigail Fisher is an education psychologist specialising in Special Educational Needs (SEN), EHCPs, EOTAS. We create courses and webinars for parents and professionals.

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To write a Social Story is to assume an invitation into the mind of a child, adolescent or adult with autism… Let’s be careful in there. Welcome to CarolGraySocialStories.com…I am glad you stopped by.

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Free Social Work Tools and Resources: SocialWorkersToolbox.com

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Free Printable Visual Schedules and Daily Routine Charts for Children

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Download free printable visual schedules and daily routine charts to help children build structure, independence, and confidence. These resources include customisable visual symbols, morning and bedtime routine planners, and all-day…

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Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A Parent’s Handbook to Supporting Newly Diagnosed Teens and Pre-Teens

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Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A parent’s guide to supporting pre-teen and teen autism diagnosis, building self-image, and accessing resources.

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Declarative Language Handbook: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Kids with Social Learning Challenges Feel Competent, Connected, and Understood : Murphy, Linda K.: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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Declarative Language Handbook: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Kids with Social Learning Challenges Feel Competent, Connected, and Understood : Murphy, Linda K.: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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YOUR CHILD IS NOT BROKEN: Parent Your Neurodivergent Child Without Losing Your Marbles

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Buy YOUR CHILD IS NOT BROKEN: Parent Your Neurodivergent Child Without Losing Your Marbles by Mavir, Heidi (ISBN: 9781915771094) from Amazon’s Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Education, health and care (EHC) plans | Oxfordshire County Council

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An overview of education, health and care plans (EHCP) and what you need to do to get an assessment.

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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When should a local authority carry out an EHC needs assessment?

If a local authority (" LA ") is requested to carry out an EHC needs assessment by a parent, young person, school or college, they must consider:

whether the child or young person has or may have special educational needs ("SEN"); and

whether they may need special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan.

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, they must carry out an EHC needs assessment.

This test is set out in the law (section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014). This means these are the only questions the LA should be asking when considering whether or not to carry out an EHC needs assessment.

The SEN and Disability Code of Practice, which is statutory guidance issued by the government, contains further detail on what LAs should consider. At paragraph 9.14 the Code states that " the local authority should consider whether there is evidence that despite the early years provider, school or post-16 institution having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress". The LA should pay particular attention to:

evidence of the child or young person's academic attainment (or developmental milestones in younger children) and rate of progress;

information about the nature, extent and context of the child or young person's SEN;

evidence of the action already taken by the school or other setting;

evidence that where progress has been made, it has only been as the result of much additional intervention and support over and above that which is usually provided;

evidence of the child or young person's physical, emotional and social development and health needs, drawing on relevant evidence from clinicians and other health professionals and what has been done to meet these by other agencies.

When should I request an education, health and care ("EHC") needs assessment?

If a child or young person has a learning difficulty or a disability which is holding them back at school or college, and the parents of the child or the young person (or the young person themselves) believe that the school or college is not able to provide the help and support which is needed, then a request should be made to the Local Authority (" LA ") for an EHC needs assessment.

You can do this at any time.

You can only ask for an EHC needs assessment if the child or young person has, or may have, SEN - it does not apply where there are only health or social care needs. Remember that under the law, a child has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or a disability which calls for special educational provision. You can read more about the definition of SEN here.

For children under 16, the parent makes the request. This includes children from age 0 to 5, where parents should make a request if they believe that the child will need extra help at nursery or when they start school.

In the case of a young person (over 16 and up to 25), they can make the request themselves. If the young person is not able to understand, remember or communicate decisions about the educational support they need, their parent or carer can make the request on a young person's behalf. There is more information about how the law applies to young people here .

Should I speak to the school or college first?

Yes - it will be helpful to speak to the school or college about your worries before writing to the LA. You should speak to the relevant class or subject teacher, the school SENCO or the person at the college responsible for SEN provision, and the head teacher or the principal.

What if the school or college offers to write on my behalf?

Anyone acting on behalf of a school or post-16 institution is able to write and request an EHC needs assessment. However, if you make the request yourself you can be sure that the request has definitely been made. If the school or college is willing, you could ask them to write a letter which supports your own application.

How should I make the request?

You should make a written request and keep a copy of your letter. Your letter should set out why you believe your child has or may have special educational needs, and why you believe they may need special educational provision to be made through an EHC Plan. You can use as a template for your request.

Who should I write to?

The LA's website should set out clearly how a request can be made. If it is not clear, you should write to the most senior person at the LA, usually called the Director of Education or Head of Children's Services. You can find out the name and contact details of the most senior officer on the LA's website, by calling the LA or by asking at the school or college.

When should I hear back?

The LA must reply within six weeks (this is required by regulation 4(1) of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014). They should always reply to you as a parent or young person - even where the request was made by the school or college.

We have model letters which you can use to ask for information from the school and LA which may help you evidence that the test for an EHC needs assessment is met. If you did not have this information when you made your request, you could submit any helpful evidence you obtain before the LA's decision is due and ask the LA to consider it.

Make a note of the six week deadline for the LA's reply. If they do not respond in time, you can use our model letter to complain to the LA .

What will the LA's response say?

If the LA agrees to carry out an assessment, various people will need to be approached for advice. The page on what an EHC assessment involves has more information.

If the LA refuses to carry out an assessment, you have the right to appeal against this decision. The letter should explain that there is a right to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), and should contain details of a mediation service for you to contact. You can find more information on how to appeal here .

If you haven't been able to find the answer to your question on this page, see our .
Making a request for an EHC needs assessment Complaining if the LA does not respond

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When should a local authority carry out an EHC needs assessment? If a local authority (“LA”) is requested to carry out an EHC needs assessment by a parent, young person, school or college, they must consider: whether the child or young person has or may have special educational needs (“SEN”); and whether they may need special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan.

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Education, Health and Life Planning for young people with education, health and care needs

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Student and family voice is important to us. If you would like to update your child's support profile please send completed profiles to: sendco@bgn.oxon.sch.uk. *We will review before sharing with teachers. 

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Student and family voice is important to us. If you would like to update your child's support profile please send completed profiles to: sendco@bgn.oxon.sch.uk. *We will review before sharing with teachers. 

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Place2Be is a children and young people's mental health charity with almost 30 years' experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools.

We provide mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research. In addition, we also offer expert training and professional qualifications.

Why it's important

1 in 5

children and young people have a probable mental health condition, and many continue to have these problems into adulthood.

50%

of those with lifetime mental health problems first experience symptoms by the age of 14.

1 in 10
boys aged 5-19 with a mental health condition are suspended in some form from school.

Find out more about our work

How we help

Mental health support in schools

Our in-school mental health service supports the wellbeing of pupils, families and staff.
Find out more

Our mental health services in schools

We provide mental health services in schools that contribute to a whole-school approach to mental health.
Find out more

Counselling training and placements

Gain experience and skills with our child counselling training and placements.
Find out more

Place2Be is part of our school family. It is more than an office, more than a therapy room and more than a collection of counsellors.

Glyn Ellis - Headteacher, Haslingden Primary School

My daughter had become a different person - one we didn't recognise - but since counselling we see signs of our old loving daughter coming back.

Parent

If you have problems or worries you get a chance to talk to a person you trust. When I grow up I want to help children like Place2Be helps children.

Eight-year-old girl

Your support makes it possible

Thousands of vulnerable children and families depend on our work every single day. We simply cannot reach them without your help. There are so many ways to lend your support.

Place2Be's counselling service in primary schools has the potential to return £8 to society by improving long-term outcomes for each child.

Make a donation

How you can help

Fundraise for us

Raise money to transform children and young people's mental health. Browse ideas, tips and advice.

Get fundraising inspiration

Take part in an event

Run, cycle, walk. Trek to great heights or tackle some muddy obstacles. Take a look at our fundraising events.

Take on an event

Partner with us

See how your organisation can help us to support more children, families and school staff across the UK.

Find out more

Our impact

In the last school year

6,901

pupils were supported through one-to-one counselling.

33,327

pupils booked their own appointments o speak to our mental health professional.

After one-to-one counselling with Place2Be

76%

of children with severe difficulties show an improvement in mental health, according to parents.

64%

of pupils whose difficulties impacted their learning in class improved, according to teachers.

75%

of children and young people found it easier to make and keep friends, according to parents and carers.

Place2Be: mental health support in schools

Hear from children and teachers about the impact of Place2Be.

News & blogs

Eating Disorders in Children and Young People: a major public health concern

Clara Faria and Professor Tamsin Ford reflect on the impact of eating disorders on children and young people's mental health.

Read more

New report from NHS England shows increase in children experiencing mental health difficulties

Published today, the report reveals that 1 in 5 children and young people now have a probable mental health condition.

Read more

The BAFTA Roadshow with Place2Be arrives in North-West London

BAFTA and Place2Be team up to bring the BAFTA Roadshow to North-West London.

Read more

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Improving children's and young people's mental health - Place2Be

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Place2Be provides mental health counselling support and training to schools to improve the emotional wellbeing of children, young people, families, teachers and staff.

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© 2018 - 2023 STAMMA, British Stammering Association trading as STAMMA, reg. charity no. 1089967/SC038866, reg. company no. 04297778 (England & Wales)

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Afasic and Naplic have been working together to reach out and help parents of children with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder), and have been able

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A letter from our founder

Dear Parent,

I see you; I know you're there; I know the despair, the hurt and upset you are feeling. I know the feeling of blame, the guilt and the constant searching for answers and reasons. I know the sleepless nights, the worry about keeping your family safe, the struggle of trying to hold down employment. I know the looks and comments you get from family, friends and professionals, the tug you feel in your heart. I know that horrific pain that is running through you. I know how you hate yourself when you have thoughts of asking services for help or even to have your child placed with them. I know the failing you feel and how you are trying to survive each day without incident or trauma. I know you feel so isolated and alone even if you do have support around you. I know you're doing the best you can in a situation where you have nowhere to turn. I know this is not your fault and that you are not to blame.

How do I know this? Because I was you. I was being abused by my child. I had all of those feelings and more. Accepting my child's behaviour was abusive was not easy or something I even wanted to consider, but this was the reality. Things will not always be this tough, things can improve and you as a family will find a safe way that works for you.

Right now, you may feel that nobody understands and that your situation is beyond help or support. I promise you it is not. You are not alone. I hear you. I will listen, help and act alongside you if needed.

PEGS was started to help those going through similar situations of extreme difficulty and worry.

PEGS is here for you, created out of trauma but going forward with love, passion and determination to see change.

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Child to parent abuse | Parental Education Growth Support (PEGS)

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PEGS has been set up to support both parents and professionals deal with the issues associated with child-to-parent abuse. Supporting parents and professionals with child to parent abuse. Learn More

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Advice films on mental health and support tips for parents of children with mental illnesses. Watch the video.

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Short breaks for disabled children | Oxfordshire County Council

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We're the local authority for Oxfordshire, committed to delivering top quality services and value for money on behalf of the county's 600,000+ residents.

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Building scientific knowledge and understanding through personalised homework

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Accesibility Report - currently under review

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Accesibility Report - currently under review

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"I am pleased to report it is EXCELLENT in every way. Told in verse, with illustrations, it focuses on a young boy going into school year 6. Think friendships, SAT's, family life. This book will steal your heart, rearrange it and return it. Lovely references to David Almond. This is most definitely recommended to all age 8 upwards, all parents, all teachers. Simply go buy it!"

-- Fiona Sharp ― Independent Book Reviews

"A beautiful story of friendship, family, grief, falling apart and putting yourself back together again. Also a love letter to David Almond who I agree is one of the Greats of All Time."

"Matt Goodfellow is a stunning poet, well known for his beautifully crafted, often poignant work, which is highly relatable. In 'The Final Year', he has brought all his skill with language to create a very powerful verse novel which is sensitive and incredibly relevant...

There are a million more things which I could say about this incredible book... but I just suggest people read it and get it into the hands of children who will see themselves and feel understood, recognised and valued. More books like this are needed."

― Through The Bookshelf

"Well-written, authentic and very moving. And could really help to inspire children to write their own stories in their own voices."

"Written with compassion and sensitivity by Matt Goodfellow and blessed with Joe Todd-Stanton's distinctive illustrations, this eminently relatable coming-of-age verse novel revolves around Nate's troubled journey into the final year of primary school."

― Waterstones: The Children's Books You Need to Read in 2023: July - December

"Coupled with illustrations by Joe Todd Stanton - bringing Nate's extended family & The Beats to life. There's a certain Ghibli-esque style to its "No Face" tendril-like arms. Some really affecting work from both creators." Early September OBB are releasing some amazing stuff!

" Loved it, read it in one! Putting it in our Back to School bundle for September!"

"A stunning, emotionally charge verse-novel."

-- Chris Routh ― @writeaboutbooks (Twitter)

"A beautiful verse novel out with Otter Barry Books. Nate's last year at primary school is turned upside-down by friends and family - it is heart-wrenching and heart-warming and I loved it."

"A powerful story told in verse about Nathan's last year of primary school. Nathan has something special in him... poetry. A powerful and absorbing read."

― Inspire: Education Library Services

"This tender and insightful poetry novel by Matt Goodfellow is a paean to young carers, books (especially by David Almond), good teachers and wings! A sure fire book of the year."

"If you give this book to someone, they'll need a big hanky with it. Written by a children's performance poet and former schoolteacher, this tearjerker is a novel in free verse about a working-class boy's experience of Year Six. ...With black-and-white illustrations that capture its moods, the book explores the hurt of shifting friendships ― but the real whammy involves an ill child. It's one to read aloud to leavers so they will never forget their final year."

-- Nicolette Jones ― The Sunday Times - Children's Book of the Week

"An extraordinary verse novel about the final year of primary school... Through his powerful verses, ex-primary school teacher Matt Goodfellow pays testament to the impact of a great teacher in supporting pupils through this time, as well as the power of words and writing to help manage big emotions. Joe Todd Stanton's drawings add to the text, with the simple drawings softening the harshness of the story's real-world themes.

...Believe the hype and the praise, this book is every bit as good as everyone is saying."

― Books for Topics - Books of the Month

"I'm sure that this book is going to find a place in a lot of classrooms and that, just like Skellig , it will become a book that many people remember as 'that book' that turned them on to reading and the power of language."

"The end of Year 5 through to the end of primary school is told through fragments of life in this unique and powerful verse story... Accessible, powerful, and highly relatable, Year 6 children will empathise with Nate and the challenges he faces at home, his struggles with bullying at school, and deciphering what really matters between the ages of 10 and 11. Highly recommended for reading with UKS2 classes, 'The Final Year' is 285 pages of verse story genius."

"Highly accessible, lyrical and life affirming, this is must-have novel that will authentically resonate with so many under-represented children and perfectly captures what this crucial transition period feels like. As such, it is a must-read for adults as well as the children who will devour it. It will also resonate with children who have made that transition and perhaps help them with their own feelings, as well as encouraging them to write for themselves."

-- Joy Court ― LoveReading4Kids - Book of the Month

"The Final Year is a book that needs to be read in one sitting in a quiet room where no one can you hear you sob. Beautiful verse novel about a boy heading into Year 6 Joe Todd Stanton's illustrations are perfect for Matt Goodfellow's words."

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The Final Year : Matt Goodfellow, Joe Todd-Stanton: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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" The perfect companion for transitioning to secondary" - Lancashire Evening Post

"Highly recommended" - School Reading List

THE title to have for kids transitioning from primary to secondary school.

Moving up from primary to secondary school can be scary. Going from being the bosses of the benches, to the youngest in a massive playground is hard.

The classrooms are bigger, older students look like adults and don't even start on the piles of homework, stressful exams and complicated friendships.

Whether you're heading to secondary school next year, or you've just started and still adjusting, Moving Up is here to help you on your journey.

From choosing your new school and your first day all the way up to your final exams and your leaving party or prom, this handy guide book will be the perfect companion for transitioning to secondary, and get you feeling confident, building strong friendships, achieving great things and generally being the greatest that you can be.

Covering topics from:

Written by Christian Foley , educator, poet-in-residence, musician and all-round creative.

More praise for Moving Up:

"I read it in one sitting. MOVING UP is a book that any child moving from primary to secondary needs to read. Engaging, lively, and full of essential information, but more than that, sensitive, inspiring and energising too. Christian has a wonderful ability to entertain and guide young readers with his poetry and insights. Illuminating and inspiring. Loved it!" - Jeffrey Boakye, Author

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Buy Moving Up 1 by Foley, Christian (ISBN: 9780702333743) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse.

We do this through our education programme, providing training, resources and information to professionals working with children, young people and their families.

I am:

Respecting me, you, us: building healthy relationships and creating positive cultures is a CEOP Education resource for 12 -14 year olds developed in association with clinical psychologist, Dr. Elly Hanson.

Under 18 and worried about online sexual abuse?
To report, click to visit the CEOP Safety Centre.

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The CEOP Education programme from the National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aims to protect children and young people aged 4-18 from online child sexual abuse.

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Working with online safety experts, we're here to provide parents & carers with guidance, advice and support to keep children safe online | Internet Matters

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Georgina W. Teacher - Davenant Foundation School

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Online Safety Training For Schools | National Online Safety

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Our online safety training courses, webinars and resources enable schools to keep children safe online and meet statutory online safety requirements.

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Campaigning for change

We fight to change laws to make society safer for children. Our Wild West Web campaign has pushed for new regulations through the Online Safety Bill to make sure websites, apps and games are safe for children to use. But the draft Bill doesn't go far enough to protect children.
Help us end the Wild West Web

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Understanding online safety is tricky for all ages - we have advice and guides to help you learn about staying safe online as a family.

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Welcome to the UK Safer Internet Centre, where you can find online safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe online.

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School anxiety and refusal: How parents can help their child get through tough times - BBC Parents’ Toolkit - BBC Bitesize

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Emotionally-based school avoidance has increased since the pandemic. Here are tips to help parents to understand what causes it and to help their child cope.