Useful Links
There is Support for Parents available across a number of different areas, please follow the links below
Parent Talk Wales
Parents in Wales can now access this new service to get support with anything that’s worrying them about family life and parenting.
Parent Talk Wales:
• Available to parents of 0-19 year olds
• Option of a 1:1 live chat with our Parenting Coaches who can provide support and reassurance specific to individual situations
• 1:1 chat is available in Welsh and English
• Browse articles, tips, and resources on the most common parenting topics, such as:
• Mental health
• Behaviour
• SEND
• Sleep
• Child Development
• Co-parenting
• Free and confidential service
• Over 90% of parents who use the 1:1 online chat rate the service a 4 or 5 out of 5
• Website: www.parent-talk.org.uk/wales
PDG school essential grant
The 2023/24 application round for the PDG School Essential Grant (uniform grant) opened on 1st July 2023 and ends on 31st May 2024.
Please click on the below link for more information
Action for Children
Action for Children supports and speaks for the UK's most vulnerable and neglected children and young people
HWB
Digital Learning for Wales.
The Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience (Area) provides a holistic structure for understanding health and well-being. It is concerned with developing the capacity of learners to navigate life's opportunities and challenges. The fundamental components of this Area are physical health and development, mental health, and emotional and social well-being. It will support learners to understand and appreciate how the different components of health and well-being are interconnected, and it recognises that good health and well-being are important to enable successful learning.
Free School Meals
If you are receiving one of the benefits listed here and your child attends a Blaenau Gwent school, your child may be entitled to receive Free School Meals.
We know that many of our children are missing out on their entitlement to a free school meal, so please make sure that your child is receiving their full entitlement by checking today.
Families in receipt of one of the following benefits/support payments are eligible to apply for Free School Meals.
- Income Support
- Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and your annual income as assessed by Revenues and Customs is below £16,190
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Guaranteed Element of State Pension
- Credit Universal
- Or support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Free School Meals | Blaenau Gwent CBC (blaenau-gwent.gov.uk)
School Uniform Grant
The Minister for Education and Welsh Language recently announced that the Pupil Development Grant Access scheme will be raised for one year only by £100 per learner eligible for free school meals.
Learners currently eligible for free school meals can apply for the grant of £225 per learner, and £300 for those learners entering year 7, recognising the increased costs associated with starting secondary school.
Pupils who receive Free School Meals due to transitional protection arrangements do not qualify for this funding.
From January 2022 all school years are eligible.
All looked after children qualify for the grant, whether they receive free school meals or not.
Families are only entitled to claim once per child, per school year.
The scheme for the 2022/23 academic year will begin on 1st July 2022 and end on 30th June 2023
https://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/en/resident/schools-learning/school-uniform-grant/
Online Safety - Social Media and Websites
Keeping your teen safe online is near the top of the worry list for parents today. Kids do everything online– from learning to socialising, to gaming and shopping. For teens, learning how to spot the risks and keep safe is a life skill that will be helpful for years to come.
The My tutor website offers advice and guidance for keeping your children safe online across the many apps and websites they are exposed to:
https://www.mytutor.co.uk/blog/parents/the-parents-guide-to-teaching-your-teen-online-safety/
Think you know - Great advice to keep children safe whilst using the Internet.
The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child abuse.
CEOP: News and articles surrounding Internet safety
If you have concerns about online abuse, or the way someone has been communicating with you or a child online, you can make a report to one of the CEOP's Child Protection Advisors.
There are also links to a range of information about keeping yourself or a child you know safer online
This site is run by the National Crime agency.
Education Changes
What is changing?
There will be a new curriculum, made in Wales by teachers, partners, practitioners, and businesses and shaped by the best ideas from around the world.
Assessment will be part of your child’s learning every day and they’ll work with their teachers to understand how well they’re doing.
There will also be new ways of training and supporting staff and help for schools to improve.
These changes will all complement the new curriculum.
Department for Education
Articles and advice for children and young people.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
Fearless - A great link to information and advice about crime and criminality
Fearless is a site where you can access non-judgemental information and advice about crime and criminality.
What makes this site different is we also provide you with a safe place to give information to us about crime - 100% anonymously.