As news about coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to dominate the headlines and undoubtedly creates a time of change and uncertainty, we would like to acknowledge the immense pressure and unfamiliar territory that our parents at Yarm School may be faced with. Therefore we want to start by providing some self-help materials that we feel will provide some guidance and reassurance for you as parents to look after your own emotional well-being and the well-being of your children during these unprecedented times.

If you do find that your child is continuously struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and would benefit from further professional psychological support then please do not hesitate to contact the relevant people outlined below;
Pre-Prep – Joanne Speight (jsp@yarmschool.org)
Prep School – Gavin Stone (gns@yarmschool.org)
Middle school – Kath Gratton (kg@yarmschool.org)
Sixth Form – Alan Goodall (amg@yarmschool.org)

Alternately, you can email your child’s name, school, year group and telephone number to the local external provider ‘Alliance Psychological Services’ who work with Yarm School and a professional within the child and family team will endeavour to get back to you within their working hours, which are Monday-Thursday 8.30-5.00 and Friday 8.30-4.30. The email address is : cypfamilies@alliancepsychology.com

We would like to express our gratitude and admiration for all of our parents who are working as front line staff during this global pandemic. Below we have shared some specialised links that we hope may be useful to support emotional well-being and provide guidance to all front line staff:

• Support the Workers
• Trauma Group
• Coping with Stress Associated with COVID-19

At Yarm School we are passionate about our delivery of ‘mindfulness’ as we recognise the growing evidence that highlights how mindfulness improves emotional, social and physical health and well-being of children and young people.

We acknowledge how mindfulness has been proven to reduce anxiety, stress, reactivity and bad-behaviour whilst enhancing sleep, self-esteem, self awareness, empathy and cognitive performance and function. We firmly believe that practicing mindfulness within our school educates our pupils about the importance of looking after well-being, whilst supporting them to develop the skills and confidence to do so. Undoubtedly if our pupils are happy and healthy then we believe that they will be more able to enjoy and engage in their education. This is why mindfulness is introduced into our clubs, activities and with our Year Five pupils at Prep School.

All pupils within our Senior School complete a six week .b mindfulness programme as part of the SPaCE curriculum in the third year. This course gives them insight into mindfulness and some tools that they can use to help with overthinking, coping with the ups and downs of adolescence and also helps them notice all the good things that are around.

Practicing mindfulness invites us to be in the present moment by becoming more aware of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations and surrounding environment. As we globally continue to experience life changes due to COVID-19, it is inevitable that we will experience a rise in anxiety and fear. We appreciate that many of our families at Yarm School will be adapting to a new way of being and we feel that mindfulness may be beneficial during this transition. For this reason we have provided some mindfulness activities and meditation sessions that are focused for children and young people but can be applied for adults also.

We anticipate that mindfulness may not be for everyone but wanted to provide a gentle invitation. In this document we have gathered links and videos that outline the benefits of mindfulness and how it can support children and families during the coronavirus pandemic, advice on how to look after your emotional well-being during COVID-19, and videos that can be used by children, teenagers or adults who want to practice mindfulness.

As we approach the start of our autumn term we anticipate that for many of our pupils returning to school life after the lockdown period will generate a mixture of both positive and negative thoughts, feelings and emotions. As a school we acknowledge how the global pandemic may have caused significant change, disruption, uncertainty and loss in various ways for our pupils and for this reason a key focus on return will be centred around positive well-being. We believe that for our children reuniting with school life will provide structure, normality and an opportunity to reconnect with their teachers and friends and we feel hopeful that these aspects will be positive for their well-being. We understand that for many of our families the initial build up of returning to school may generate some level of anxiety and with this in mind we have provided some reputable resources to help alleviate and manage any emotional distress that may naturally be triggered during this transitional period. If however you feel that your child in particular is struggling with their emotional well-being and may need additional support then please do not hesitate to get in touch with our pastoral care team which is highlighted below;

Pre-Prep School – Mrs speight (jsp@yarmschool.org)

Prep School – Mr Stone (gns@yarmschool.org)

Middle School – Mrs Gratton (kg@yarmschool.org)

Sixth Form – Dr Goodall (amg@yarmschool.org)

href=”https://portal.yarmschool.org/parentportal/”>Parent Portal.