Stratford Town Trust launch pilot programme aimed at supporting children in school

STRATFORD Town Trust has launched a new pilot scheme designed to support families and schools.

It will run in three schools in partnership with the Parenting Project, a charity that supports family mental health and wellbeing.

The scheme will see family support workers embedded into Holy Trinity Primary School, Bishopton Primary School and Stratford Primary School. The launch comes during a time when children’s mental health has been placed in the spotlight through a recent BBC Panorama episode Lockdown Kids: Five Years On.

Findings from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) showed that there is a growing number of absences in UK schools, with the poorest children missing school the most. Within Stratford, it is hoped that the pilot programme will provide more support to help families with issues ranging from mental health struggles to housing instability.

Each school will have a support worker for one day a week during term time. In addition, further hours will be allocated for follow-ups such as home visits, family meetings and referrals to specialist services.

Sara Aspley, chief executive at Stratford Town Trust, said: “This an exciting initiative that has been shaped in direct response to school feedback and engagement, making it a vital step towards breaking down barriers that hinder children's education and wellbeing.”

Emma Smith, from the Parenting Project, added: “We are pleased to be working with Stratford Town Trust and thank them for their insight into the needs of children and young people in the town. We recognise the huge benefits of having
dedicated time to provide direct support for children and parents in Stratford through the three primary schools. Our aim is to deliver bespoke support in each school to develop positive mental health and wellbeing for children and parents.”

Andrew Smith, headteacher at Bishopton Primary School, said: “This partnership between the school, Stratford Town Trust and the Parenting Project has the potential to be extremely successful and is much needed in our local schools and communities. To secure such investment from the town trust and the Parenting Project is vital if long-term impact is to be made on the lives of young people in our town.”