Parents & Community

I am more than happy to work with you on any planning or timetabling if you’d like that. If not maybe use this as a guide line to planning your holiday. Like you said yourself, it’s a long time, without structure, and planning ahead will provide some routine and balance.

• Identify your support networks and who you can call upon if they need practical and emotional support.  This includes family, friends, neighbours, colleagues etc.
• Plan your summer in advance in order to help maintain some structure and routine for the children. 
• Think about activities that you can do with friends or other families that are cheap or free – visits to the park, walks/picnics in the woods, visits to the library, the local farm etc.  These types of activities could be scheduled in each week to help give some structure to the 6 weeks holidays.
• Information about any holiday clubs or local events happening over the summer  can be found by clicking this link – School holiday activities and food programme | South Gloucestershire (southglos.gov.uk)
• Ensure that your children are involved in the planning of their summer break.  What activities would they like to do?  To help to ensure that their children do not spend 6 weeks on their computer but that they spend plenty of time outside and doing things away from a computer/phone screen.
• Decide on what the new rules and routines will look like over the summer.  These may be slightly different than during term time but still need to be in place so that the children can easily get back into their normal routine in September.  This includes morning and bedtime routines i.e. still having set bedtimes (although these may be slightly later than during term time) and a morning routine whereby the children get up, washed and dressed by an agreed time.
• Begin to think about how/when you will get a break.  Could Grandparents be booked in for half day of child care each week?  Could families help each other out by taking it in turns to look after each other’s children so each parent gets a break?

As the saying goes, failing to plan, is planning to fail!  Families who have thought ahead and have some plans in place and structure to the school holidays will find their children much easier to manage.  Children thrive on structure and routine so will benefit from knowing what’s happening each day/week and having some pattern and regularity to their timetable, just like they experience in school. 

Support for families who have children with additional needs

• SEND and You - SAY: Local SEN and disability information service (SENDIAS) - Information and support around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, for children, young people and families. (previously Supportive Parents) 

               Tel: 0117 9897725 Mon-Fri 9.30 - 4.30 (answerphone at other times), Email: support@sendandyou.org.uk  

               Website:  Home - SEND and You

·        South Glos Parents and Carers: Information and groups for parents who have children with a disability and/or additional needs. Offers a weekly drop in for parents and carers, support groups, workshops, counselling and events. They also run the Parent Carer forum in South Gloucestershire to collect feedback and views from families with disabled children. Website: South Glos Parent Carers (sgpc.org.uk)  Email: team@sglospc.org.uk

·        JIGSAW Thornbury Support families who have children who are 0-25 years and have any additional needs or disability. This can be anything from learning needs such as dyslexia to complex disabilities or medical problems. Many children who come have no diagnosis. Weekly support group for parents, carers and children + training courses on a range of topics. Telephone: 01454 416381 Website: JIGSAW Thornbury | For Children with Additional Needs and Disabilities - SEN Lending Library, Events, Meetings, Bristol Area and the South West.

Financial support/offers

• Information on different ways of getting support with the cost of living rising Cost of living help | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk)

• Household support fund | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk)

The government has provided funding for us to support people who are struggling to:

buy food

pay energy bills

cover other essential costs linked to energy and wider essentials (including sanitary products, warm clothing, soap, blankets)

• Places Kids Eat Free in the Summer Holidays 2024 (moneysavingcentral.co.uk) is a website that tells families restaurants where kids eat free throughout the holidays.  

• Financial support and wellbeing | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk)

Jo Creese

Parents & Community

I am more than happy to work with you on any planning or timetabling if you’d like that. If not maybe use this as a guide line to planning your holiday. Like you said yourself, it’s a long time, without structure, and planning ahead will provide some routine and balance.

• Identify your support networks and who you can call upon if they need practical and emotional support.  This includes family, friends, neighbours, colleagues etc.
• Plan your summer in advance in order to help maintain some structure and routine for the children. 
• Think about activities that you can do with friends or other families that are cheap or free – visits to the park, walks/picnics in the woods, visits to the library, the local farm etc.  These types of activities could be scheduled in each week to help give some structure to the 6 weeks holidays.
• Information about any holiday clubs or local events happening over the summer  can be found by clicking this link – School holiday activities and food programme | South Gloucestershire (southglos.gov.uk)
• Ensure that your children are involved in the planning of their summer break.  What activities would they like to do?  To help to ensure that their children do not spend 6 weeks on their computer but that they spend plenty of time outside and doing things away from a computer/phone screen.
• Decide on what the new rules and routines will look like over the summer.  These may be slightly different than during term time but still need to be in place so that the children can easily get back into their normal routine in September.  This includes morning and bedtime routines i.e. still having set bedtimes (although these may be slightly later than during term time) and a morning routine whereby the children get up, washed and dressed by an agreed time.
• Begin to think about how/when you will get a break.  Could Grandparents be booked in for half day of child care each week?  Could families help each other out by taking it in turns to look after each other’s children so each parent gets a break?

As the saying goes, failing to plan, is planning to fail!  Families who have thought ahead and have some plans in place and structure to the school holidays will find their children much easier to manage.  Children thrive on structure and routine so will benefit from knowing what’s happening each day/week and having some pattern and regularity to their timetable, just like they experience in school. 

Support for families who have children with additional needs

• SEND and You - SAY: Local SEN and disability information service (SENDIAS) - Information and support around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, for children, young people and families. (previously Supportive Parents) 

               Tel: 0117 9897725 Mon-Fri 9.30 - 4.30 (answerphone at other times), Email: support@sendandyou.org.uk  

               Website:  Home - SEND and You

·        South Glos Parents and Carers: Information and groups for parents who have children with a disability and/or additional needs. Offers a weekly drop in for parents and carers, support groups, workshops, counselling and events. They also run the Parent Carer forum in South Gloucestershire to collect feedback and views from families with disabled children. Website: South Glos Parent Carers (sgpc.org.uk)  Email: team@sglospc.org.uk

·        JIGSAW Thornbury Support families who have children who are 0-25 years and have any additional needs or disability. This can be anything from learning needs such as dyslexia to complex disabilities or medical problems. Many children who come have no diagnosis. Weekly support group for parents, carers and children + training courses on a range of topics. Telephone: 01454 416381 Website: JIGSAW Thornbury | For Children with Additional Needs and Disabilities - SEN Lending Library, Events, Meetings, Bristol Area and the South West.

Financial support/offers

• Information on different ways of getting support with the cost of living rising Cost of living help | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk)

• Household support fund | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk)

The government has provided funding for us to support people who are struggling to:

buy food

pay energy bills

cover other essential costs linked to energy and wider essentials (including sanitary products, warm clothing, soap, blankets)

• Places Kids Eat Free in the Summer Holidays 2024 (moneysavingcentral.co.uk) is a website that tells families restaurants where kids eat free throughout the holidays.  

• Financial support and wellbeing | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk)

Jo Creese