We understand that we are not there face to face at the moment for all of the pupils that we support, but we can arrange a chat and check in on Google Classroom if you or your child wants to speak to us. Please just email us: sendco@ivybank.cheshire.sch.uk  

Here are some strategies that you can use at home to support you child if they feel stressed or anxious or are just not coping at any point during lockdown, some of these may not work and that is okay.

• Keep your child in a routine, it is really important to get them up and get them ready each morning as they would for school. Structure and routine are good and mentally it gets us ready for the day ahead.
• If your child is feeling stressed with school work online then you can give them a break, it is okay to take a break from learning and it is okay to not complete the work all in one go.
• Break up the work into smaller chunks and if you can use a visual cue or now and next board to show them what they have to do. You can create your own or we can help you make one.
• If they need it, use a timer to give them a clear start and finish time for each activity or lesson. You can use online timers, such as the one here - https://www.online-stopwatch.com/ or you can buy one online.
• Make sure that they get some downtime and they get some time to relax.
• If your child gets angry, then give them some space and allow them to go somewhere that they feel safe, possibly their bedroom and let them do something that they like, something that will calm them down.
• Do not push them to talk about why they are angry or upset until they are ready to talk. If you push it too quickly then they may have to start the process of self-regulation again.
• Provide them with calming/sensory equipment. It can be a simple as a ball of blue-tack or can be more expensive, such as a sensory cube or tangle toy.
• If your child needs an overlay in school then they can download the Colorveil programme to support them whilst they are doing their online learning and it is free - https://www.aurelitec.com/colorveil/windows/
• Do not struggle alone and ask for help. We have sent out a lot of information of parent/carer groups, our contact details and the details of national agencies that can support your child.