Our pastoral team are available on a daily basis to support children and parents/carers. We are a friendly team and have invaluable experience between us, always happy to support however we can. In our team we have Mrs Goymer (SENDCO), Miss Prendergast (Senior Learning Mentor), Miss Lawrie (Emotional Literacy Support), Miss Suffolk (Attendance Lead) and Esther Finn (Pastoral Manager) who supports parents on a wide variety of matters.
Mrs Goymer-SENDCO is available four days per week to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). She is passionate about supporting children and getting the best outcomes for them. She organises Coffee Mornings once a month for parents/carers with outside agencies who can also offer support to children and families. This is an ideal opportunity to put any ideas forward you may have or to discuss any issues with other members of the pastoral team.
Please contact the school office to book an appointment with her.
Miss Prendergast is the Senior Learning Mentor and is trained in supporting children with SEN & Social & Emotional Mental Health (SEMH). She is also trained in Lego-Based Therapy which supports children to build their communication and friendship skills. She is a Wellbeing Champion for children and is passionate about supporting them with their mental health. Miss Prendergast is also trained in mental health First Aid for adults brings a wealth of experience to the team.
Miss Lawrie is trained in ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) which supports children with regulating their emotions, self-esteem and confidence. She works one-to-one with children and teaches them strategies to develop resilience and manage difficult situations.
Miss Suffolk is the Attendance Lead and supports parents and children with all attendance matters. She is available on a daily basis to discuss and support with any attendance concerns you may have. She is a point of contact and liaises with Birmingham City Council on a regular basis. Miss Suffolk holds attendance meetings with parents and can offer a package of support with other members of the pastoral team to help with any issues you may be experiencing.
Esther Finn is the Pastoral Manager and works closely with all of our colleagues in the pastoral team to support children and families across our school community. Between us we can offer a range of support for children and parents including:
- Advice on managing children’s behaviour
- Support with attendance
- Mental health advice
- Signposting to outside agencies to support
- Bereavement support for children
- Applications for funding to support parents
- Foodbank referrals
- Applications for White Goods
- Refer children for counselling
- Refer parents/carers for counselling
Esther has supported parents by applying for the Crisis Resilience Fund. She often attends meetings with families and external providers. She also can also make referrals to agencies such as School Nurse Team, Forward Thinking (who help with children’s emotional development) and Homestart (who can offer practical support in the home).
In addition to the above, we have a counselling service here in school for children twice per week. Twotentherapy have worked here at Court Farm Primary for over 6 years. They have kindly extended their service to offer free counselling to parents/carers who have a child in our school.
Esther can also refer children to Compass Mental Health Support team who will liaise with parents/carers and support children with their wellbeing here in school.
Esther also offers guidance and support on safeguarding matters.
We are a very friendly team and always happy to help. We can arrange a confidential telephone call, teams/zoom meeting or an appointment here in school if you prefer. Please get in touch if you need support.