Shirehampton
Support for Parents & Families
We know that family life can sometimes be challenging and that there may be times when parents and carers would benefit from some additional information, advice or support.
At Shirehampton Primary School, we want families to know where they can turn for help. This page brings together information about support available through school and organisations across Bristol.
If you are unsure what support you need or would like to talk to someone, please contact the school office and we will help you find the right person or service.
Support from School
If you are worried about your child or your family circumstances, please speak to us.
Our staff can offer advice, help identify appropriate support and, where needed, signpost or refer families to other services.
Depending on the support required, this may include help with wellbeing, attendance, family circumstances, parenting, SEND, safeguarding or accessing external services.
You do not need to know which service you need before speaking to us. Please contact the school office and we can help you identify the most appropriate next step.
Bristol Family Hubs & Parenting Support
Bristol Family Hubs provide information, advice and support for families with children and young people.
Support available through Family Hubs includes parenting programmes and advice around children's development, behaviour, relationships, emotional wellbeing and family life.
Families can access a range of parenting support and courses, including online learning and programmes delivered within local communities.
→ Bristol Family Hubs
→ Parenting Courses and Support
▼ School Nursing
The School Nursing Service supports school-aged children and their families with a range of health and wellbeing needs.
Parents and carers can access advice and support relating to children's health, development and wellbeing.
Domestic Abuse Support
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, support is available.
Next Link provides specialist domestic abuse support for people living in Bristol and the surrounding area.
→ Next Link Domestic Abuse Support
The Freedom Programme is a supportive programme designed to help women understand the behaviours and beliefs associated with domestic abuse and recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships.
If you would like to find out more about accessing the Freedom Programme, please contact the school.
Support for Children's Learning at Home
There are lots of simple ways parents and carers can support children's learning at home.
Regular reading, talking about what children are learning, practising key skills and encouraging curiosity can all make a difference.
For curriculum-specific information and ideas for supporting learning at home, please visit our Curriculum pages or speak to your child's class teacher.
At Shirehampton Primary School we recognise that pupils who have spent a busy structured day at school need time to relax and unwind at home and have an opportunity to play. We believe that home learning activities should be set but should not promote resentment, friction and conflict. Home learning should be meaningful used to effectively consolidate and/or extend what is learned in school.
We hope that children will feel a sense of personal satisfaction in a task completed well and that their efforts will be recognised and praised both at home and at school. We appreciate parental support with this.
This approach aims to support children’s growing perception about their ability to complete a task outside the school environment. It also fosters the skills of independent learning necessary for future life.
Following our Parent Questionnaire feedback showed parents would appreciate
"We really appreciate how much opportunity has been provided to us to come in and see our child learning and performing: it has been a total pleasure!"
guidance around teaching reading, phonics (spelling) and maths. Therefore staff have produced How To Guide to further support home learning. Please click on the links below:
Becoming a Reader: A leaflet for parents of Reception children
Teaching Maths Mastery in the Early Years
Supporting maths understanding by teaching times tables facts
We know how much you value your children’s education and are keen to support them at home to be all that they can be. We have put together some top tips to encourage home learning.
how can you encourage home learning.pdf
We know that parenting can be tricky, every child is different and there is no guide to parenting! In line with requests, for support, advice and guidance from parents, we have received, school have created helpful information and leaflets that you may find useful.
If you want to find out more please pop in and see us.
How to teach your child resilience
Helping your child build their self-esteem
Building resilience in children
As a school we also deliver The Freedom Programme which is a support group for women. Click here for more information.
In September 2022, our Freedom Programme Group will run on a Tuesday morning from 9am until approximately 10:30am. The first session is on Tuesday 13th September 2022.
If you want to contact us to find out more please email:freedomprogramme@shirehampton-jun.bristol.sch.uk
Referrals for The Freedom Programme are made directly to the school using our referral form. Once completed you can email it to the email address above or you can call school, on 0117 9031447, and ask to speak to Sam. If you need a Word version please contact us and we can organise for one to be sent to you. When you contact us we will talk you through the referral process and help you to book your place on the course running at Shirehampton Primary.
Next Link are a support service for domestic abuse and can provide advice on a range of actions women can take to feel and stay safe. You can access their website using this link. We can also help you make contact with Next Link.
We also run the Freedom Programme for Children. Click here for more information.
Support from external partners
School Nursing Team
The School Health Nursing service across Bristol and South Gloucestershire would like to be able to offer all parents and carers the opportunity to access health advice, information and support.
The School Health Nursing Service is an all-year round service, and parents can contact them directly on tel: 0300 124 5816.
Womankind
printable helpline and webchat leaflet a4 .pdf
Bristol City Council
CITYWIDE CHILDREN’S CENTRES PARENTING OFFER: 
After the October half term Bristol Family Hubs will be starting to plan and fill their parenting groups that will commence in January 2025.
See below the NEW ‘Parenting Groups Information Booklet’ which highlights the courses Bristol Family Hubs offer in more detail to parents/carers with children aged 0 – 8 years old. These courses are run by expert facilitators and Family Support Workers who are based at Children’s Centres across the city. These parenting courses are FREE and are all universal meaning any parent/carer can attend.
parenting groups information booklet.pdf
On the poster you will find a QR code which takes parents/carers to an ‘Expression of Interest’ form where details can be registered so that a family can be contacted about a particular parenting group.
Alternatively the link below can be used to register any family that is looking for parenting support at the moment:
www.bit.ly/BristolParentingGroups
Course places will not be offered until one of the Family Hubs team gets in touch directly with a family - the turnaround for this contact at present is within 1 week. Once contact has been made and the family have shared a bit about their situation, the team will recommend the best course option and the parent/carer(s) will either be added to a waiting list for a future course or offered a place on an upcoming course (depending on availability).
Bristol have launched a new Family Hubs virtual offer, including a new package of online learning for every parent in Bristol for free! The courses have been developed by the Solihull Approach, alongside the NHS, health experts and parents too! The mission in Bristol is for every parent in Bristol to complete the Solihull Approach – the learning is for everyone, not only for when you are struggling! The courses cover a whole range of topics to support parents through all stages of a child’s development including: Pregnancy and post-pregnancy support; How to understand your child or teenager’s mental health; Help for understanding relationships; Support for children with additional needs. There are also courses for teenagers to help them understand their mental health and feelings.
Parents can access the courses through this link Family Hubs virtual offer or by taking these 5 simple steps:
Step one: Go to the Solihull Approach
Step two: Go to inourplace tab on front page
Step three: Click on “Apply Access Code” tab
Step four: Enter code : GROWING
Step five: Answer the monitoring questions and add your Bristol postcode ….. and you are good to go!!
Families in Focus
There are also a variety of Parenting Courses available across Bristol run by trained and experience parenting practitioners. Click on the link below to view the courses running at present.
Families In Focus Parenting courses, advice and telephone support
They also produce a regular bulletin which provides advice, support and guidance for you and your child. It also gives information about available activities for your child.
families bulletin march 2025.pdf