Month: December 2018

Being a parent or carer to a child or young person can often be difficult without emotional support and guidance there to help. Many parents feel confused by what information is available or struggle to access services close to home.

Our free National Parent Support Service tackles these issues in a new and innovative way by using a network of ‘virtual’ volunteers from across the country to support parents and carers through telephone calls, email and text message. The service is open weekdays 6pm to 10pm and weekends 10am to 1pm. Longer-term support is also available through our free befriending and counselling services.

Please signpost parents and carers you work with to our National Parent Support Service:

• Freephone 0808 802 0222
• Text: 07537 404 282
• Email NDPSS@family-action.org.uk

Find out more here.

At least half a million children in the UK arrive at school each day too hungry to learn. Research has shown a direct link between the breakfast habits of children and their educational attainment, with children in primary schools where breakfast is provided achieving on average up to two months’ additional academic progress over the course of a year.

Our exciting National School Breakfast Programme, in partnership with Magic Breakfast and funded by the Department for Education, is working to support 1775 schools in disadvantaged communities across the country to improve access to healthy breakfasts and learning.

The service aims to:

• Ensure more children receive a healthy breakfast at the start of their day.
• Improve educational outcomes of disadvantaged young people
• Share best practices across schools and encourage innovative approaches to school breakfast provision

If a school in your area is interested in exploring the benefit of removing the hunger barrier to learning for all your pupils, please complete an Expression of Interest form here.

Congratulations to the settings who took part in the loose parts competition held at the BPCN network meeting on: December 7th 2018.

The winners are as follows:
1st prize Dorrington Kids Club.
2nd prize St Pauls Adventure.
3rd prize Hummingbirds nursery and out of school club.

BPCN deliver four network meetings each quarter. The network meetings are generally targeted for staff who work in the out of school club sector.

Network meetings are held at various locations across the city. Different issues/concerns relating to play etc are discussed.

Attendees are also informed of OFSTED updates and any changes to out of school club policy and procedures. The meeting also enables attendees to share good practice.