The Welfare Hub

Hello and welcome to the Welfare Hub. At Ark Kings Academy, the welfare team offer advice, guidance, and support to our pupils and the rest of the school community. We oversee pupils' attendance, health and wellbeing, and signpost to community services in order to address any barriers to learning.

 

Meet the team

 

   

Mrs L Wardley
Welfare Lead

I lead the Welfare team by ensuring robust processes and procedures are in place to provide wrap around support for our pupils and their families.
I provide whole school support to staff to ensure that the pupils have access to intervention to address any concerns and that their voice is heard. I review and implement policies to ensure that our pupils are safeguarded.    

I track and monitor the delivery and impact of all services offered by the welfare team and actively promote the safety and welfare of our pupils to ensure they are thriving, happy and successful.

   

Ms M Malik
Welfare Officer - Secondary

I work with pupils, their families and external agencies to safeguard the pupils by ensuring that they are safe, happy and their needs are met so can thrive to reach their full potential.    

As one of two welfare officers in Secondary, my job is to act as a point of contact in school for pupils and families in need of support. I liaise with and signpost to external agencies to ensure that the appropriate support and intervention is provided to meet the holistic needs of the family. I also work closely with and provide advice to Ark Kings staff on safeguarding matters. I ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are followed so all our pupils can learn in a safe environment.

   

Mrs C Varley
Welfare Officer - Secondary

I work with pupils, their families and external agencies to safeguard the pupils by ensuring that they are safe, happy and their needs are met so can thrive to reach their full potential.    

As one of two welfare officers in Secondary, my job is to act as a point of contact in school for pupils and families in need of support. I liaise with and signpost to external agencies to ensure that the appropriate support and intervention is provided to meet the holistic needs of the family. I also work closely with and provide advice to Ark Kings staff on safeguarding matters. I ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are followed so all our pupils can learn in a safe environment.

   

Mr D Beardmore
Welfare Officer – Primary

I am responsible for the daily attendance and absence monitoring and work closely with families to address and provide support for any barriers to good attendance.    

I work with pupils, their families and external agencies to safeguard the pupils by ensuring that they are safe, happy and their needs are met so can thrive to reach their full potential.
I am first point of contact in school for pupils and families in need of support. I liaise with and signpost to external agencies to ensure that the appropriate support and intervention is provided to meet the holistic needs of the family. I also work closely with and provide advice to Ark Kings staff on safeguarding matters. I ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are followed so all our pupils can learn in a safe environment.

   

Mrs G Cash
Interim School Nurse

There are many health conditions that require regular input from a health care professional in school. I support the pupils to take regular prescription medications to ensure their conditions are managed effectively. I complete care plans for pupils and liaise with other health care professionals to ensure the needs of the pupil are met.    

I provide first aid response and provide emergency care. I coordinate all of the school immunisation programmes. I am available to provide health and welfare support, guidance and signposting to our families

   

Ms I Oram
School Counsellor and Mental Health Lead

I provide a confidential high quality counselling service to pupils experiencing a wide range of emotional problems. I offer support, advice and guidance to pupils and their families in addressing issues affecting emotional wellbeing. Therapy is pupil lead and will be bespoke for each pupils needs – I use techniques such as play, art and talking therapy. I provide a drop-in service at break and lunch time where pupils have the opportunity to talk in confidence about any worries they may have, I will then support them to understand their feelings and emotions.    

In consultation with parents and carers I refer to and liaise with external agencies to provide a holistic support package to meet the emotional needs of the pupils.

   

Ms M Bridgman
Attendance and Admissions Officer

I am responsible for the daily attendance and absence monitoring and work closely with families to address and provide support for any barriers to good attendance. I provide regular communication with families to ensure that they are kept informed of any attendance or punctuality concerns. I ensure that school registers are complete and accurate to safeguard our pupils.    

I work closely with families and external agencies to ensure that appropriate guidance and intervention is provided to improve attendance and punctuality.

I provide advice and guidance to families on all school admission related enquiries and maintain the school admissions waiting lists.

   

Ms A Aldubai
Attendance and Admissions Assistant

I am responsible for the daily attendance and absence monitoring and work closely with families to address and provide support for any barriers to good attendance.    

I work closely with the Attendance and Admissions Officer on all of the daily duties to monitor attendance and absence and provide regular communication with families to discuss absence. I provide advice and guidance to pupils and their families on strategies to improve attendance and punctuality.

I support with school admissions and the maintenance of the waiting lists and provide administrative support for all new pupils joining the school.

 

ALERT

Leave in term Time

The Academy does not authorise absence in term time for a holiday. If a parent/carer takes a pupil out of school in term time for a holiday they may be liable to a fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued to each parent/carer for each child. 17 fixed penalty notices for leave in term time have been issued to parents/carers since September 2022.

 

Persistent Absenteeism

The Academy offers early intervention and support to prevent absence becoming a cause for concern. If after all efforts, attendance remains a concern, a referral is made to the Education Legal Intervention Team. 10 fixed penalty notices for persistent absence have been issued to parents/carers since September 2022.

Education Welfare Service

We work collaboratively with the Education Welfare Service (EWS) to improve school attendance for all pupils to ensure that we maximise their educational potential. The EWS works with schools, parents, external agencies and the Local Authority to remove barriers to attendance, and to resolve any issues thatmay be impacting on a child attending school regularly.

The EWS works with schools, parents, external agencies and the Local Authority to remove barriers to attendance, and to resolve any issues that may be impacting on a child attending school regularly.

The EWS can support, signpost and advise regarding any issues around school attendance and punctuality. The EWS also discharges the school's safeguarding duties regarding safe and well home visits when students are absent from school for 3 or more days or without any contact.

Schools Intervention & Prevention Officer (SIP)

PC Shakespeare is the Northfield Schools Intervention & Prevention Officer. He has been a Police Officer with the West Midlands Police for the past 25 years. PC Shakespeare works closely with all educational establishments across the Northfield Constituency. This includes our 9 Secondary Schools, 35 Primary Schools and 2 Colleges of Higher Education.   The role of the SIP Officer is to work in partnership with key stakeholders within the locality of Northfield to operationalise co-ordinated early intervention and embed our trauma informed policing as part of a holistic and structured intervention plan for children and young people.   PC Shakespeare has created numerous Early Intervention Programmes with third party agencies, all of which have one aim, to help support the young people of Northfield constituency.He also deliver workshops in schools in collaboration with outside agencies including the Birmingham Bulls American Football Club and Redditch United Football Club amongst others with a view to raising aspirations and helping expand the knowledge and enrichment experiences of our children.