We have created a number of information posts that we plan to share weekly to help families and their children manage everyday situations – from ensuring you get enough sleep to managing stress and anxiety. We’ve titled this campaign ‘breaking the myths’ in order to support you with facts and areas to seek additional support if needed – we hope you find them useful

Our Universal Wave System of Support

At our school, every child and young person is supported through the Universal Wave System, part of the Marches Academy Trust Learning for Life Framework. This system helps us identify what a child needs at the right time, ensuring early help, timely intervention, and personalised support when required.

What is the Universal Wave System?

The Learning for Life Framework identifies several ‘waves’ of support, starting with the Universal Offer (Pre-Wave / Wave 1) that every young person receives, and moving through Wave 2 (Interventions), Wave 3 (Personalised Support), and Wave 4 (Bespoke Provision) when additional help is needed.

• At the Universal (Pre-Wave / Wave 1) level, all children and young people have their needs met through high-quality teaching, supportive relationships and strong wellbeing structures. [Learning f…Framework | PDF]
• When additional needs begin to emerge, staff use the framework to assess barriers, plan adaptations, and match young people to the right type of intervention or personalised plan. [Learning f…Framework | PDF]
• This graduated response ensures young people receive the right support at the right time, rather than waiting until issues escalate.

The Role of the Crew Leader — Your First Point of Contact

The most important staff member within this system is your child’s Crew Leader.

Your child’s Crew Leader is:

• Your first point of contact for any concerns you or your child may have.
• Responsible for knowing your child well, monitoring their wellbeing, and identifying early signs that additional help may be needed.
• The staff member who ensures information is passed to the right specialist or team if further support is required. 
• Key in communicating with families and making sure every child feels known, cared for, and supported within school.

If a Crew Leader cannot resolve an issue themselves, they will ensure that the right member of staff is contacted and informed, whether that is pastoral staff, the SEND team, attendance support, safeguarding leads, or external agencies — consistent with the graduated Wave Framework. [Learning f…Framework | PDF]

How the System Helps Young People and Families

We recognise that family life can be complicated, and finding the right support can feel overwhelming. That is why our system is designed to bring a wide range of information together in one place.

Using our wellbeing and support pages, you can:

• Explore different topics linked to health, wellbeing, learning and family support.
• Use the search function to quickly find the guidance or resources you need.
• Access a broad library of information suitable for both adults and young people.
• Find links to trusted external services, apps, helplines, and local support (as recommended throughout the WAVE Framework). [MAT Learni…ocument V6 | PDF]

Why it Matters

By using the Universal Wave system:

• We can respond early when concerns start to emerge, rather than waiting until difficulties grow.
• Staff can match students to the appropriate Wave (Universal → Adaptations → Interventions → Personalised → Bespoke).
• Families and school work together, with the Crew Leader at the centre of communication and support.
• Every child remains included, cared for, and able to thrive in school — academically, emotionally, and socially.

Supporting Your Mental Health and Wellbeing

There are lots of simple, everyday things we can all do to look after our mental health and general wellbeing. To help with this, we have gathered a range of information, website links, and practical resources that we hope you will find helpful, reassuring, and supportive.

Below, you will find a range of different topics that you can explore at your own pace. You can also use the search function to quickly locate the specific help or information you’re looking for. There are lots of different types of resources available, and we’ve also included links to other trusted websites that are packed with guidance, practical tools, and specialist support.

This wellbeing area is designed for both adults and young people, and we hope it offers a helpful starting point whenever you need information, reassurance, or someone to signpost you in the right direction.

Further down the page, you’ll also find links to external support services, as well as contact details for our school support team, who are here to help.

Teentips Wellbeing Hub can be accessed here.

Wellbeing support services for children, young people and parents/carers: 

Shropshire Council General Enquiries can signpost you to different types of support in our area 03456789000. 

Shropshire Early Help

All children, young people and families in Shropshire can access services such as health and education, these are known as ‘universal services’, because they are available to all.

However, some will need extra support in order to be healthy, safe and to achieve their potential. We call this ‘Early help’. Early help means providing support as soon as a difficulty emerges, so that children, young people and families get the right help at the right time, to improve their lives now and in the future.

Shropshire Council Social Care First Point of Contact is for adults who require first time help, support or advice about social care 0345 678 9044 (Monday to Thursday, 8.45am to 5pm, and on Friday from 8.45am to 4pm). For emergency calls, you can still call the out of hours service on 0345 678 9040. First Point of Contact. 

SEND Local Offer 

The SEND local offer is a single place for information, services, and resources for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities, their families, and the practitioners who support them.    

Kooth offers free online mental health and wellbeing support to young people aged 11-25 years in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin via any internet accessible device. Kooth provides an opportunity to interact in a supportive way with other young people as well as receive support from a team of qualified counsellors.

SHOUT Crisis Text Line Shout is an affiliate of Crisis Text Line® in the UK that provides free, confidential support, 24/7 via text. It’s the first free 24/7 texting service in the UK for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. Shout is available in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 

Young Minds has information, tips and advice to help improve emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people in the UK. Whether you want to understand more about how you’re feeling and find ways to feel better, or you want to support someone who’s struggling, they can help. 

Samaritans whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. If you need someone to talk to they will listen without judgement or pressure. They are there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 for free. 

STEM 4 provides support with mental health specifically for teenagers. They have lots of advice about anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders and addiction. On their website you can also access a comprehensive library of free mental health resources. 

Childline offers advice about a wide range of issues. They provide a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. They are available for you online, on the phone, anytime day or night – 0800 1111. 

The Mix is the UK’s leading support service for young people. They are there to help you take on any challenge you’re facing – from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Talk to them via their online community, on social, through their free, confidential helpline or their counselling service.

LGBTIQ+ Mental Health the charity Mind has lots of information about mental health support for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer or questioning (LGBTIQ+). Visit their website here to find out more. 

Togetherall is a safe, online community where people support each other anonymously to improve mental health and wellbeing in a welcoming and safe environment. The platform promotes a sense of belonging and connection through community. Accessible anywhere, anytime, 24/7. 

BeeU Mental Health and Wellbeing Support.

Mind as well as offering support, the Mind website outlines some practical steps you can implement to support your wellbeing.

NHS Every Mind Matters outlines practical steps you can take to look after your mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing tips. Their website also has some advice and resources such as videos and quizzes on several topics including: Coronavirus, money worries, dealing with change, feeling lonely and going back to school amongst others. 

Mental Health UK has a number of downloadable resources which includes conversation guides, plans and booklets. 

The World Health Organization provides resources to help you keep mentally healthy. 

Additional support services: 

Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership children’s website  designed to provide useful information and advice for professionals, parents and children. They coordinate and monitor how the services and professional staff work together to protect children from abuse or neglect. 

Find a local Foodbank – Food banks are grassroots, community organisations aimed at supporting people who cannot afford the essentials in life. Visit The Trussell Trust to find your nearest foodbank. 

Shropshire Council Free School Meals Important advice about who may benefit from free school meals and how to apply. Free School Meals information available here.

The Marches School Student Support Team: 

Assistant Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Miss Phillips – Jo.Phillips@mar.mmat.co.uk 

Head of Wellbeing and Behaviour
Miss James – Sali.James@mar.mmat.co.uk 

Wellbeing Leader
Mr Walker – Simon.Walker@mar.mmat.co.uk 

Wellbeing Leader
Miss Clowes – megan.clowes@mar.mmat.co.uk

Wellbeing Leader
Mrs Evans – sarah.evans@mar.mmat.co.uk 

Wellbeing Leader and Safeguarding Officer
Mrs Cheesman – Lisa.Cheesman@mar.mmat.co.uk 

Outside Agency referral and RESET Co Ordinator
Miss Grindley – emma.grindley@mar.mmat.co.uk

School Counsellor 
Deborah Gregory – deborah.gregory@mar.mmat.co.uk

School Nurse Team
Helen Webster – helen.webster10@nhs.net

Time to Talk Team
Lynne Taylor – lynne@sya.org.uk
Ruhenna Begum – ruhenna@sya.org.uk