St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
Early Help Offer
Early Help Offer at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Preston
At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, we recognise that day-to-day family life can sometimes be challenging. It is completely normal for families to need a little extra help or advice from time to time. If you are struggling or have any worries about your child—whether that’s around their behaviour, mental health, or general wellbeing—St Teresa’s Early Help Offer is here to provide support and guidance.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact the school office on 01772 797397 or speak to our Family Support Worker, Mrs Pritchard.
The Role of Schools in Early Help
Day-to-Day Support
Most families can manage daily life with little outside help. When support is needed, it is often provided by universal services such as schools. We see it as our role to offer a caring environment where families feel listened to and supported.
Focused Pastoral Support
Sometimes families may not recognise a difficulty, or they may feel unsure about how to address it. We offer focused support to help families make positive changes, including liaising with external agencies when necessary.
At St Teresa’s, in addition to your child’s class teacher, we have a dedicated pastoral team available to support you and your child:
Mrs Pritchard (Family Support Worker)
Miss Waterhouse (SENCO)
Early Help Assessment (EHA)
For families needing more tailored support, an Early Help Assessment (EHA) may be completed. This enables multiple agencies to work together to provide coordinated help. A Lead Practitioner is assigned to work alongside the family to ensure appropriate support is in place.
St Teresa’s is committed to being a key partner in this process. We aim to ensure:
Children, parents/carers, and staff are clear on the support available.
Strong partnerships with external agencies are developed and maintained.
Our approach aligns with Lancashire’s local offer and national expectations.
Our Early Help work contributes to the wider personal development and wellbeing of children, as recognised by the Ofsted framework.
Our pastoral care reflects our Gospel values and mission to care for the whole child.
How Can We Help?
We can offer:
A listening ear and a non-judgemental space.
Support strategies for behaviour or attendance issues.
In-school access to emotional wellbeing support.
Information about clubs and services that support mental and physical health.
Help accessing free school meals and second-hand uniform.
Signposting to local food banks and charities.
Guidance around any SEND concerns.
Support with parenting strategies, including referrals to programmes.
Referrals to specialist services such as CAMHS, NEST, the school nursing team, and CANW.
Contact information for housing, financial or mental health support services.
We follow the principles of the Working Well with Children and Families guidance to ensure your family gets the right support at the right time.
What is Early Help?
Early Help is about supporting families as soon as challenges arise. It is:
For children of all ages—not just the very young.
Effective in preventing escalation to more serious issues.
Proven to result in better long-term outcomes for children.
Lancashire County Council recognises that much of the Early Help provided happens in schools like ours every day.
Find more information on Lancashire's Early Help guidance here:
🔗 Lancashire Early Help - Practitioners Site
Early Help in Lancashire
The vision of all services working with families in Lancashire is:
To improve children’s lives by working in partnership to raise aspirations, build achievement, and protect the most vulnerable.
This is underpinned by the belief that:
Children thrive with positive adult relationships, good communication skills, regular school attendance, and supportive home environments.
Early, localised, and holistic support is most effective.
Supporting the whole family leads to better, more sustainable outcomes.
Early Help Assessment and Family RADAR
The Early Help Assessment is a holistic tool that helps us work with families to identify support needs and plan meaningful action.
A key feature is the Family RADAR, which:
Supports understanding of where the family is on the ‘cycle of change’.
Helps everyone involved focus on the areas that need the most attention.
Forms part of a wider support plan shared by all professionals working with the family.
Useful Links
The CSAP website also contains up-to-date safeguarding guidance and resources.