Before you ring the school

The sheet

What you’ve noticed, with dates, who to speak to and what you agreed. A school can look for a pattern if it’s told about it.

For a call or a meeting · A4 · One page · PDF, 43 KB

Open the PDF

It goes with The Move to Secondary School and What to Do When School Is the Problem.

How it helps

A school can only act on what it knows about. Writing down what you’ve noticed, with dates, before you ring helps you say it clearly and calmly, and gives the school a pattern to look out for too.

How to use it

Before you call, write down what you’ve noticed, with dates, and what you’d like to understand. Leave out what you’ve concluded.
Use the list on the sheet to choose who to speak to. For anything about your child’s safety, it is the designated safeguarding lead, the same day.
During the call, note what the school is seeing, what you agreed, and when you’ll speak again.
Keep the sheet, and add to it if nothing changes.

How to print it

Print it at home on A4, at actual size (100%) in the print settings. It reads as well in black and white as in colour.

If you need help right now

If you or your child is in immediate danger: 999 · Go to your nearest A&E · 24/7.
If either you or your child is in a mental health crisis: NHS 111 · England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 · 24/7.
If your child is under 19 and needs to talk to someone themselves: Childline · 0800 1111 · 24/7 · www.childline.org.uk.
If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk: NSPCC Helpline · 0808 800 5000 · Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. · email help@nspcc.org.uk · www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/our-services/nspcc-helpline · If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you would prefer to text rather than speak: Shout · Text SHOUT to 85258 · 24/7 · giveusashout.org.
If you or someone you are worried about needs someone to talk to: Samaritans · 116 123 · 24/7 · www.samaritans.org.

If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.