Parental Support

We understand that a strong partnership between home and school is key to pupil success.

At The Gryphon School, we offer a range of support to help parents stay informed, involved, and confident in their child’s education journey:

• Open Communication: We maintain regular contact through newsletters, parent evenings, Arbor updates, and Termly Homework and Subject information emails ensuring you are always up to date with your child’s progress and school events.
• Parent Support Services: Our dedicated pastoral team is available to provide guidance and assistance, whether you have questions about academic support, wellbeing, or school policies.
• Parent Forums: We run sessions on topics such as exam preparation, mental health, work experience, the options process, UCAS and many more to empower parents with the knowledge to support their child effectively.
• Accessible Resources: Our parent zone offers easy access to key information, making it simple for parents to find what they need.

These efforts are grounded in our core values of respect, responsibility, and resilience, ensuring that we foster a welcoming community where parents feel valued as partners in education.

As well as our pastoral teams, including Heads of Year, Deputy Heads of Year and the SENDO team, other support mechanisms are listed below.

External Agency Support

In addition to the support in school, there are a wide variety of outside agencies that work alongside the school to support parents and students. Please se details of these below:

Dorset for You has a very comprehensive directory – the Dorset Family Information Directory, which you can find on the Dorset Council website:

Family Information Service – Dorset Council

Family Support Worker

Our Family Support Worker works with students and families to remove barriers to attendance and to support student wellbeing.

Support may include:

• Early intervention for attendance
• Support for school avoidance and emotional needs
• Family work and multi‑agency liaison
• Coordination and review
• Transition and parental support

If you would like support contact the school office and ask to speak to the Family Support Worker, or email the school’s pastoral team for an appointment.

Support Groups

ASD Dorset Support

ASD Parent Support Group for parents and carers of people with ASD in Dorset. Holds bi-weekly meetings in Bournemouth during the daytime. Provides support, cascading and a chance to chat with fellow carers, and guest speakers are arranged. Memberships is free. Further groups are being held in Shaftesbury and Crewkerne. Contact Neil Eaton, Disability Wessex, 01202 312 085 asd@disabilitywessex.org

ASD LeafletDownload

The Dorset Parent-Carer Council

Working for the parents and carers of disabled children and young people in Dorset: email: dpcc@talktalk.net web: www.dorsetparentcarercouncil.co.uk

The Dorset Parent-Carer Council aims to:

• Provide a united voice by creating a forum for parents and carers views
• Work in partnership with departments of Health, Education, Child and Family Services, the Voluntary Sector and all other children’s services providers
• Gather information from parents and carers and highlight common issues
• Work at national and local authority level representing the views of parents and carers on services for our children, young people and families
• Meet regularly as a council
• Keep parents informed on a regular basis
• Recognise and value the diverse needs of individual families
• Strive for the benefit of all children and young people with disabilities and their families, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, background, gender, sexual orientation or any other discriminatory factor.

Cascade

http://www.innovatedorset.co.uk
1st Wednesday of the Month at Toby’s Young Peoples Project Shaftesbury from 10.30am. Parent support network for parents or carers of young people with learning difficulties. Cascade is an Innovate Dorset networking group for parents with children and young adults to meet on a regular basis to discuss issues or ideas in a friendly, safe and confidential way.

Many families within North Dorset, who have children with learning difficulties, struggle to find groups of adults to who they can speak and feel that they are not only listened to but they’re ideas are received and experience is received in a positive setting.

In Cascade, parents support each other and build appropriate friendships between their families or children/young adults.

Contact Tobys 01747 850860 Anne Wilkins 07831107881 or Kevin Tatchell 07709137246

A-Stars

A-Stars (helpandkindness.co.uk)
Club for families with a child with an ASD/Aspergers diagnosis. Saturday mornings Asperger’s Base at Budmouth Technology College, Chickerell Road, Weymouth view map every Saturday morning between 10.30am and 12.30pm, Info@AStars.org.uk

Talk About Autism

www.talkaboutautism.org.uk
The online autism community hosted by TreeHouse, the national charity for autism education. TreeHouse is ambitious about autism. We believe that through appropriate education, it is possible to transform the lives of young people with autism and the lives of their families. Together with our sponsor TalkTalk, we have created this space for parents and carers of children with autism to share their experiences, in a safe and reliable environment. The site is moderated by trained staff.

Enable

Enable Support Services

Our goal is to support our clients in improving their skills and confidence in living independent and happy lives. We work in partnership with our clients and strive to consistently provide a sensitive, flexible and professional response. Within our team, we have high levels of knowledge and experience in working with people with various social care needs – including mental health difficulties, learning disability and Asperger’s Syndrome. We are always willing to hear about the needs of people affected by other difficulties and would seek to provide an effective and responsive service to anyone in need. Home based Debbie Rule 07546110400

Over 10’s Down Syndrome Youth Club

Ups and Downs South West run an Over 10s Down Syndrome Youth Club at Sherborne Youth Club which provides a good meeting place where friends can be made in a safe, enjoyable and fun environment.