The Family Centre
The Spring Family Centre – Aspire, Contribute, Explore
At Springfield Primary School, we are proud to offer The Spring Family Centre — a dedicated space where families, pupils, and our pastoral team can work together in a safe, supportive environment. The Spring Family Centre is at the heart of our school's commitment to working with families to promote wellbeing, attendance, positive behaviour, and safeguarding. Our team offers a warm and confidential setting where parents and carers can access a wide range of support services.
Our pastoral offer is designed to provide compassionate, tailored support that helps children thrive both academically and emotionally. We deliver a range of interventions to meet individual needs, including THRIVE, ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), and Drawing and Talking therapy. Support is available on a 1:1 basis or through small group work. Alongside our in-school team, we work with a Child Wellbeing Practitioner to provide additional specialist support, ensuring families can access the right help at the right time.
We also run parent group sessions throughout the year, offering advice, guidance, and a chance to connect with other families. Our Little Springers Family Group welcomes parents with children of any age to enjoy play opportunities and activities together in our warm, friendly setting.
At The Spring Family Centre, we believe in working together with families to build strong foundations for happy, confident, and resilient children. Through Early Help and strong partnerships with external agencies, we can connect families with the right services at the right time. Whether it’s mental health, housing, finances, or other challenges, we’re here to help. The Family Centre also offers assistance with school uniform, ensuring every child feels part of our school community and ready to learn.
Please find The Spring - Expression of Interest Form here
Family Centre Offer
Young Carers – Monthly
In the Centre we run a monthly session for our young carers. These sessions are for young children who help care for a family member. Activities are based on what the children like to do which often involves arts and crafts.
Breakfast Club – Daily
Each day from 8.15am, Breakfast Club runs in which children are offered a breakfast before school. This not only provides the first meal of the day, but time for children to spend time with each other - invite only.
Surplus to Supper Food Bank – Every Tuesday
Every Tuesday, Surplus to Supper Food Bank deliver food to the Centre for collection in the afternoons.
Little Springers Toddler Group – Every Friday
Little Springers is a free toddler group which runs from 8.45 -10.00am every week, offering littles ones music, arts and craft and imaginative play opportunities.
Family Fun Arts and Crafts - Monthly
Free Family Fun sessions take place each month for children aged 0-4, from 8.45am to 10.00am. The dates for these are: 11th December, 20th January, 10th February, 16th March, 9th June and 6th July.
Surrey Mind Works – Ongoing
We are fortunate to have a permanent mental health team at Springfield. Surrey Mind Works are in school every Tuesday and Thursday, supporting children with anxieties, friendships, self-esteem and more. Referrals can be made through the school, GP or parent. More information can be requested through emailing info@springfield.surrey.sch.uk.
Toy Exchange Library – Monthly
Each month the Family Centre rub A Toy Exchange Library at 3.00pm. Parents can choose a toy to borrow for one month. Toys must be signed out and returned at the next toy library event. The dates for these are: 27th November, 17th December, 15th January, 12th February, 12th March, 16th April, 21st May, 18th June and 9th July.
Free Uniform Stand – First Week of Every Month
During the first week of each month, the free uniform stand is available outside the Centre entrance. Families are welcome to take any uniform they may need.
Lost Property - Every Friday
Lost property will be place outside the KS1 entrance every Friday, all day.
The Spring Club - lunchtimes, daily
For children who might find the playground overwhelming the Spring Club operates from the Family Centre, offering a play environment which enables children to build friendships and feel safe.
Child Wellbeing Practitioner
Surrey Mindworks Child Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) plays a vital role in supporting pupils’ emotional wellbeing and mental health. They work closely with school staff to identify children experiencing mild to moderate difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, or challenging behaviour. Through short-term, evidence-based interventions—often using low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques—the CWP helps children develop coping strategies and resilience. They also provide psychoeducation, guided support for parents and carers, and collaborate with wider services like Mental Health Support Teams and Primary Mental Health Workers. By being based in school, the practitioner ensures early, accessible support that promotes positive mental health and enables children to thrive in their learning environment.
Sleep Clinic - 27th April at 9.00am
The Sleep Clinic, delivered in collaboration with our Educational Psychologist, is designed to support families who are experiencing difficulties with their child’s sleep. The programme begins with a compulsory information session, which provides an overview of common sleep challenges, the impact of sleep on behaviour and learning, and evidence-based strategies that can be used at home. Attendance at this initial session is required in order to access the follow-up clinic support. Following the information session, parents and carers may choose to attend individualised clinic sessions, where tailored advice and practical guidance are provided based on their child’s specific needs. Attendance at the clinic sessions is optional, allowing families to decide whether they would like to take up further personalised support.
Freemantles Early Bird Programme - Starting 21st April
The EarlyBird programme coordinated through the Autism Outreach team at Freemantles School is a structured support course designed for parents and carers of children under the age of six who are autistic or suspected to be autistic. It runs as a series of six sessions (typically around 2.5 hours each) and focuses on building understanding of autism, supporting communication, exploring sensory and daily living needs, and promoting wellbeing for both the child and family. The course also covers practical strategies for supporting everyday life, offers insight into working with professionals, and provides a supportive environment where families can share experiences and learn from one another. The programme aims to equip parents with greater confidence and effective approaches to help their child and family thrive
Baby Massage - Summer Term
A Baby Massage course is a gentle, supportive programme designed for parents and caregivers to learn how to use safe and effective touch to nurture and bond with their infants. Typically delivered over several weekly sessions in a relaxed group setting, the course teaches a sequence of simple massage techniques suited to a baby’s developmental stage, alongside guidance on reading cues, promoting relaxation, and supporting feeding and sleep routines. Beyond the practical skills, the sessions also provide an opportunity for parents to connect with other families, build confidence in caring for their baby, and enhance their understanding of their child’s communication and needs. Baby massage has been shown to support physical wellbeing, emotional regulation, and strengthening the parent–infant relationship in a positive, calming way.
The Nurture programme - Summer Term
The Nurture Programme is a structured, evidence-based intervention designed to support children’s emotional regulation, social skills, and school readiness by creating a warm, predictable, and nurturing learning environment. Originally developed for use in primary schools, the programme provides small-group sessions where children can build confidence, improve behaviour, and develop positive relationships through carefully planned activities that focus on self-esteem, communication, and emotional understanding. Alongside direct support for pupils, the programme often involves collaboration with parents and staff to reinforce nurturing approaches consistently across school and home settings. By fostering emotional wellbeing and a sense of security, The Nurture Programme aims to reduce barriers to learning and help children engage more successfully with the wider curriculum.
Teen Life Autism Programme - Summer Term
The Teen Life Autism programme is a structured, supportive course designed primarily for parents and carers of autistic young people aged 10 to 16 years. It’s licensed by the National Autistic Society and usually runs as a series of six weekly sessions, each around 2.5 hours long. The aim of the programme is to help families understand how autistic teenagers experience the world and to strengthen communication, behaviour support and emotional understanding at home and in wider settings. Topics covered typically include self‑esteem, stress and anxiety, puberty, independence skills, understanding autism and planning for education and the future. Families can also invite a supporting professional—like a teacher or SENCO—to attend alongside them so that consistent approaches can be shared across home and school. The course is highly interactive, encouraging parents and carers to share experiences and strategies while learning from autistic perspectives and evidence‑based practice.
Parents and Grandparents - First Aid Course
The St John Ambulance is offering a free Parents and Grandparents First Aid course on 9 June designed to give mums, dads, carers, grandparents and other family members the confidence and practical skills needed to respond safely in common emergency situations. This community‑focused session covers essential first aid and CPR basics — so that participants feel more prepared to help babies and children until professional help arrives. The course is part of St John Ambulance’s broader commitment to raising first aid confidence and capability across communities in the UK, helping ordinary people learn lifesaving techniques in a friendly, supportive setting.
Rhyme Time sessions
Rhyme time sessions are lively, interactive gatherings designed for young children and their caregivers to enjoy early literacy and language development through songs, nursery rhymes, and simple stories. These sessions help children develop listening skills, vocabulary, rhythm, and social interaction, all while having fun in a relaxed, playful environment. Parents, grandparents, or other carers join in to sing, clap, and move along with the children, fostering bonding and confidence. Rhyme Time encourages a love of reading and communication from an early age, giving children a strong foundation for learning while making storytime a joyful, shared experience.
Story Time sessions
Story Time sessions are engaging events where young children gather with their caregivers to listen to a variety of stories, picture books, and interactive tales. These sessions aim to spark imagination, develop listening and comprehension skills, and nurture a love of reading from an early age. Children are often encouraged to participate by asking questions, joining in with repetitive phrases, or acting out parts of the story, which supports both language development and confidence. Story Time provides a fun, social environment where children and carers can enjoy shared reading experiences, helping to build early literacy skills and a lifelong love of books.
Uniform Pop Up Shop
The Uniform Pop-Up Shop, held half-termly in partnership with Ravens and Stripey Storks, offers families a convenient way to gain new school uniforms and essential clothing items in one accessible location. The shop is designed to provide a range of sizes and items suitable for all students. Partnering with local providers ensures quality, consistency, and community support, while also offering opportunities to reuse and recycle uniforms where possible. These pop-up events are especially helpful for busy families, giving them the chance to stock up on essentials before the new term in a friendly, welcoming environment.
In the event that you have concerns about a child and are not able to contact the school for advice, you may find the following numbers useful:
Childline - 0800 1111 - available for children under 19 years
Young Minds Parent Helpline - 0808 802 5544 - available Monday - Friday 9.30am - 4pm
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters - This site includes useful articles and resources on several topics including tips for looking after children's mental health, wellbeing advice and strategies to support working from home, loneliness and anxiety.
https://youngminds.org.uk/ - This site provides advice and resources to support mental health and wellbeing in children and teens.
https://www.themix.org.uk/ -This site provides advice and support for young people up to the age of 25, with more mature subject matter and content including mental health, managing finances, homelessness, job seeking, relationships and starting university.
www.headspace.com/meditation/kids - This has some free meditations suitable for children.
Barnardo’s See, Hear, Respond service allows families struggling to cope with the impact of Coronavirus to self-refer for help and support:
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/see-hear-respond?utm_source=14%20August%202020%20C19&utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&utm_campaign=DfE%20C19
The following websites provide support and resources for children and families following a bereavement:
https://www.winstonswish.org/
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/coronavirus-and-mental-health/#i-have-lost-a-loved-one-due-to-coronavirus
https://www.childbereavementuk.org/coronavirus-supporting-children
Following an upsurge in cases of sexual harassment and abuse reported on the “Everyone’s Invited” website and TikTok, there is a new helpline to support potential victims in education settings. The dedicated number 0800 136 663, run by the NSPCC, will provide both children and adults who are victims of sexual abuse in schools with the appropriate support and advice. This includes how to contact the police and report crimes if they wish. The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals too.
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a UK wide charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse. They run an excellent website: https://www.parentsprotect.co.uk with a learning programme, straightforward advice and short videos on topics such as family safety plans and what to do if your child does get into trouble online. There is also a confidential helpline: 0808 1000 900.
We would advise that parents visit sites themselves prior to sharing with their children to ensure they are happy with the subject matter and content.
