PSHE Parental Conference
PSHE Parental Conference
Monday 22 May, 6.00pm to 8.45pm
Each session will run three times during the evening at 6.00pm, 7.00pm and 8.00pm.
Each session lasts for 45 minutes. Please pre-book sessions using the form at the bottom of this page
An event to support all parents of teenage or nearing teenage children. Caterham School presents a series of guest and inhouse speakers to discussing and lead workshops on issues such as e-safety, the teenage brain, stress and anxiety and the potential pitfalls and temptations present in teenage life
This event is open to all parents in the school, in addition to those from local primary schools. The aim of the event is to allow parents some thinking time on adolescent behaviour and how they may choose to deal with it. Members of our own pastoral team will also be present contributing to discussion and answering questions.
To download the event programme as a PDF please click here
- Anxiety and Exam Stress – Kim Wells, Director of Teaching and Learning
Mr. Wells will explain why students get anxious in the build up to exams, and then on the day of the exam itself. Mr Wells has run Study Surgeries on an individual basis for several years, speaks to all pupils throughout the school on the best ways to prepare and avoid panic, and travels the country training teachers, parents and students in good practice. This session will explore practical strategies which can be followed at home in order to help reduce unnecessary stress in pupils.
- E – Safety – Lorin La Fave, founder of the Breck Foundation
Lorin La Fave spoke at Caterham on Safer Internet Day this year. The following day one sixth of the school voluntarily handed over their mobile phone for 24hours in support of No Tech for Breck. Her son Breck was groomed and murdered in 2014. The Breck Foundation has reached thousands of youngsters with safer internet practices since then, as well as working with the NSPCC to raise awareness of and effect response to online grooming. Lorin and the Breck Foundation team will take questions and speak about the strategy for keeping children safe online.
- E – Behaviour – David King, Senior Teacher (Pastoral)
E – Behaviour and E-safety are inextricably linked, but appreciating the use of modern technology in the friendships and relationships of adolescents can inform parents of how best to engage with their daughters/sons. Mr King will highlight behaviour trends on social media and do his best to present a picture of what the “normal” teenager gets up to online.
- E – Help – ICT team
Members of the ICT team will be on hand to answer technical questions. How do I set up parental controls? How do I know if they are turned off? What can my son/daughter access on their iPad? Is it the same as school? Pupils will also be on hand to demonstrate.
- Drugs – Fiona Spargo-Mabbs
The Spargo – Mabbs Foundation was set up in memory of Daniel Spargo – Mabbs, a teenager from Croydon who lost his life after an accidental overdose of MDMA. Fiona spoke to our Sixth Form last term and on their suggestion has kindly returned to speak to our Fourth year already this term. The Fifth year witnessed the verbatim dramatization of Daniel’s story, “I Love you Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die” a play written using the recordings from police interviews at the time.
Fiona will talk about the types of recreational drugs teenagers are most likely to come into contact with, and aims to offer parents some advice on the key terms and behaviours to watch out for.
- The Teenage Brain – Nuala Buffini, School Counsellor
Teenage years can be both exciting and stressful for young people and their families. As children develop, their brains undergo enormous changes at a rapid pace. This can lead to massive shifts in moods, feelings, behaviours and in family relationships. Nuala will talk about teenagers, their amazing brains, and how we might support them.
Nuala has been school counsellor here for twelve years. Many pupils make use of her presence over their time here, some occasionally and some more regularly. Nuala is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and also works at King’s College Hospital in London.
- Sex and Relationships – Pastoral team
What else might you want to talk to your teenage children about besides ‘the birds and the bees’? What does the school offer the pupils about relationships? Find out from our Health Centre staff and Pastoral team how we approach these topics with the pupil
