Support for your family

At West Park Academy, we work closely with families to understand children’s needs and help them access support. This page brings together information about school support, local services and useful resources.

If you are unsure where to start, please speak to your child’s class teacher or our SENCO, Mrs Nelson. Support in school is based on children’s individual needs; a diagnosis is not required for us to discuss concerns and consider appropriate support.

Darlington SEND Local Offer

The Darlington SEND Local Offer provides information about education, health and social care services for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It helps families find out what support is available locally and how to access it.

Autism, ADHD and neurodevelopmental support

The NHS provides information about neurodevelopmental support and assessment services. Families can also access advice and practical support while waiting for an assessment.

Please access the link below to find out what is available in our local area:

Support for autism and ADHD in County Durham

More information on the following programmes can be found in the attachments at the bottom of this page:

• EarlyBird Parent Programme – information about a programme supporting families of children up to six years old with an autism diagnosis or characteristics that professionals believe may lead to a diagnosis.
• EarlyBird Plus Parent Programme – information about a programme supporting families of children aged five to ten with an autism diagnosis or characteristics that professionals believe may lead to a diagnosis.
• Daisy Chain Tees Valley Family Support – advice and practical support for families of children and young people with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences or FASD-related needs. Children do not need a diagnosis or to be on the neurodevelopmental pathway to access this support.

Parent Carer Forum: monthly school drop-ins

Darlington Parent Carer Forum attends school each month to host informal drop-in sessions for parents and carers. These provide an opportunity to ask questions, find out about local services and support, and meet other families.

Dates and times are announced through Class Dojo. Please look out for these updates.

Mental Health Support Team

We work with the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), and a member of the team is in school each week.

The team can support children experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, persistent worry, phobias and low mood. If you are concerned about your child’s emotional wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher or Mrs Nelson. We can discuss your concerns and consider a referral to the team, in agreement with you.

Wider family support

The Darlington Family Help booklet below brings together information about local services and support for families. 

Who should I contact?

If you have concerns about your child’s learning, development or wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher in the first instance. They can discuss your concerns, explain the support in place and involve our Inclusion Lead and SENCO, Mrs Nelson, where appropriate.

You are also welcome to contact Mrs Nelson directly for further advice or to arrange a meeting:

Email: anelson@westpark.lingfieldtrust.org.uk

We value working together with families and encourage you to share any concerns so that we can consider the most appropriate support for your child.