Updated Guidance to Parents and Carers
Category : Events
The COVID-19 virus has meant that we have all had to make changes to the way we live our lives. During this time schools and settings are closed to most children and their learning will need to continue in a different way. The most important thing for your children is to make sure that they are able to Stay Safe and Stay Learning.
As parents or carers there are some important things you can do to help. The most important thing is to help everyone in your household to stay safe and look after the health and well-being of all those you live with. Follow the latest guidance on the Welsh Government website.
Secondly you can support your children to stay learning. It is important to remember that you are not on your own. Schools and teachers are already providing you with help to support your children’s learning and they will continue to do so. As a parent/carer you are not being asked to take on the role of teacher or to deliver the school day in your own home.
Schools are making plans for your children to receive learning outside of the school setting – this may be through online activities but there are also other ways of learning for your children to explore.
Children will need different support depending on many things, including age and learning needs. You and your children’s teachers know your children best, so schools will continue to provide the right level of learning and support that they need.
Schools will remain your first point of contact when it comes to your children’s continued learning.
Please remember that your children are learning all the time and being in school is just part of that. There may be days when you are working and when you have other people to care for. There may be days when you or your children are tired, someone is ill or when it just isn’t possible to help your children with their learning. This is fine and your school will still be there to support and help you.
During these difficult times it is important to try to keep some structure and routine to your days. Try following these simple steps.
Finding family routines – these can help provide security and support well-being. There are no rules for this – do what works for you and your family but they will include things like getting up, getting dressed, mealtimes, etc.
Connecting with others – keeping our social connections with others is one of the most important things we can do to help our well-being at this time.
- Try to find ways for your children to connect with some of the people they will have spent time with during a school day – school is a very social place and your children may be missing this at the moment.
- Enjoy the time you spend supporting your children’s learning – we learn best when we are relaxed and having fun.
Being active – physical activity and movement is not just good for keeping fit, it also helps with how we are feeling.
- It is important that your children are physically active throughout the day – they move around a lot during a school day.
- Try to get outside daily in accordance with the latest guidance from the Welsh Government. Learning happens outdoors as well as indoors and being in the fresh air can make us feel better.
Keep learning – learning something new or getting better at something can give us a sense of purpose and achievement.
- Decide how best to make distance learning work for you and your children not every day needs to be the same.
- Look for times when you can learn together – your children will be used to learning with others.
- Allow your children to be independent – let them do things on their own sometimes.
- Real learning takes time – do not feel that you have to get everything done.
Taking notice – noticing what is happening here and now helps stop us worrying about things which are out of our control.
- Talk to your children about their learning and listen to what they have to say.
- Try and find somewhere quiet for your children to do some of their learning – sometimes they will need a little bit of peace and quiet.
Giving – doing something kind for somebody else makes us all feel better.
- Encourage this in your child as would happen in school.
Further guidance and resources to support you will be available through your school and a dedicated parents and carers page on the Hwb website at
Distance learning support.
This will include resources to support you with distance learning activities as well as links to advice on health and well-being.
