Student welfare in pre-primary education
In Tampere, nearly all pre-primary education groups operate within school premises, and support is organized in collaboration with both early childhood education and care and comprehensive education. Support for growth and learning as well as student welfare services are part of teaching and education. Student welfare services promote children’s successful learning, mental and physical health, and social well-being. It supports the daily activities of pre-primary education and the well-being of children.
Collective student welfare services are a priority in student welfare services for pre-primary education and apply to all children. They promote the participation of children and caregivers, teaching and education, as well as daily care and well-being. Collective student welfare services are preventive and multidisciplinary. The school’s student welfare team, which also includes representatives from pre-primary education, is responsible for planning these services.
Individual student welfare services involve working together on matters concerning an individual child. We always provide individualized student welfare services in collaboration with the child and their guardian. We organize this to monitor and promote the child’s development, well-being, and learning, and to provide individualized support. The aim is to prevent, identify, alleviate, and eliminate barriers to learning, learning difficulties, and other problems related to pre-primary education as early as possible.
Pre-primary education staff may assemble a multidisciplinary team of experts when expertise from various fields is required to arrange support for a child. The school social worker and the school psychologist may participate in individual student welfare for pre-primary education, and we also invite other experts to join us as needed. The staff will consult with the guardian to determine the members of the team of experts.
Tampereen esi- ja perusopetuksen opiskeluhuoltosuunnitelma
School social workers
The role of the school social worker is to provide support and guidance to the child as a social work professional. The aim of the work is to prevent and eliminate social and psychological difficulties related to a child's development, as well as to promote learning, well-being, and social skills.
A school social worker can support a child in matters related to behavior, social relationships, emotional well-being, family circumstances, and leisure activities. The school social worker collaborates with the child and the family, pre-primary education staff, and, when necessary, various authorities and other organizations.
School psychologists
A school psychologist may be requested assistance when a child needs support or an assessment regarding developmental or emotional challenges, learning, attention regulation, or social interactions. Parents or pre-primary education staff can initiate the process.
The school psychologist can provide guidance to the child’s parents and other caregivers as well as work directly with the child. The school psychologist always listens to the child's views on the matters at hand. The school psychologist also assesses and supports the child’s situation from the perspective of the group, as a part of the pre-primary education community.
Confidentiality is a key aspect of a school psychologist’s work. If preschool staff intend to share information about a child with the school psychologist, they will ask the guardian for permission to do so. Effective support measures and solutions are most often found through joint consultation and agreement, in collaboration with the child’s parents, pre-primary education staff, and any relevant healthcare or rehabilitation providers.
Contact information for school social workers and psychologists
If necessary, parents can contact the school social worker or psychologist directly at the school where their child attends pre-primary education to book an appointment.
Contact details can be found on The Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa website.