Pastoral

Pastoral Structure

Senior School pupils receive pastoral support through two distinct structures.  Firstly, pupils are allocated to a House upon joining the school and remain in that House as they move up through the year groups.

Each House is managed by a Head of House - a senior member of staff who comes to know the pupils and their parents very well during their years of association with the House, and who lends compassion and a sense of continuity to a pupil's life.  The day-to-day care of pupils falls to their Tutors, who monitor their academic progress, general welfare and co-curricular involvement. Tutors are the first point of parental contact for most enquiries or matters of concern.

If a problem arises, the tutor will involve the Head of House in its resolution. Both are familiar figures in the school and provide a reassuring blend of experience and encouragement. Secondly, complementing the House structure is the ‘horizontal’ year structure. The Heads of Section, all of whom are members of the School's Senior Management Team, oversee the year groups. The Heads of Section are Cheryl Wood for the Fourth Form, Andrew Curtis for the Fifth Form and Richard Peters for the Sixth Form. The Heads of Section are supported by deputies - Oliva Middleton (Fourth Form), Jamie Leeder (Lower Five) and Glyn Manton (Middle Five) and Kabrie Adams (Sixth Form) respectively.

Heads of Section provide an important layer in the pastoral care of pupils, bringing insight to issues affecting the whole year group or section. Typically, they will deal with serious pastoral and disciplinary issues. Heads of Section also play a key role in the induction process, ensuring that new pupils have a smooth introduction to the school.

The Heads of House and the Heads of Sections are managed by the Principal Deputy Head, Nicky Fairweather, who is accountable to the Head for the pastoral care, discipline and day-to-day running of the school.

We also have a Chaplain (Corin Child), Head of Welfare (Georgina Valpied), Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, a Welfare Officer (Nicola Walton) and School Counsellors (Andre Sloos and Angela Harris).

 

Pupil Personal Development

The pastoral curriculum focuses on adapting to the needs of the pupils at any given time, as well as providing a flexible, thought-provoking approach which will encourage critical thinking and informed decision making for life.

Pupil Personal Development (PPD) is delivered as part of the taught curriculum in Lower Four - Lower Five by a subject specialist team. Tutorial sessions, assemblies and external experts provide opportunities for personal development for all year groups; with additional curriculum input through Friday Tutorials with Heads of House and Tutors for the Fifth Form and via the Sixth Form Futures programme.