At Fearnhill we aim to provide the highest quality pastoral support throughout the school.
THE AIMS OF PASTORAL CARE
- To provide support that meets the differing needs of all children so that each child is equipped with the skills to cope with life.
- To support children to address social, spiritual, mental, emotional and physical needs.
- To maintain an atmosphere in which children feel secure, are encouraged in their learning, growth and social development and know that they are valued within a healthy and safe environment.
- To reassure parents/carers their children are being educated in a safe and nurturing environment.
- To work with a range of stakeholders, parents, support staff, outreach agencies and other schools to ensure the continuity and progress of individual pupils.
THE ROLE OF THE PASTORAL TEAM
- To support and work alongside parents in addressing pastoral concerns impacting on their child’s learning and development.
- To work with staff in ensuring good pupil support and build upon the caring and respectful relationships that exist between staff, pupils and families.
- To provide specialist counselling to support individual children; listening and talking to children who may need support in a variety of pastoral issues, for example, self-esteem and confidence, bereavement, managing feelings, anxieties/worries, separation and developing social and friendships skills.
- Responding to situations as they arise within school.
- Meeting with parents/carers to discuss issues relating to their child.
- To ‘signpost’ families to outside services for appropriate provision and support.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE PASTORAL TEAM
Mr Phillips, Assistant Headteacher for Student Development and Welfare leads the team.
Heads of Key Stage 3, 4, 5 are responsible for the welfare and progress of their Key Stages:
Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8, 9)
Mr M Turner
Key Stage 4 (Years 10, 11)
Mrs J Martin
Key Stage 5 (Years 12, 13)
Mr T Marlow
Pastoral Care Co-ordinators support the Heads of Key Stage in dealing with day-to-day issues, liaising with parents, and monitoring closely attendance and punctuality:
Key Stage 3
Ms E Sobotie
Key Stage 4
Ms R Brown
Every child belongs to a tutor group and is in the first instance monitored and looked after by a tutor. Tutors are the first port of call for students and parents regarding pastoral matters. The tutors are overseen by a Head of Key Stage and supported by Pastoral Care Coordinators.
We have extensive mentoring and counselling systems in place to support the needs of our students. We are supported by a host of outside agencies including Families First, Children’s Services in Hertfordshire, Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and our local Community Police Support Officer.
Comprehensive and regularly reviewed and updated PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education) and RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) programmes throughout the school offer information and advice on a wide range of issues in interesting and interactive ways. Alongside the PSHE & RSE work covered in form times and in the curriculum, every student receives a timetabled hour of PSHE per fortnight, taught by a small team of dedicated PSHE teachers. This is supplemented by drop-down days and special events.
Please see more information on our PSHE and RSE Policies on our policies page. Please also see the PSHE/RSE schemes of learning on our PSHE/RSE curriculum page.
THE STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE
- The Student Support Centre offers respite and focused one to one support for children. It also works closely to mentor and assist students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Children that are Looked After (CLAs).
- As part of the pastoral team, it works in unison with the Heads of Key Stage and Pastoral Care Co-ordinators and ensures bespoke support is designed on a case by case basis. This may include mentoring, counselling, respite sessions to name but a few.