SCHOOL LIFE
Pastoral
Care
Definition of pastoral care
Pastoral care is concerned with promoting personal, social, emotional and intellectual development in order to help every child reach their full potential and be equipped with the skills to succeed in all aspects of life. Successful pastoral care depends on getting to know each student and on listening to and addressing his/her individual needs. The pastoral team includes all members of staff and promotes positive relationships in school and the active participation of every student in the education process in order to ensure that they benefit from all that the school has to offer.
Why is pastoral care important?
The quality of pastoral care in any school is one of the major influences in creating a positive atmosphere in which every student feels valued, safe and happy about their educational experience.
At Runnymede College, we recognise that the attainment of academic excellence is directly related to, and affected by, all aspects of personal development. We strongly believe in providing an education that promotes and encourages the intellectual, emotional, social and physical development of every individual. We impart a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
objectives
- To promote a caring ethos and to encourage positive relationships between all of the members of the school community. Every student has the right to come to school and feel safe, happy and valued. Emphasis is placed on the importance of each individual within the school community, and on the need for mutual concern and respect between all of its members.
- To provide the support for each student so that they can develop to the full in all areas. Close attention is given to the personal, social and intellectual needs of each student. They are encouraged to be aware of, and take an active role in his/her own development and to accept responsibility for it.
- In order to give support and guidance for pupil achievement, the pastoral system will provide a point of personal contact for every pupil. The Form Teacher and other members of the pastoral team will listen to and understand their experience and views about academic and personal development.
- The pastoral system will also respond quickly and appropriately when additional support is necessary, for example, in the event of parental illness; bereavement; parental separation; exam-related stress; bullying.
- To ensure that each pupil knows and is known personally and in some depth by at least one member of staff.
- As a result of the general daily contact, and by means of regular personal interviews, the Form Teacher develops a close knowledge of a particular individual’s circumstances. This knowledge is especially important during periods of stress for the pupil, for instance, when transferring from Junior School to Senior School, during GCSE exams, or when personal problems arise.
- To monitor each individual pupil's progress and achievement across the whole curriculum, to maintain appropriate records and to create an overview of his/her approach to different learning tasks.
- It is important to develop a learner's profile across the curriculum, and to create an overview of the pupil’s performance. Every pupil has a unique profile, and both the student themselves and their teachers can learn from it. We effectively record information relevant to the progess of individual pupils.
- To provide colleagues with relevant knowledge of pupils so that their teaching efforts can be adapted for greater success and to facilitate efficient communication between pupils and teachers. One of the principal aims of pastoral care is to enhance educational progress. Form Teachers are the key to the effective communication between all those involved in a student’s education. They convey relevant information about the experience of learning of individuals and the group to all those concerned within the school.
- To encourage a caring and orderly environment within which all pupils can exercise initiative and develop. All members of staff of Runnymede College will encourage and reinforce an atmosphere in which each student feels important and can make their own personal contribution to the group. It is essential that each student feels that they can express their points of view, always in a respectful and constructive manner, and that these views will be taken into consideration. A positive and structured environment is a prerequisite of this. The pastoral care system will support the discipline system in reinforcing the school ethos of mutual respect and consideration for others. Students who behave in such a way that impede the existence of a positive atmosphere will be supported in their efforts to change in order to conduct themselves in a manner more in line with the values upheld at the school.
- To impart proactive, preventive pastoral care.
- Although it is inevitable that much of the pastoral care undertaken at school is a reaction to problematic situations that arise, the school recognises the importance of a curriculum that provides opportunities for personal development other than in a purely academic sense. We aim to offer activities that allow students to explore and develop in areas that complement their intellectual progress, and help them to face the demands that they experience as they grow. These activities will include PSHE (Personal Social and Health Education) such as Sex and Relationship Education (SRE), drugs education, health and personal safety, and citizenship. Other related aspects of pastoral care are academic support and careers and vocational education.
- To provide a point of personal contact for parents to give their view of their child's progress, and to work with the home in all aspects of pupil development.
- Regular contact with parents is vital, and will not happen only at parents’ evenings. The Form Teacher will co-ordinate the communication between home and school, and will work alongside the parents in order to enhance the progress in all areas of their child in the school.
Pastoral
Team
The safeguarding and pastoral support of our pupils is central to our school purpose, as is the promotion of good mental health and wellbeing. Young learners who feel safe, secure and supported in the school environment are best equipped to achieve their academic and social potential.
In the Senior School we have a dedicated team of Form Tutors and Heads of Year who work directly with students on a daily basis. In addition to these staff, the Deputy Head for Pastoral Care (M. Blake), the Coordinador de Bienestar y Protección (M. Mínguez) lead safeguarding and pastoral provision across all phases of the school, and additional support is received by the school psychologist, the SEND coordinators, as well as visiting educational psychologists and counsellors.
All staff at Runnymede College, both teaching and non-teaching, have regular safeguarding training, so that pupils will receive an appropriate response from any adult they may approach for support. We also seek to include our Pupil Leadership Team members from the VI Form in our pastoral structure, who receive fundamental training in safeguarding and wellbeing, and provide a relatable point of reference for younger students.
Our PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) curriculum underpins the pastoral structure, with pupils in all year groups discovering, considering and discussing a range of topics appropriate to their age.
If parents have any questions, doubts or problems regarding pastoral issues, their first port of call is the form tutor, who will then involve other members of staff and management as necessary (individual staff email addresses can be found on the school website).
