Pastoral
The Form Tutor in the Junior School is at the heart of the pastoral and academic lives of the pupils. They have the direct and daily responsibility for monitoring the wellbeing of their pupils. The Form Tutor acts as the first point of contact for parents and, in school, is likely to be the person who knows the pupils in his or her class best. They have large amounts of contact with them through form periods, registration, Wellbeing lessons and many academic lessons, especially the core subjects. Together with the rest of the year group team and the Deputy Head Pastoral and Operations they will look after all aspects of the pastoral lives of the pupils and promote our Junior School core values: Do the right thing, Care for others, Join in, Strive for excellence.
When pupils join the Junior School, we do all we can to ensure they settle in quickly, make friends and enjoy their new environment. They are assigned a Year 6 buddy who writes to them in the summer term before they start, and meets them at the induction afternoon to show them round the school. Then, in September, the pair are given activities to complete together, such as playing patball or reading in the library together, to help foster this bond further. Each pupil is allocated to a Day House. His Housemaster will provide further care and guidance as they go through the Junior School, helping to monitor participation in co-curricular activities alongside the Form Tutor.
We believe that the dialogue between pupils, parents and staff starts in Year 3 as a triangle of communication and responsibility between all three parties. However, as they pupils mature and become independent, they take control more of their lives and learning. By Year 6, for most pupils, this triangle develops into a straight line where the pupils are in the middle with parents and staff at either end. The pupils organise themselves and they tell parents and teachers of issues they are having, so that when they transfer to the Lower School they are fully equipped to enjoy the higher level of responsibility and independence that Year 7 brings.
Pupils can talk to any adult in the Junior School if they would like to discuss a worry. If they find it tricky to begin that conversation with an adult, there are ‘pastoral post boxes’ in classrooms and regular check-ins via the ‘Reflect’ app to ensure pupils always have a means of reaching out. Also, our half termly Wellbeing Survey allows us to find out every pupil’s perspective on various aspects of the school so that we can continue to improve their experience in the Junior School.
Due to the close relationship between pupils and their Form Tutors, most concerns are dealt with quickly by them. The Deputy Head Pastoral and Operations is always happy to meet with parents or boys to discuss any concerns. The school also has counsellors who can meet with boys individually or provide advice or support to parents or teachers should a particular issue arise.
We strive to provide an environment where pupils feel safe and secure, and so can learn without fear of failure or making mistakes. We hope to lay the foundations for the future so that, ultimately, the pupils grow into kind and responsible members of society who have both the skills and the confidence to lead healthy, happy, independent lives.
