PASTORAL CARE

The school lives and breathes its values of promoting kindness in pupils, and the pastoral care on offer is second to none. Children are encouraged to think of others and support one another, and are in turn supported by staff to prioritise their wellbeing, health, mindfulness and emotional regulation. The latter is taught through a child-friendly rainbow system which helps children understand the ‘sweet spot’ of emotional regulation and allows both pupils and staff to express their full emotional spectrum.

The house system is much beloved by pupils and provides them with opportunities to befriend and connect with older and younger children, as well as ways to be of service such as through nominating a chosen charity and supporting it throughout the year. The culture of kindness and support is thoroughly embedded – one pupil told me how she was able to quickly integrate fully into the school when she arrived thanks to older pupils taking her under their wing, and in turn she now looks out for younger pupils to whom she can offer the same service. Pupils nominate one another for weekly Caught Being Kind awards to celebrate random acts of kindness.