PASTORAL BOOKLET
Dulwich College Beijing
THE SENIOR SCHOOL Page | 1
Pastoral care is at the heart of all we do at Dulwich College Beijing Senior School and our students are supported by an excellent and committed staff. Every student belongs to a House, which is the basis of the system of guidance and welfare that enables us to take personal care of each student. Each child has also a mentor from an older year group and our strong links to the community beyond the school gates mean that our students maintain a broad and compassionate outlook.
Who are the key pastoral people? Head of Senior School: Mr. Simon Herbert Deputy Head (Pastoral): Mr. Chris Lynn
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KS3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) • Head of Key Stage 3: Mrs. Karla Hawkins • Deputy Head of Key Stage 3 (Head of Year 7): Mrs. Amy Simpson • Deputy Head of Key Stage 3 (Head of Year 8): Ms. Grainne Flanagan • Deputy Head of Key Stage 3 (Head of Year 9): Mr. Mark Pankratz
KS4 (Years 10 and 11) • Head of Key Stage 4: Mr. Kenneth Hegarty • Deputy Head of Key Stage 4: Mr. David Archer
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KS5 (IB Years) • Head of KS5 (IB Years): Mr. Hugo Battersby • Deputy Head of KS5 (IB Years): Ms. Olivia Bugden
Student Support Services & Guidance Counseling Team Head of Student Support Services: Ms. Gea Visscher Guidance Counselors: Mr. Tom Gagne & Mrs. Karla Hawkins
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Heads of House Head of Alleyn: Mrs. Kate Richards Head of Johnson: Mr. Rikesh Parekh Head of Owens: Mr. James Mower Head of Soong: Mrs. Hayley Townsend Head of Wodehouse: Mr. Edward Richards
Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is a Form Tutor? A form tutor should be the most important person in a child’s time at school. The form tutor will play an important role in a student’s educational and emotional progression through school. The form tutor can help a student develop and cope with changes and transitions. The form tutor can motivate a student, improve their sense of self worth, make them feel included and important, give them a voice, direction, organisation and a home base. A form tutor should be every student’s first port of call to go to with any issues affecting their school life, and at times, their life outside school. A good form tutor will act as a positive role model for students during their time at school. The form tutor could be seen as the most important part of a teacher’s job.
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A form tutor’s job includes taking daily registration every morning and delivering the PSHE programme. A form tutor’s role is central in both caring for students and, crucially, monitoring their progress both academically and socially; encouraging involvement, commitment, and high standards of work and behaviour. The form tutor should be active in looking after the interests of the “whole child”.
Age as at 1st September 11 years old
Dulwich Year Level Year 7
US Grade Equivalent Grade 6
13years old
Year 9
Grade 8
12 years old
Year 8
14 years old
Year 10
16 years old
Year 12
15 years old 17 years old
Grade 7
Dulwich & UK Key Stage Key Stage 3 / Senior School
Grade 9
Key Stage 4 / Senior School
Grade 11
Key Stage 5 / Senior School
Year 11
Grade 10
Year 13
Grade 12
2. What are the lines of communication? The Form Tutor should be the first point of contact for any communication with school regarding a student. 3. Is there a mentoring programme at Dulwich College Beijing? There is a well-established and effective mentoring system in the Senior School; it currently involves over fifty students from a range of year groups. The Head and Deputy Heads of KS3, 4 and 5 identify students who would benefit from being mentored and pass their names on to the Head of Mentoring. The students then nominate three teachers who they feel they would benefit from working with and the Head of Mentoring facilitates the mentoring relationship. Students are expected to meet with their mentors in an informal, yet structured manner on a fortnightly basis throughout the year. The mentoring system is a valuable and complimentary addition to the relationships that already exist between students, their tutors and pastoral leaders.
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4. Who are the Friendly Faces and Dulwich Buddies? The Dulwich College pastoral program is greatly enhanced by Friendly Faces. Friendly Faces provides the students with a choice other than going to a teacher, counselor or administrator about someone or something that may be of personal concern. Friendly Faces is a group of active listeners. It is best summed up by a comment from a new member to the group this year: "Friendly Faces teaches you the basic skills to help maintain a friendship and to realize the importance of listening in communication.” New students are given the opportunity to be in email contact with a member of Friendly Faces before joining the school. This team of students is called Dulwich Buddies. 5. What makes the year groups and key stages special? •
Year 7: Adapting to their new environment and the demands of KS3. Growing awareness of self and others. Identify need for independence and personal responsibility. Bring a fresh injection enthusiasm and excitement to the Senior School.
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Year 8: Year 8 is a year of exploration, personal challenge and development. Pupils are given the freedom to test their character and make decisions that impact on themselves and other around them, leading to real personal and educational growth.
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Year 9: Is a uniquely exciting, but challenging time for a student. It is the year that they will make their IGCSE choices; go through a large physical and emotional change, as well as developing an increasingly important balance between their social and educational lives.
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Key Stage 4 is a pivotal time in students’ academic career: for the first time they can make decisions about the subjects they study; for the first time the grades they achieve have a direct bearing on future university placements. With these new challenges come new opportunities: students are expected to be increasingly independent in all areas of their lives and there are many new opportunities for leadership, adventure and the learning of new skills. By the end of Key Stage 4, students will have chosen their IB Options and will have completed their (I)GCSE courses; they will also have learnt a huge range of new life skills.
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Students at Key Stage 5 enjoy: o Their own exclusive IB common room o Use of the rooftop garden o Access to the school internet café during free study time o Wider catering options o Differentiated uniforms o Prefect leadership opportunities o Opportunities to devise and run a variety of extra-curricular activities o Formal graduation ceremony and graduation dinner
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The Key Stage 5 / IB Years are a busy, challenging and productive period of time and it is essential that students appreciate the demands of the IB Diploma but also recognise the importance and benefits of involving themselves wholeheartedly in the extra-curricular programme. There are numerous leadership opportunities as well as a variety of sporting, musical and cultural activities. There are a number of key events that take place during the IB Years: o Weekly mini-assemblies run by the Head and Deputy Head of Key Stage 5 with the primary focus of celebrating all-round achievement o CAS Trips o Fortnightly PSHE sessions based on the key themes of Study Skills, Careers and University Transition o Careers Day and University Transition sessions o Visiting lecturers presenting on topics such as: Third Culture Kids, Drugs and Alcohol Awareness, Financial Management, Personal Safety including self-defense o Years 12 and 13 social events o School prefect selection o Attainment and Engagement awards o Form challenges and form photo competition
6. What do children in the different year groups need to focus on pastorally? KS3 students need to focus on: • Kindness and empathy • Responsibility for their own choices and behaviour • Responsibility for belongings • Organisation • Taking ownership of their behaviour • Challenging themselves and stepping outside of their comfort zone Page | 8
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Being aware of others’ space Developing independence Following the lines of communication – the form tutor is always the first point of contact
KS4 student focus: • As students move through adolescence, they increasingly focus on identifying their interests, strengths and weaknesses. The demands of the (I)GCSE curriculum mean that time management, academic responsibility and balance are key areas for development. At the same time, students are encouraged to consider the wisdom and appropriateness of their choices in terms of relationships and behaviour. Through the PSHE programme, the school aims to equip students with the knowledge and awareness to make sensible decisions at all times. KS5 students need to focus on: • Time Management and their Work/Life Balance • Revision Skills and Exam Preparation • Careers and life after DCB • Personal Safety • Building positive relationships • Promoting leadership and responsibility 7. What are the key events through the year for all students? • • • • • • • • •
Trips and CAS Week – September Raising Achievement Day – November Year 11 Mock Examinations – January IB Options Choices for Year 11 – February Year 10 Mid Course Examinations – April Year 11 Study Leave and (I)GCSE Examinations – May/June Make A Difference Day (Year 10 leadership) – June Coursework deadlines and assessment events in many subjects throughout the year Parent-Teacher Consultation Events throughout the year
The website online (live) calendar can give far more detailed information and school will communicate all key events as they come up with parents.
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