Pastoral Care All staff at the College are pastoral carers. In our many different roles and varied interactions with the girls, we strive to ensure the girls’ safety – physically and emotionally - to support the development of their identify and sense of belonging, whilst honouring their passions, strengths and personal journey. We acknowledge this is key to allowing them to engage fully and successfully in their learning experiences.
‘A supportive and proactive learning environment promotes inclusion and collaboration’ and thus, in turn, effective care makes meaningful learning possible. We recognise that effective pastoral care is important to the girls’ learning, and it is something they all deserve from our community. We purposefully craft small family units – Holme Groups - in which girls interact with others from their Middle or Senior School each day, in some fashion.
These small groups attend Assembly and Chapel together and work with their entire House each week. Beyond that, they celebrate together, encourage, support and share the journey together, just like a family. The College actively pursues excellence in this field in both the day school and within the boarding community. A purposeful approach to this care is led collaboratively by The Wellness Team - a staff group whose expertise spans emotional, academic, health, boarding and spiritual care. Holme Groups undertake House-based projects throughout the year and devise their own activities to complement these. Groups work together towards our spirited Interhouse sport carnivals and cultural competitions each year. These shared activities are critical to a strong sense of belonging and genuine connections across a broad range of girls in the Middle and Senior School. In 2020, our Year 12 Leaders excelled in supporting an ongoing sense of connection during the months when
girls were engaged in the ‘Learning from Holme’ phase. In particular, the House-based Pastoral Care Leadership Committee members and the House Prefects worked very closely with Heads of House and Assistant Heads of House to encourage very meaningful interactions during that time. These activities ensured that whilst there was physical distance between members, all members felt a strong sense of those important relationships, and thus their connection to our community. Our dynamic approach promotes inclusivity and finds foundation in a restorative approach to managing relationships within a community.
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