Pastoral Care During Lockdown

Parent Guide

Pastoral Care at King Edward’s during lockdown

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Pastoral care is important at King Edward’s and, at a

I found the following words from an Australian

time when social distancing has curtailed face-to-face

Primary School Head to be a touching message of

contact, we must work even harder to maintain the

hope in young people’s capacity to learn:

bonds of community.

I hope you will find the structures and guidance provided here to be useful for you and your children.

The basis of our pastoral care is support and trust in the relationships we nurture, sustain and develop

“

What if… they have more empathy, they

What if… they learn to plan shopping trips

enjoy family connection, they can be more

and make meals at home

creative and entertain themselves, they love to read and express themselves in writing

What if… they enjoy the simple things, like their own gardens and balconies, sitting near a

What if… they learn the value of eating together as a family and finding the good in sharing the small delights of everyday

What if… they are the ones who place

so please do keep in contact with us by all available

window in the quiet

means and encourage your child to do the same.

What if… they notice the birds and the

servants and the previously invisible essential

different flowers emerge and the calming

workers like truck drivers, grocers, cashiers,

renewal of a rain shower

health care workers, just to name a few, who

The last few weeks have tested our faith in proverbial wisdom; do we really want to live in

What if… our kids are the ones to learn

great value on our teachers, librarians, public

are taking care of us right now

to cook, organise their space, do their laundry

What if… among these children, great

interesting times, and is a change really as good as

and help to keep a well-run home

leaders emerge who have the benefit of a

a rest?

What if… they learn to stretch a dollar and live with less

slower pace, and a simpler life to truly learn what really matters in life?

The pages that follow will provide some reassurance that there is support, help and continuity

Thanks to Nicole Richards, Principal of Elwood

available at King Edward’s. But we should have faith

Primary School for those words, and to Dan Tobias

in each other and in the young people who are facing

(Housemaster, Edward House) and Nick Emsley

unprecedented demands with wit, originality and

(Housemaster, Grafton House) who wrote the material

resilience – just look at our pupils’ work on the King

which follows. All policies referenced here may be

Edward’s social media feeds.

found in the parents area of Firefly in the section called ‘Safeguarding’.

David Corran

” Deputy Head and DSL

Pastoral care and wellbeing, an overview We are committed to provide pupils, staff and parents with the very best pastoral care that we can in the current circumstances. As usual, Houses are the focus of our pastoral care, supported by the Medical Centre, Safeguarding Team, School Counsellor and Deputy Head. House staff are maintaining contact with their pupils through the week. Our primary aim is to ensure that we continue to act as a School community and that the links forged between pupils within Houses remain alive during this period of separation. In the same way as all pupils can expect whilst on site, staff are available throughout the week to deal with any issues as they arise.

One of our main aims within the Houses is to ensure that we remain focused on the task in hand, achieving a comprehensive, balanced education. Houses meet regularly each week to pass out information, keep in touch and to share experiences of lives lived in isolation.

Staying connected As a community, bound by myriad ties of common interests, friendships, shared values and experiences, it is hugely important for all of us to invest time in our relationships during the current period; it is healthier to be a part of a broader community than just the home and to keep an outward-looking approach.

The School’s daily routine begins with either a House or tutor meeting; this is a key point of contact for us with our pupils. Staff will be able to deal with any questions and to address pupils’ needs individually or in a group.

Each House has its own programme of additional contact times, from evening drop-ins to afternoon meetings. We hope to see as many as possible turning up to these so that friendships and social interaction are sustained.

Where necessary, Housemistresses and Housemasters will also make contact by phone or email to ensure the wellbeing of pupils where there are any concerns.

Coping with remote learning Remote lesson etiquette Remote learning is a new experience for us all.

We are reviewing and improving as we go along, so all feedback is gratefully received. In order to keep everyone safe and happy during remote lessons, it is important to keep to a basic code of conduct for these: l

Be on time for meetings

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Show courtesy and kindness to all participants in the meeting

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Be appropriately dressed for any Zoom or Teams contact

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Turn on your camera – one of our key guides as teachers is seeing the expression of those we teach. However, if pupils do not feel comfortable with the camera turned on, they should feel free to turn video off.

Tutor support Your child’s tutor is principally there for academic matters, but they also form a key part of the

pastoral team and are in regular communication with House Staff about the wellbeing of all their tutees. They are an essential first point of contact during tutor group days, when Housemasters/ Housemistresses will not see the pupils in House meetings, so are able to assist with a wide range of matters.

need to be aware of the range of risks associated with the use of these Internet technologies.

At King Edward’s School, we understand the responsibility to educate our pupils on E-safety issues; teaching them the appropriate behaviours and critical thinking skills to enable them to remain both safe and legal when using the internet and related technologies, in and beyond the context of the classroom.’

The tutor groups have been reconfigured during this period in order to better meet the needs of different year groups with their KESW certificate.

Please be reassured that we do recognise the impact that additional change may have on pupils.

A primary focus for the tutors is to ensure that positive, motivational contact is being made throughout the remote learning period to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the whole individual.

This is particularly important at a time when we require every pupil to spend more time online than ever before. We expect pupils to show responsibility during this time and we will continue to apply all our E-safety systems. Your child will be using your home network rather than the School’s; please do ensure you have appropriate filters and curfews on your home broadband and Wi-Fi.

Safeguarding

Wellbeing

All our usual safeguarding provisions are still in place and we have assimilated the additional guidance given by the local authority to deal with the unique issues presented by remote learning and working, in an Appendix to the Child Protection Policy. Any concerns that pupils or parents have about others should be raised in the normal way, in line with our Child Protection Policy.You will find links to further contacts and information in the School’s Safeguarding Directory.

It is of utmost importance to ensure that all pupils are healthy and happy during this period. There are a range of ways that we are aiming to support this as a school. The government advice on how to maintain health and wellbeing is encapsulated in this document:

Of particular concern currently is the use of technology, with the associated concerns that brings. As a school, we are keeping a close eye on the use of devices and screens in lessons but would ask for your vigilance at home to ensure that screen time is kept down where possible and that pupils are encouraged to self-regulate.

E-safety

We aim to provide for the health of the whole person for all our pupils during this time and have paid close attention to the guidance contained here, by adapting our provision:

Sense of purpose We recognise that this has been, and continues to be, an unsettling time for all, especially our pupils who should have been taking GCSE and A-level/ IB exams, and their families. We have a comprehensive programme for all years to maintain a focus on progress and learning in all aspects of the school.

To quote from our E-safety Policy; ‘Whilst beneficial both in and out of the context of education, much ICT, particularly web-based resources, are not consistently policed. All users

Co-curriculum The government’s - and our - advice is to ‘Do things you enjoy’ and to ‘Keep your mind active’.

Our co-curricular programme is designed to do just that. We expect all pupils to take up a creative, service and physical activity each week. We have endeavoured to provide a comprehensive set of remote activities that will stimulate and enthuse all our pupils.

Exercise What are the current rules when it comes to exercise in the UK? l

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Daily exercise, including walking, running, cycling, tending to an allotment or doing yoga is allowed.

You are allowed to drive somewhere to take your exercise. The guidance says, ‘it is lawful to drive for exercise.’ However, ‘Driving for a prolonged period with only brief exercise’ is also deemed ‘not likely to be reasonable’.

The rule of thumb? You’re allowed to drive somewhere to go for a walk or run as long as you spend much more time walking than you do driving.

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Exercising more than once per day is likely to be allowed if you have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for needing to leave your home.

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You are allowed to sit and take a break from exercise, say, on a bench or sitting down in a park. However, this must be for a short time only and, as before, you must spend markedly more time exercising than resting.

Routine With days feeling less structured as a result of being out of school, the need for routine is paramount; we have tried to structure a programme that will allow for some flexibility in working hours, while still requiring a ‘working day’ to help set routine.

Healthy eating Meal and break times remain as during the regular school day. It is important to stay well nourished

during this time and we are encouraging pupils to eat a balanced diet and to take up cooking duties at home to learn new skills and help prepare for life in future.

It’s good to talk We are very much here and ready to talk in the same way we would with pupils at School. Our Medical Centre manager, Sandie Titheridge, is contactable by email (titheridges@kesw.org) for any health concerns and the School Counsellor is available by email: chambardj@kesw.org or by phone (+44(0)7702 607222). Counselling provides a forum to explore worries, problems or feeling that may interfere in people’s personal, School or professional life, and to allow individuals to resolve problems for themselves. Counselling sessions are a confidential space whenever possible.

Support It is important to know who to turn to for help and guidance now. The table below summarises some of the support available: Primary contact Academic matters workload, timetable queries, any difficulties with work etc.

Pastoral matters anything to do with the wellbeing of

Use of technology The vast majority of the younger generation make far more use of social media than we do. It is important to moderate this; the pressure of an ever-present digital connection is a source of stress which can interfere with sleep quality and quantity.

It is important for children’s wellbeing to spend as much time in the here-and-now as possible. At School, house staff generally collect phones and laptops just before bedtime, to avoid the inevitable stress and sleeplessness resulting from all-night social media browsing; this would be a positive initiative for parents to follow – and you can blame the School for it too!

Your child’s Housemistress or Housemaster

pupils during the term.

Safeguarding, safety, child protection

Deputy Head and Safeguarding Lead, David Corran or any of the Deputy Safeguarding Leads.

Please see Safeguarding Directory

Sleep One thing that we are not able to control for our pupils at the moment is sleep. It is really important that children get sensible amounts of sleep so that they are ready to work at the beginning of the school day, as this website from SleepFoundation shows. If you are concerned about your child’s sleep patterns, please contact the Medical Centre or speak to your child’s tutor.

Your child’s academic tutor

Health matters physical or mental health concerns

Sandie Titheridge or the School Counsellor (via Sandie)

Spiritual support

Christian Union currently running as an activity during the week

Additional sources of wellbeing support and information: Young minds

Young minds is the ‘UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s

mental health’.

https://youngminds.org.uk/ Kooth

Kooth is an ‘online mental wellbeing community’ and offers free, safe and anonymous support.

hiips://www.kooth.com/ Every mind matters

Every mind matters is the NHS mental health site and offers plenty of guidance on looking after

yourself during lockdown, with specific section on working from home and for young people.

hiips://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

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