PASTORAL

Library pop up At North London, we firmly believe that happy students are successful students. Our pastoral care supports every student to develop resilience and a sense of perspective so that they can rise to challenges and have the confidence to try again if things don’t work out initially. The pandemic has of course presented more challenges than usual, but by working closely together, staff and students have found ways to support each other.

Form times focused on helping each other to feel comfortable in a new world of wearing masks, distancing and year group bubbles. The Student Advisory Council (SAC) met to garner views and thoughts from all year groups providing an opportunity to make staff aware of the range of feelings amongst the student body. The Pastoral Team created a range of assemblies and activities that addressed concerns and worries relating to the pandemic and the School Counsellors visited tutor groups to share details of the support that is available to everyone.

PASTORAL HIGHLIGHTS

Throughout the year, our pastoral team has been keeping abreast of issues that concern our parents and students. Building on the success of our online learning platforms, we optimised the use of online resources and the ability to gather potentially large groups of students and parents together to hear interesting and informative talks.

The launch of the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website brought into focus the experience of many students (both current and historic) at secondary schools in the UK. The discussions provided the opportunity to reflect on how we address these difficult conversations and to introduce new talks from visiting speakers to discuss issues of relationships and consent.

Dr Kathy Weston ■ Dr Kathy Weston spoke about how best to help teens navigate the complicated world of relationships,

■ Police Officers from the Safer Schools initiative of the Metropolitan

Police spoke to Sixth Formers about staying safe. They also explained how criminal courts work, with a particular focus on crimes such as rape and sexual assault. ■ Deana Puccio, former US District Attorney from the RAP Project, talked about the importance of consent in sexual encounters and how to be an active bystander to help keep others safe.

Feel Good Week

Keeping each other safe

“School has been doing a good job of being aware of what’s happening with students, as well as making students aware of issues.”

Year 10 student

PASTORAL HIGHLIGHTS

After facing the challenges of a very intensive assessment period, preparing our Year 13 students to embrace their future pathways with confidence resulted in the establishment of a special programme of talks and activities at the end of the Summer Term.

We held four fabulous focus weeks for students throughout the year, including an Anti-bullying Week, Mental Health and Wellbeing Week, Kindness Week and Feel Good Week.

Our Feel Good Week at the end of the academic year was the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect and enjoy a selection of relaxing and fun activities, bringing our school community together again. Activities included:

■ Sports and relaxation sessions promoting health and wellbeing ■ Drop-in ‘Just Dance’ sessions, led by the student

Sports committee ■ A talk from Nutritionist Tracy Bennet, who explained to Year 7 the important role food and drink has on our wellbeing and health, providing practical tips to encourage healthy eating habits and a positive mindset. ■ A ‘Great British Sewing Bee’ style transformation competition, led by Arts Society challenging each form to create an outfit fit for the catwalk from recycled material.

In response to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East last year, events were held to both provide information and guide students to discuss opposing opinions in safe and respectful ways. Dr Leonie Fleischmann, Lecturer in International Relations at City University spoke to Year 12 students about the ongoing conflict; colleagues from Eton School joined us to hold an online event for Years 10 and above to model how complex, emotive issues can be explored and discussed.

Many student-led initiatives supported the pupils and helped foster a sense of community. Our Senior Committee developed ideas to create an atmosphere of tranquillity during the school day and started weekly relaxation sessions. We are also incredibly proud of the work our Mental Health and Wellbeing Society have done alongside our student peer mentors in providing support for students across the school. Following the lockdown in the Spring, and the return to face-to-face lessons, PSHE teaching focussed on change and anxiety. Parents and students attended a series of talks and workshops from experts in the field of child psychology and mental health, including ‘Communication and Mental Health’ presented by Natasha Devon, mental health campaigner and ‘Empowering your children’ from family psychotherapist, Jason Maldonado-Page who looked at how parents can help their children to understand and explore diversity.

“It was a great opportunity to have an open and frank discussion on some challenging topics, and there is no doubt that the information and advice given will support and guide the students as they move into the next stages in their lives.”

Senior School Parent

TOOLED-UP EDUCATION

At North London, we aim to provide holistic support to everyone in our school community, in all areas of family life. To support us to do this, we have teamed up with Tooled Up Education. Tooled Up Education is curated by Dr Kathy Weston, one of the UK’s leading experts on parental engagement in children’s lives and learning. Dr Weston is passionate about bridging the gap between research and real-life parenting and has delivered many fascinating and helpful talks to our parents. NLCS families now have access to a fantastic and regularly updated digital library, full of evidence-based tips, simple activities, videos and podcasts, on all matters relating to parenting and family life.