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Learn more about our pastoral care, and how we support our pupils
Wellbeing sits at the centre of everything we do at Dame Allan’s. As Director of Pupil Wellbeing, my role is to ensure every child feels seen, understood, valued and supported, so they can flourish.
Having worked here for many years, I’ve seen how much the small, everyday moments matter. A quiet word from a form tutor, a conversation with a teacher after a lesson, a familiar face to check in with — these are what build trust and help young people feel safe, confident and ready to learn.
We know that happy, secure young people are far better placed to succeed — academically, socially and emotionally. My hope is that every pupil leaves Dame Allan’s not only with strong results, but with self-belief and the confidence to navigate life well beyond school.
Pastoral care isn’t something separate from school life; it’s woven through it.
Alongside that culture of care, we offer a depth of specialist support that is rare to find in a school setting. Our team includes experienced pastoral leaders, a school nurse, counsellors, a psychotherapist and an art psychotherapist, all working together to provide timely, tailored help when it’s needed. Dedicated wellbeing centres — The Snug in the Senior School and The Cosy Snug in the Junior School — offer calm, welcoming spaces where pupils can talk, reflect or simply take a breath. Through mentoring, PSHE and peer support, we focus just as much on prevention and early support, ensuring that wellbeing is proactive, not reactive.
We have a long-standing commitment to pupil wellbeing. We were the first independent school in Newcastle to employ a dedicated counsellor, more than 20 years ago, as well as the first independent school in the North of England to introduce animal-assisted therapy into daily pastoral care through our therapy dogs. Pastoral Care is not an add-on or ‘nice to have’ – it is the key thread that weaves through school life. Our dedicated wellbeing spaces, expert pastoral team, and proactive approach ensure that there is someone there for every child, always.
Our objectives are to identify pupils who have such needs and enable them to achieve their full potential.
