Pastoral

Our Senior School pastoral system gives each pupil a voice and with it the support they need as they learn about themselves and others. We help our pupils to focus on the resilience they need to become good, active and purposeful citizens of tomorrow.

Welcomed into a supportive pastoral environment, pupils are placed in the care of experienced form teachers in classes of no more than 24 pupils, meeting twice a day and playing the vital role of a point of familiar contact for parents and pupils alike. Pupils usually stay in these classes for the whole of their time in the Senior School and, by the end of their five years together, pupils have formed strong and long-lasting friendships.

Overseeing the pastoral team and fully involved in all aspects of care for the pupils is the Head of the Senior School and the Vice Principal (Pastoral). Working closely together they ensure individual and professional support at every stage of your child's time in school.

Our Director of Pupil Wellbeing also works alongside our Vice Principal (Pastoral) managing a team that includes a school nurse, a counsellor, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and an Art Psychotherapist. However, the most popular and unique member of our pastoral team is our well-established therapy dog, Heidi.

Our aim is to create a safe and open culture that allows us to offer timely multifaceted support. Our commitment is demonstrated via our dedicated wellbeing area - The Snug - which offers tailored wellbeing aid to pupils of all ages. 

Our pupils regularly contribute to the development of our pastoral care offering. Two recent additions include Whisper, an anonymous reporting tool designed to provide pupils with a safe and confidential platform to voice their concerns, and the inclusion of the Cambridge Wellbeing Check, a digital, online assessment that provides valuable insights into pupils’ emotional wellbeing, allowing educators and pastoral care providers to tailor support services effectively. You can read more about these latest initiatives on our news page.

Visitors to the schools, from prospective parents to outside speakers, regularly comment on the happy, confident and engaging pupils who are so evidently proud of their school. 

Read our Senior School Pastoral care Guide here