Pastoral
As students enter the Sixth Form they face new pressures and challenges. The pastoral system we have in place is designed to support our eldest students and give them the tools they need to be more independent as they prepare to enter the wider world.
Our experienced pastoral team ensures there is a smooth transition from Year 11 into the Sixth Form with its more independent learning environment. Mentoring takes place regularly at key points throughout the year and tutors offer advice and support to help students achieve their full potential.
Furthermore, we aim to help our students become well-rounded individuals. Students are encouraged, through form time and our enrichment programme, to keep up to date with current affairs, read widely around their A level subjects and participate in charitable and sporting activities. Our enrichment programme offers a range of activities from team building and responsible use of social media to financial awareness and preparing for university.
Additionally, students have access to the school nurse and counselling services that includes a child and adolescent psychotherapist and an Art Psychotherapist. Our dedicated wellbeing area - The Snug offers tailored wellbeing aid for students and hosts the most popular and unique member of our pastoral team, our therapy dog, Heidi. All Sixth Form students are taught basic mental health first aid with many going on to be mental health first aid trained. Each year, a large cohort are trained in listening skills. While this is predominantly with the aim of supporting younger students, these skills are naturally transferable. As a result, we find we have a welcoming and supportive year-group dynamic.
Our students 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.
What is certain is that by the time our students leave school they have the personal, social and academic skills that will equip them for life beyond Dame Allan’s.