PASTORAL

Care and Guidance of Students   Whitehaven School prides itself on its caring and supportive pastoral ethos and is committed to the five outcomes of the ‘Every Child Matters' agenda.

All students are placed in a form when they join the school. The composition of the form is carefully arranged so students are with existing friends, yet the group contains students from a range of primary schools with a range of abilities. This enables students to meet and make new friends. A form tutor is allocated in year 7 and remains with the form until year 11. The tutor has daily contact with their tutor group and so can develop a supportive relationship, providing individual guidance for students, keeping a careful check on their attendance and monitoring each student's academic progress.

Each year group is led by two Joint Pastoral Team Leaders who have responsibility for the smooth running of the year group. The Pastoral Team Leaders are a vital link with home and parents should contact them if they have concerns over the progress or welfare of their child. Early parental contact with Pastoral Team Leaders is proven to support student well-being and ensure rapid resolution to any problems that may occur. Senior members of staff, including the Directors of Pastoral Practice, oversee the pastoral system and ensure that the procedures serve all members of the school community and keep pace with a constantly evolving education system.

Regular attendance at school contributes in many ways to the well-being of students. Regular school attendance has many benefits and not simply academic ones. High levels of attendance give students the best possible chance in education and later life; help students make and retain friends and feel included. Regular attendance at school serves to boost social skills and levels of self esteem.

The school has many support systems and procedures in place to encourage high levels of attendance. The school has a dedicated Attendance Team comprising  an Attendance Officer and Attendance Worker, Education Welfare Officers and members of the Senior Management Team. The school also works with outside agencies such as Parent Support Advisors to support students in improving their levels of attendance. Form Tutors and Pastoral Team Leaders are an integral part of our Attendance Team and work closely with individual students to ensure that the barrier that absence from school can create is reduced, thereby opening up opportunities within the school.

The most important input in ensuring high levels of attendance however, comes from the home. Parents play such an important role in demonstrating the importance of school attendance to their child and maintaining a routine to support high levels of attendance. Early communication between home and school is an important factor in tackling problems before they become serious and affect a student's progress.

Whitehaven School encourages a strong student voice through Year and School Councils. Each year group has its own Student Council, which meets regularly with the Pastoral Team Leader to discuss a variety of issues, including student welfare, social areas and events, school transport, school meals and charity work. Each Year Council elects two of its members to serve on the full School Council to represent the full student body in decision making and so make a positive contribution to the whole school community. The School Council drives forward student-derived change and liaises with senior members of staff and outside agencies and representatives to seek to ensure that every student has a strong voice within the school and in the wider community.

Whitehaven School prides itself on its holistic approach to education - nurturing each student's social, emotional and academic skills and development to ensure that every student can achieve success through high expectations.

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