Pastoral Care & Support
Pastoral care and support is absolutely fundamental to the school's philosophy and approach. It has equal value to academic studies at our school, as we believe a child's personal and social well-being underpins all other aspects of their life. Pastoral care is therefore not a separate entity or department, but an integral part of every school day.
Without the school we do not believe we would have ever gotten our daughter back into school after suffering from bullying in a large secondary school. She would have struggled to complete even three GCSEs. After all the care and support she received at the Small School she gained top grades in 7 GCSEs, and recently left university with a 1st class degree. She is back to being the happy, confident person she used to be and enjoying her life.
Mrs BM (Beaulieu)
In our school there is a conscious effort by all staff to fully articulate in our practice, a commitment to our philosophy expressed through our aims and objectives. These are underpinned by the simple, but encompassing statement : 'Every Child Matters'. All members of staff approach our young people with an attitude of openness and respect. It is this which guides our pastoral policies and our commitment to both students and parents.
Our pastoral care offers a supportive approach to an individual's experience of school and respects the interplay between the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual aspects of each young person regarding access to learning opportunities. This is expressed through a continuous attitude of awareness and observation of a student's engagement in both lessons and the wider experience of the school day.
The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils feel very safe and are well looked after; their personal development is given a high priority by all staff. This approach is fundamental to the character of the school. This was summed up by a member of staff who said, of leaders, that ‘the well-being of staff and pupils is their core philosophy’. Ofsted Report, June 2018
We support the holistic development of each individual through our fundamental principles of 'Respect','Tolerance' and 'Compassion'. We also explore what it means to be 'happy' or to have 'self respect' and we encourage, through practise, the development of communication skills and confidence to express any issue in an atmosphere of trust. Our commitment to each individual student means, for instance, that if we should encounter an instance of bullying, we not only resolve the issue for the person bullied, but we also work with the perpetrator to understand why that person may have resorted to that behaviour in the first place.
Action needs to underpin words. To this end, we operate an open system whereby any concern can be raised and resolved quickly and appropriately. The headteacher oversees the pastoral care of children throughout the school. The Lower & Middle Primary Classes are supported by Mike Melrose and Rosie Poytress respectively. Upper Primary, Secondary and GCSE classes are supported principally by Lorraine Brown. All staff providing pastoral care work very closely with one another and asset one another where necessary. Parents are always kept informed about their child's personal and social issues and developments, as we always look to work with parents to provide a dynamic and thorough pastoral support network across the school.
Also See
'Staff help pupils to develop their confidence and self-belief in a wide range of areas.' Ofsted Report, June 2018
Learning enrichment, opportunities and outcomes are intrinsically linked to physical and mental wellbeing. Here at NFSS, we work as a team with a shared philosophy of pastoral care. Parents are very much welcomed as part of that team approach to the continued happiness of our wonderful students.
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In an atmosphere of care, trust and mutual respect, students openly support and care for one another on a daily basis. This is one of the key reasons that the New Forest Small School is such a unique and remarkable place to be.
