Tel: 01926 634200
Email: post@princethorpe.co.uk
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care is seen as paramount at Princethorpe and is very much a tangible expression of our strong Catholic ethos.
Our team of professionals, headed up by the Deputy Head – Pastoral, provide a network to help support and encourage all our students.
The team is broad reaching and includes Form Teachers, Heads of Year, our PSHE Co-ordinator, Matron, our Counsellor, the Chaplaincy Team and Outdoor Education Co-ordinators.
The main premise of our pastoral care is that every child really does matter and that if that child is happy, healthy and safe, he or she will learn most effectively. The Pastoral Team work together or in various combinations as appropriate to fulfil and respond to students’ needs. When problems arise, the College is proactive and swift to take action, working in close partnership with parents to tackle any issues and if necessary agree action plans.
A key element of our pastoral care is the weekly confidential Pastoral Briefing to staff when issues affecting students can be drawn to their attention and guidance be given. Issues are only ever shared with staff with parents’ express permission.
The College has a very strong sense of community and above and beyond the professional help available, there is also much mutual support offered to students by their friends and fellow students. There is a peer mentoring scheme where Year 10 students are trained to offer advice, support or a ‘listening ear’ to younger students.
Click on the links below to view the document:
Child Protection Policy
Cyber Bullying
The Form Teacher
The Form Teacher is the student’s and parents’ first port of call and will generally be able to answer any queries or resolve any problems, if necessary he or she will escalate problems to the Head of Year or Deputy Head – Pastoral.
Personal, Social and Health Education
The College’s Personal, Social, Health and Education (PSHE) programme is designed to support the moral, spiritual and cultural development of the child and is delivered via the Form Teacher and special assemblies. Each Year Group also has one ‘twilight session’ per school year to cover a particular topic in depth.
The Medical Centre
The College also benefits from having a full-time Matron on site in the Medical Centre to administer advice and medicines to students and to offer basic first aid when required.
Counselling Services
We now have a qualified Counsellor on the staff. Students who are experiencing difficulties can be referred to the Counsellor for a series of appointments. This has been welcomed by students who appreciate being able to talk to an adult who is neither a parent nor a teacher.
Chaplaincy Team
In addition our Chaplaincy Team offers sessions on prayer and meditation, provides sacramental preparation and runs workshops and retreat days for students to explore the deeper aspects of life.
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education is also taking on a higher profile within pastoral care. Experience has shown us that when students learn to work together as a team outside the classroom, this greatly benefits and accelerates learning inside the classroom. In addition to the well established Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, a wider variety of outdoor education experiences will be offered to students in the coming year.