Pastoral Care & Pupil Wellbeing

All kids need is a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.

Magic Johnson

Pastoral Care is at the core of everything we do at Rupert House and every member of staff has a pastoral responsibility. Staff take time to listen to pupils and to each other, and the whole teaching team works together to ensure the physical and emotional welfare of its pupils and to create an environment which can help pupils flourish. Children in the school are safe, happy and involved, and this enables them to perform to their full potential.

Small class sizes, favourable staff/pupil ratios, and excellent communication between staff members ensure a thorough understanding of each child in our care.

Pastoral Care is embedded in the school’s statement of commitment, and school values of Courage, Creativity, Respect and Resilience, both of which were developed by the staff themselves. The values are promoted and discussed throughout all age groups, and pupils’ achievements in these areas, and all aspects of life, are regularly celebrated.

As they progress through the school, pupils explore a range of issues in PSHE and Citizenship to develop their self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-confidence. This is delivered through weekly PSHE sessions via a structured programme of work called Jigsaw. This programme also focuses on developing emotional literacy which is helpful in developing good communication skills and nurturing respectful relationships. 

 

Main points of provision

• Pupil and staff wellbeing is a priority and is frequently addressed.
• Our Learning Enhancement provision is excellent. This allows children of all abilities and those with varying learning requirements to be fully supported. Quincy, our trained therapy dog, is part of the Learning Enhancement team and is always happy to lend his ear to listen and he makes everyone smile.  
• Our Mental Health First Aid qualified staff members offer “Winnie talk time” sessions to all children who want to express themselves or confide in a trusted adult (Talk Time was even provided for parents during the second lockdown by one of the staff who has an adult counselling qualification).   
• The form teachers and pastoral team monitor the children’s feelings and emotions every day (in Years 5 and 6 on their devices and in Years 3 and 4 with characters that represent how they feel). Together they look for patterns and discuss children of concern before developing a strategy to provide the appropriate support.  
• Pupils complete the ‘Pupil Attitudes to Self and School’ (PASS) Questionnaire every year. These are reviewed and monitored by staff and action taken, where necessary.
• Thorough transition meetings are held at the end of the year to ensure a good understanding of expectations and a smooth pathway for pupils as they move into the next academic year.
• Important contributors to wellbeing such as healthy eating, connections with others and the community, learning new things, or being physically active, are constantly encouraged at Rupert House. Our ‘Move to Think’ initiative is designed to ensure that all the children start their day with either a physical activity (e.g. yoga, running, skipping) which energises them and facilitates increased focus in lessons, or a mindfulness session, which prepares the children mentally for the day ahead.  
• Learning outdoors is encouraged at every opportunity, with Pre-Prep pupils attending the school’s on-site Outdoor Classroom on a weekly basis. Not only is the fresh air important to their health and mental wellbeing, the children are given the freedom to explore nature and be creative with their surroundings.
• Pupils from Year 3 upwards have timetabled Outdoor Learning sessions where they often don their wellies to explore the local area including woodland and the riverside, as well as visiting the Outdoor Classroom or contributing to the local community by litter picking in town.  
• Staff feel that their contributions are valued; they are involved in policy making and reviewing, they are involved in developing new initiatives and they are encouraged to offer their opinions.