Pastoral Care at Saint Augustine’s Priory
“The person of each individual human being, in his or her material and spiritual needs, is at the heart of Christ’s teaching: this is why the promotion of the human person is the goal of the Catholic School”.
The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium
Pastoral care at Saint Augustine’s Priory is based on a deep respect for the dignity of the human person. We endeavour to provide a strong sense of wellbeing, belonging and security, that affirms pupils in their dignity and worth, assists them to achieve their full potential as a human person, physically, socially, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.
The care of pupils is central to the work that we do at St. Augustine’s - when pupils feel happy, supported and safe, they succeed.
Every pupil joining St Augustine's becomes part of a form. The form tutor’s role is to take care of the pupil’s development and form tutors are, in turn, supported by more senior staff in line with the school’s management structure (see chart below). In the Junior School this is the Head of Junior School and in the Senior School, the Senior Form Teacher.
Central to our Pastoral Care System is the belief that positive relationships are vital to the happiness, security and personal development of each child – this is our ideal. Inevitably, at times, things go wrong, relationships break down and mistakes are made; this is what it means to be human. When that happens, we want to make it as easy as possible to address any issues with parents.
A way of preventing problems from developing is for parents to encourage their daughter to share any problem or anxiety with her form teacher, no matter how trivial it may seem. We also have a qualified school counsellor who provides scheduled appointments and a ‘drop in’ centre on Mondays.
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Senior School Parents: |
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| Academic | Pastoral | Safeguarding |
| In the first instance, speak to Her subject teacher |
In the first instance, speak to Her Form teacher |
Speak to the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) |
| Head of Department | Senior Form Teacher | |
| Deputy Head (Curriculum) | Deputy Head (Pastoral) | |
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Headteacher |
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| Junior School Parents: I have a concern about my child It is: |
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| Academic | Pastoral | Safeguarding |
| Speak to The individual subject teacher (if it’s not the form teacher) |
In the first instance, speak to Her Form Teacher |
Speak to the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) |
| Junior Subject Coordinator | ||
| Head of Junior School |
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| Headteacher | ||
Director of Health
There is a qualified nurse on duty every day who is available to administer first aid, to deal with any accidents or emergencies, or to help if someone is taken ill. Referrals can be made to the school nurse if there are medical concerns. The Director of Health also gives emotional support and girls may be referred to her for a variety of issues.
Counselling
The school employs a highly qualified and accredited counsellor, who attends the school every Monday. She is able to see girls at their request, or at the request of the school, or parents, if the girl is happy to go. In the case of girls below the age of 16, parental consent is sought when they join the school.
Involvement of students
Many of our Sixth form students are ‘Big Sisters’ - trained peer supporters who are available to talk to their younger sisters when needed.
Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic Education
There is a weekly programme of PSHE, delivered by tutors, planned and resourced by the Head of PSHE, and co-ordinated by the Deputy Head (Pastoral). Our Pathways Programme ensures that careers education and guidance is thorough and well targeted.
Staff development/training
Training may comprise of timetabled meetings, INSET training, school based professional development, mentoring and attendance at external courses. Training on Child Protection takes place for all staff, in a three yearly cycle.
Sixth Form Mentors
Mentoring is as old as Greek mythology itself. Mentor was the wise and trusted friend whom Odysseus appointed to educate his son. He acted as an advisor, coach, teacher and
surrogate father or in the case of St Augustine's Priory surrogate mother!
Mentoring is a powerful means of sharing knowledge, enthusiasm, expertise, skills, guidance or support, in which older pupils gain experience of leadership and develop their communication skills through building relationships with younger pupils, whilst the younger pupils benefit by increased understanding and self-confidence as well as improved interpersonal skills.
The Sixth Form students are welcome visitors to the Nursery, Prep and Junior classes, where they play an important role as mentors supporting the younger pupils in their learning.
The Sixth Formers choose an age group and make a weekly commitment which is part of their timetable offering their skills in a particular subject. This can take the form of sports coaching, listening to pupils read, supporting and challenging the girls' thinking skills in mathematics and science lessons or encouraging confidence and fluency in French conversation. A popular addition to our mentoring programme has been the after- school board games club where the Sixth formers have taught the girls the rules of various board games and then enjoyed playing the part of challenger or in some cases adjudicator!