The PASTORAL SYSTEM

1. AIMS
to reflect the aims of the school's mission statement in the day to day running of the school and in the relationships between its members;
to support all pupils to help them achieve their best both academically and socially throughout their time at St Peter's;
to provide a family atmosphere within each year group, to help develop a group identity to supplement this support;
to ensure that good discipline is maintained as thoroughly as possible;
to act as an important link between the school and the parents of its pupils, and with other external agencies;
to provide a rich experience for all pupils beyond the curricular confines of the lessons.

2. PREAMBLE
The pastoral system at St Peter's is an example of horizontal groupings; a senior member of staff, the heads of key stage, the head of year, and a deputy, are responsible for Years 7,8, 9, 10 & 11. In practice, these leaders guide tutors with the form period tutorial programme and with other important activities such as work experience for the Year 11 pupils. They also play a very important rôle in the establishing of good discipline within the school. The heads of year liaise with heads of departmentto monitor the progress of pupils in their care and are responsible for monitoring data.

All pupils are issued with journals at the beginning of the year; these contain prayers and useful school information. There is a blank grid printed at the back for pupils to enter their own personal timetable. The journal should be checked and signed weekly by parents and form tutors. On a day-to-day basis, journals are used for: writing down details of homework set; and writing in other information as required by staff, such as positive comments on work, messages to parents and information, when necessary, about any detentions.

Pupils can buy new journals, to replace losses, from the head of year.

3. OBLIGATIONS REQUIRED BY POLICY

iv Heads of year should

support and lead a team of tutors, organising assemblies, tutorial work and social and extra-curricular functions;
act as a person to whom pupils can turn for help and guidance;
see pupils reporting sick and decide on a course of action;
oversee the general discipline of the year group;
co-ordinate the information received concerning any pupil, checking that action is taken when necessary; co-ordinate the keeping of records for individual children, ensuring these are kept up to date; check attendance registers to guard against truancy and lateness, working with the attendance officer;

arrange meetings with parents in order to acquaint them with school policy, or to discuss the welfare and general problems arising with a particular child, either at the wish of the school or at the request of parents;

organise parents' evenings;

liaise with other services such as the educational welfare officer, the police and medical staff, student support services, outside agencies;

liaise with other schools to ensure the smooth transfer of pupils.

chair weekly tutors' meetings and organize assemblies;

facilitate the transfer of information of pupils who join or leave St Peter's during KS3 and KS4;
ensure, along with with the school medical staff, that sick and injured pupils are dealt with promptly, firmly and sympathetically;

assist in the planning of extra-curricular activities;

provide support and help in disciplinary procedures, and ensure that correct procedures are followed;

support subject staff and SMT as and when required.

vii The Form Tutor should

take general responsibility for the overall academic progress and pastoral care of pupils, for the setting of standards in appearance and behaviour, and for the fabric of the form base;

help pupils to feel happy and secure at school, taking appropriate action if they have difficulties in relationships with other pupils or with teachers;

encourage purposeful study at school and at home, and ensure that the pupil's work is suited to his/her capacities by regular homework and journal checks;

discourage behaviour which is anti-social or self-damaging, by use of constructive discipline;

try to establish a mature attitude to school discipline within the form;

remind the form regularly of certain rules and regulations, eg out of bounds areas, behaviour on the buses, courtesy and manners;

check that homework set is done;

try to inculcate a form responsibility, so that pupils feel that bad discipline 'lets down' the form;

use personal interview to discuss individual behavioural problems;

discuss with the Head of School the need for withdrawing a pupil from lessons or placing a pupil on report, as and when necessary;

promote regular attendance and punctuality and keep the form register accurately and up to date;

ensure that absences are covered by notes or telephone messages from parents or guardians, liaising with the attendance officer as required;

follow up repeated absences, and note when pupils are absent consistently on one day a week, for example;

instill in the pupils an ambition to maximise their talents and to pursue a future appropriate to them;
encourage participation in extra-curricular activities;

seek full co-operation of parents, encouraging them to visit the school for parents' evenings;

keep good records, arrange the completion of reports, etc, and manage the distribution of newsletters and reply slips, etc;

ensure that form prayers are said at the beginning of each school day.

4. The execution of this policy shall be monitored by SMT.