About our school

Pastoral care

Each student is a member of a tutor group and is looked after by a member of staff who takes a special interest in her progress and welfare. A fortnightly timetables session with Form Tutors delivers a significant part of the Personal, Social & Heath Education programme. Students are encouraged to assess their own development, to negotiate targets with teachers and to record their progress within a Progress File.

The team of tutors in each year group is led by a Head of Year, who has special responsibility for care and day to day organisation within the year group.

Induction Programme

We aim for a smooth transition from primary to secondary school by building on our close links with our feeder schools. Year 7 students enter the school with confidence, having already met their Head of Year in the primary school and their Form Tutor and each other at the Induction Day held in July. Students are placed in tutor groups taking into account their language preferences and existing friendship patterns. A carefully planned induction programme helps them to get to know the rest of their tutor group and to settle in quickly.

Praise, Encouragement & Rewarding

Assemblies are held each week for the main school, for the Sixth Form, for Key Stages and for form groups. Whole school assemblies and year group assemblies are held at regular intervals. Students take a leading role in their presentation and emphasis is placed of praise, encouragement and reward. The Head Girl and her Deputies run the School Council, which provides a forum for students to discuss issues of their choosing.

Anti-Bullying Code

We have a clear school policy to prevent bullying and students have produced an anti-bullying code, which is displayed in every classroom. If specialist help is needed to cope with personal problems an appointment with a qualified counsellor or a nurse can be arranged. Staff qualified in First Aid are available to deal with accidents and emergencies and we ask for emergency contact numbers for all students.

Monitoring Attendance

Attendance is closely monitored. We ask for all absences to be confirmed in writing and unexplained absences are identified and investigated. Our standard of behaviour has always been high. Students have an innate feeling of what is, and what is not, appropriate and respond cheerfully to comments on discipline if they grasp clearly what lies behind them. Communication between staff and students is direct so that awkwardness in this important field of relationships very seldom arises. There are few standard punishments but retribution falls swiftly on offenders should the need arise. On the whole, our trust in the good sense of our students is thoroughly repaid.