Pastoral Care is something we pride ourselves on at St. Wilfrid’s. Ofsted judged our pastoral care as Outstanding and made the following comments in their report:
“All staff are very caring about the students at the school and students respond to this by returning this value to their staff.”
“Parents and students value the school very highly and believe staff will do the very best for them.”
Our caring House Structure
The school is divided into six Houses, with a teacher in charge of each house.
These teachers are responsible for the children in their House with regard to general behaviour, appearance and wellbeing at school. Students will register each day in tutor groups and follow a planned pastoral programme. These are mixed ability groups.
The tutors within a House group are supported by liaising with their Head of House to ensure that effective pastoral care can take place. In turn the Heads of House work very closely with the Deputy Headteacher in charge of pastoral care so that consistent attitudes are fostered and every child is supported. The five Houses in school from Year 7 – 11 are: Aidan, Bede, Cuthbert, Hilda and Margaret Clitherow. In Sixth Form, we have St. Columba House, where pupils from both Year 12 and 13 are placed.
Children meet in these groups for tutorial work through their school career – this includes ‘PREP’, reading, wellbeing activities and a weekly assembly.
We have very clear guidelines on expected behaviour, punctuality, attendance and work ethic. Pupils are rewarded with credits which create House points. At the end of each year, the House points are totalled and the winning House receives the presitgious House trophy.
Credits: are given for achievements or special effort – these are linked to the 4 Cardinal Virtues (prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude) and 3 Theological Virtues (faith, hope, charity) – habits we aim to instil in our students.
Warnings and Detentions: are given for the following – failure to bring correct books or equipment to class, lack of respect or insolence, consistent untidiness etc. Students are given two warnings before a restorative detention (‘D1’ – a 10 minute conversation with the teacher where we focus on what we don’t do at St Wilfrid’s, why not and what we do instead). We also have ‘D2’ which is a 30 minute after school detention and an SLT detention which lasts for 1 hour.
Where a pupil collects several warnings of detentions in one week, their Head of House will support them to improve their behaviour.
Where a pupil persistently misbehaves, the Head of House may decide to contact the parents and place the child in the Individual Support Centre (ISC). Lunchtime ‘Groundings’ are also held – restricting social time. The Head of House may decide that the student needs to be put on report, in which case the child will be required to carry a ‘Report Form’ to each lesson so that the teacher can comment on behaviour, attitude to work etc.
The key to improving behaviour is our home/school partnership – we work together with parents to support their children and ensure they are able to function, conform and flourish in school and the community.
Keeping in Touch
At the end of each cycle, parents and carers will receive a data report sheet, showing their child’s current attainment level in each subject. Annually, parents / carers will receive a full report from your child’s Tutor and will also have the opportunity to attend a parents’ evening. We welcome all contact and information from parents and carers at any time of the year – please contact their Head of House who will endeavour to respond within 48 hours (please note our Heads of House have a teaching commitment).
Individual Support Centre
This established location in the school is designed to support students who are experiencing difficulties in mainstream class or who have had their school career interrupted for whatever reason.
The centre supports:
- Disruptive students who need support and advice on how to cope in mainstream school
- Students experiencing emotional difficulties
- Students who have had a long-term absence from school or a school non-attender
The Learning Support Unit offers:
- Respite from difficult situations in school
- The opportunity to catch up on course work
- The chance to discuss difficulties and develop strategies to cope in mainstream school
What the Pupils Say
“It was really easy settling in.”
“Work is fun here!”
“I feel proud to wear the St. Wilfrid’s uniform.”
“The teachers are kind, caring and supportive.”
“When I came to St. Wilfrid’s I was scared that I wouldn’t find the classes but all the teachers and pupils helped me.”
“The best thing about being in year 7 is starting new lessons like chemistry.”
“I like the dinners and the selection they have and how they taste so good.”
