In keeping with our Mission Statement, we in St Louise’s place great emphasis on the Pastoral Care element of our work which we see as being at the heart of everything we do.

We recognise that we are a large school, and that parents (and indeed pupils) may worry about the possibility of a lack of individual attention or individual support.

Our Pastoral Structure has been designed to ensure that this does not happen. Firstly, each year group operates almost like a small school.It has its own Head, its own area of the school and even its own weekly Assembly.

Each year group is assigned a number of staff with specific pastoral responsibilities for that year group: it has two senior members of staff as Head of Year and Year Counsellor, and most classes in the year group have assigned to them not one but two form teachers to look after their members on a day-to-day basis.

ROLE OF HEAD OF YEAR

The Head of Year, as suggested above, is in daily charge of the year groupin much the same way as a Principal in a smaller school. The Head of Year co-ordinates the daily work and activities of the year group and deals with any problems which might arise.

Specifically,the Head of Year is responsible for pupil progress: for encouraging effective learning by each individual pupil in the year group and forthe regular monitoring, review and evaluation of pupil learning.Related to this, the Head of Year takes a leadership role in curriculum development and is responsible for dealing with any behavioural issues which might arise, as these can be a hindrance to effective teaching and learning.

KEY QUESTIONS

What does a Head of Year do?

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What is the most important part of a Head of Year's work?

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What aspects of the job do you enjoy best?

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ROLE OF YEAR COUNSELLOR

The Year Counsellor assists the Head of Year in co-ordinating the daily activities of the year group, and together with other senior staff has a role in leading curriculum development.

Specifically,the Year Counsellor monitors the attendance and punctuality of each individual pupil, as in St Louise’s we see irregular attendance and a poor record of punctuality as a barrier to effective learning. It is also an important part of the duties of the Year Counsellor to identify pupils in need of extra support and to provide whatever help and support is required. The fostering of a partnership with parents and guardians is also crucial to the work of the Year Counsellor.

It is central to the role of both Head of Year and Year Counsellor to foster loyalty, good class spirit and mutually respectful relationships among the pupils in their year group.

KEY QUESTIONS

What exactly does a Year Counsellor do?

It is a major target for a Year Counsellor that every girl in her year group is safe, happy and successful. Children learn best when they feel confident and content. To achieve this, the Year Counsellor works closely with fellow teachers, parents and outside agencies in providing for the pastoral needs of each girl. Amongst other things she develops and updates a tutor programme (see Pastoral Programme) which helps equip girls with the personal and social skills necessary to cope with the pressures of modern living.

What would a pupil need to do if she wants to speak with the Year Counsellor?

Time is set aside each day for the Year Counsellor to attend to her year group’s needs, and she is readily available to the girls in her care.Girls often approach the Year Counsellor directly. In many cases she isable to see the girl immediately, and if not she will make an appointment to see her later in the day.

What are the benefits of working as a Year Counsellor?

The success of the girls is a major source of satisfaction. Year Counsellors accompany their year group from year 8 to year 12 and so have the pleasure of getting to know the girls and their families. They also play no small part in contributing to the development of girls aspeople who can lead and serve in the community.

ROLE OF FORM TEACHER

As already mentioned, each class has two form teachers who meet the classat the start of each school day. The form teachers monitor the attendance, punctuality, progress, standards of uniform and behaviour of the pupils in their class. They also have an important mentoring role with the pupils in their care as well as a role in target-setting,review and evaluation of pupil progress.

Specifically,the form teachers check absentee notes and inspect the homework which members of the class are due to hand in each day. They check that each girl is wearing the correct uniform and that she is properly equipped for class. Each year group participates in charity fund raising at specific times of the year, and the form teachers support their class in this.

Together with the Head of Year and Year Counsellor, the form teachers have an important role in encouraging effective learning and in fostering goodclass spirit and mutually respectful relationships.

ROLE OF SUBJECT TEACHER

Given that we see the process of education as being essentially pastoral, the subject teacher – the person directly involved in the delivery of highquality classroom teaching and learning – has an important pastoral role.