Great
importance is placed on the caring aspect of the
pastoral programme in our school and we consider
this to be the concern of every teacher.
Through our pastoral system, we aim to promote the
personal, social and academic development of our
pupils. We achieve this by creating a climate in
which all our pupils feel secure in the knowledge
that, as valued members of the
school community, they can give and receive
encouragement, guidance and support.
It is important that each pupil's needs, interests
and academic progress are monitored and understood
by at least one teacher. Each class has a Form
Teacher who can respond to the problems of the
individual pupils in that class, and who will help
them to benefit from the opportunities that the
school has to offer. Form classes are of mixed
ability so that all pupils integrate with their
peers from all streams. The pupils and Form Teacher
of any year group are supported by a Year Head.
Pastoral provision is organised and monitored by the
Pastoral Co-ordinator, Mrs Cashel, and the
Vice-Principals, Mrs Moore and Mr Mowbray.
Pupils
in Years 8 and 13 have comprehensive induction
programmes to help them settle in to their new
school environment. A valuable part of the Year 8
induction programme is "Your School, Your Business",
a team-building day held at the end of September. A
Year 8 team building "Fun Day" is also held later in
the year. These help those pupils who are still
finding it difficult to make friends to mix with a
wider group in a purposeful environment and to think
about the qualities they have to offer in school.
All
pupils have a weekly Personal Development Education
class taken by their Form Teacher, and Form Teachers
of all classes see their class each day for
registration. Key Stage 3 pupils also have
additional Personal Development lessons on their
timetable.
Arrangements For
Children Who Become Ill
Pupils
who are unable to stay in class are looked after by
our library assistant, Ms Hamilton, who assists with
pupil welfare. However, we feel that parents will
want to take responsibility for their children if
they are injured or unwell and we shall contact them
if necessary.
No
tablets or medicines may be issued in school without
written parental permission.
GUARDIAN ANGELS
Year 8
pupils have additional support from senior
volunteers in the school’s “Guardian Angel”
programme, under the
guidance of the NSPCC.
 
Breaking the Ice –
Guardian Angels introduce themselves
and offer a listening ear to their Year 8 charges
 
Year 8
pupils improving their communication and social
skills
during their “Your School, Your Business” induction
day.
Child Protection
The school aims to protect the pupils in its care by
following the guidelines issued by the Department of
Education. Our central principle is that every child
has the right to be safe from harm and to have
proper care given to his / her physical, emotional
and spiritual well-being. The child's welfare must
always be paramount and the school will, in
accordance with legal requirements, refer any
concerns about the well-being of its pupils to
Social Services. The Designated Teacher for Child
Protection is Mrs Cashel, and the Deputy Designated
Teacher is Mrs Stewart.
Counselling
Mairead, our school counsellor, comes to school one
morning per week, but additional counselling
sessions can be arranged if urgent help is required.
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