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.”
The House Structure
The college 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 and appearance in college. 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 expected to liaise with the Head of House to ensure that effective Pastoral Care can take place. In turn the Heads of House liaise with the Deputy Headteacher in charge of Pastoral Care so that consistent attitudes can be adopted. 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 college career.
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 house trophy.
Credits: are given for achievements or special effort
Debits: are given for the following – failure to bring correct books or equipment to class, lack of respect or insolence, consistent untidiness etc. When a debit is given the pupil must then complete a Code of Conduct.
Where a pupil collects three debits in one week, the Head of House will then interview that child to discover the reasons for his/her bad behaviour.
Where a pupil persists in behaving badly, the Head of House may decide to contact the parents, given detention, or place the child in the Learning Support Unit. Lunchtime groundings are also held, Detentions are also held after college if necessary. 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. Form teachers should also monitor this daily and the Head of House checks the report at the end of the day. Parents should also sign the report on a daily basis. Report Forms are kept for students who have previously misbehaved. If a child misbehaves whilst on Report they automatically receive a detention that evening.
Keeping in Touch
At the end of each module, parents and guardians will receive an information sheet, showing their child’s current attainment level in each subject. Parents / carers will receive a full report from each of your child’s teachers, their Form Tutor and Head of House and will also have the opportunity to attend a parent’s evening. We welcome all contact and information from parents and carers at any time of the year.
Learning Support Unit
This established location in the college is designed to support students who are experiencing difficulties in mainstream class or who have had their college career interrupted for whatever reason.
The centre supports:
- Disruptive students who need support and advice on how to cope in mainstream college
- Students experiencing emotional difficulties
- Students who have had a long-term absence from college or a college non-attender
The Learning Support Unit offers:
- Respite from difficult situations in college
- The opportunity to catch up on course work
- The chance to discuss difficulties and develop strategies to cope in mainstream college
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.”