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Pastoral care
We are committed to providing the highest quality pastoral care and recognise that pupil happiness is a pre-requisite to academic and extra-curricular success. We encourage every pupil to be the best they can be and to become excellent all-round citizens. Most of all we want pupils to enjoy school and to become adept at overcoming all types of challenges they may face in the future.
We work very closely with pupils and parents to ensure that pupils can make the most of the opportunities available to them. The Perse is a happy school and our pupils feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they have excellent support.
Something key to our pastoral ethos is a focus on balance. We are very aware of the challenges and pressures of life within (and outside) a vibrant and busy school, and we work hard alongside pupils, parents, and staff to try to get the balance between work and play, comfort and challenge, instruction and discovery, rules and common sense, questioning and humility, and guidance and independence.
Our pastoral care begins in the term prior to entry with a comprehensive induction programme. This provides an introduction to life at The Upper and an opportunity for pupils to quickly settle into a new environment and start making friends.
There are three sections, each led by a Head of Section and supported by Heads of Year:
- Lower School – Years 7 and 8
- Middle School – Years 9, 10 and 11
- Sixth Form – Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth (Years 12 and 13)
Once at The Upper, Lower and Middle School pupils join a form of around 24 pupils which is subdivided into two tutor groups. Each tutor group is allocated a member of staff to act as ‘pastoral tutor’, and this ratio of 1 : 12 allows teachers to know their tutees well and provide meaningful support. Tutors see their tutees at least once a day, but also there are one-to-one discussions, tutorials and assemblies to support pupils’ all-round progress. The tutor is the first point of call for pupils, parents and teachers. Each Lower and Middle School form group is allocated a Form Prefect. We believe that the inclusion of Sixth Form students in supporting younger pupils is a very important feature of our pastoral system, helping to promote a family atmosphere, while encouraging older pupils to demonstrate qualities of leadership and responsibility.
We also have specialist pastoral professionals such as Senior Tutors, child protection staff and school nurses for more specialised care. Beyond the tutorial system, we use assemblies and personal, social, and health education lessons (PSHE) as an opportunity to promote positive behaviour and to focus on student wellbeing.
