Our Pastoral Support Programme

At Highgate Primary we want everyone involved with our school to feel well supported. We believe that good pastoral support focuses on nurturing the individual needs of each child. We aim to build trusting and empathic relationships with all our pupils and their families.

Our Inclusion Team is made up of 16 dedicated professionals. This includes our Headteacher, SENCo, full-time Pastoral Lead and a team of therapists. Together our team works with students so they can lead fulfilling and balanced lives at school and beyond.

All our staff model to students how to look after themselves and others; encouraging them to seek help, support or advice whenever they need it.

Pastoral care underpins personal development and we know from experience that with outstanding pastoral care, students feel they belong and their self-esteem is able to flourish because they feel valued and cared for.

Supporting the pastoral needs of pupils sometimes involves working with external agencies. In these situations we ensure that a confidential, professional, non-judgemental and sensitive service is provided.

Highgate Primary’s Pastoral Support 2017-18

• Range of academic interventions organised by the Inclusion Manager
• Full time Pastoral Support for children and families
• Team of Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Music therapist and Play therapist
• Sport’s Coach and Mentor
• Peer group work
• Therapeutic art workshops
• Pets as Therapy ‘Read2Dogs’ programme
• Pastoral peer group, linking Blanche Nevile and Highgate Primary
• Therapeutic and pastoral support for Staff

“The Voice of the Child” Pastoral Annual Report 2016/17

Highgate Primary School understands the importance of enabling the voice of the child to be heard to promote safeguarding and well-being.

Examples of the Pastoral Care Team’s work include:

• Lunchtime self-referral drop-in sessions with the Pastoral Care Team
• We are a ‘talking school’; we encourage our children to share their concerns at all times
• Questionnaires for Year 6. Within this survey children respond to questions related to feeling safe at school. The outcomes of these surveys are then used to inform interventions and practice within the school to promote the voice of the children.
• ‘Worry boxes’ in every class throughout Key Stage 1 & 2. These are monitored by teachers and the Pastoral Support Officer.
• School Council. Pupils are elected by their peers. Children are fully aware of the role of the elected school councillors and are encouraged to regularly bring their views and ideas to their Class Representatives.
• Peer mentors are very visible in the playground at play and lunch breaks.
• Peer mentors listen to children and facilitate activities within the playground in response to what children have asked for. Year 6 peer mentors are trained as talking buddies. Talking buddies support children who feel that they want to talk to someone about their playground related problems and concerns.
• Children who have been identified as vulnerable are given a Key Worker at play and lunch times. This ensures that the social and emotional needs of vulnerable children are being addressed consistently.

For Pupils:

• An active Pastoral and Therapeutic Team which children can be referred to or self-refer
• Robust Inclusion Team: 11 therapists, Wellbeing Practitioner, Sports Coach/Mentor, full-time SENCo & Pastoral Support Officer
• Open door policies for all pupils with the Headteacher
• Staff training on how to provide a nurturing environment and children are taught to speak to members of Staff about any problems they have
• Rigorous behaviour monitoring and looking for possible causes of the behaviour
• Displays around the school promoting wellbeing and providing opportunities to talk
• Therapeutic and Safeguarding books around the school
• Students feel safe to report concerns about other students
• Assemblies on Health and Wellbeing
• Circle Times sessions in Class
• Happiness project in Summer 2017 for a Year 3 Class
• Philosophy for Children throughout the curriculum
• Nurture Groups run by the Therapeutic Team
• Approximately 27 children seen on a weekly fixed-term basis by the Therapeutic Team
• Sessions with Year 6 boys around masculinity and the role of a man
• Secondary Transition groups
• Pets as Therapy ‘Read2Dogs’ programme
• School Green Council
• Pupil voice for Annual Reviews and EHCP conversions
• Strong partnership with parents

For Staff:

• Therapeutic support for Staff
• Safeguarding awareness developed through PSHE
• Regular staff meetings to discuss welfare of specific pupils
• School E-Safety Team (Staff)
• Weekly Therapeutic and Pastoral team meetings
• Weekly Safeguarding meeting
• Termly Reviews

For Parents:

• In house counselling service (waiting list applicable)
• Joint parent and child sessions through the therapeutic team
• Full time Pastoral Support Officer. Onsite daily to help with any concerns a parent may have
• Headteacher has an open door policy for parents
• SENCo
• Secondary transition work

If you require any further information about our Pastoral Care Team please contact Billie-Jean Daniels, our Pastoral Lead (PSHE Health Wellbeing) on 020 8340 7023

This wonderful sensory display was created by our Counsellor Judy Bould and a group of our pupils.

The Sad Book by Michael Rosen

Artwork created by a group of Year 6 children.