Pastoral Care

At Pewsey Vale School we expect our students to achieve highly and enjoy school within the context of a very supportive school environment.

Our pastoral system underpins the success each student achieves as part of our school community. Every member of staff takes responsibility for the care and well-being of students within the school.

Our pastoral system has a horizontal structure with students separated into year groups for curriculum lessons as well as registration periods. Each student is a member of a tutor group where they are individually valued and supported by each other and by their form tutor.

Students meet with their tutors once during the school day; at the start of the school day. This is an important time as allows tutors to deal with any issues arising. Tutors have access to the academic and behaviour information for each student in their tutor group. This information is used daily to praise and reinforce behaviour expectations. Students who do well are rewarded, and students in need of extra support set agreed-on targets to improve. Our tutors work in partnership with parents and carers, keeping them informed and up to date. The form tutor should be the first point of contact for most questions raised by parents and carers.

We have a school nurse who visits regularly, to whom students are referred when a need is identified.

In addition to the tutor group system, we also offer other supportive interventions either through the pastoral/welfare hub, or our reflection hub, as follows:

• Pastoral/Welfare Hub: The welfare hub is an additional provision within the pastoral offer, and is aimed at vulnerable students who are currently not consistently accessing education (either through injury, accident or SEN), or whose attendance is very low. The Welfare hub has the potential to improve overall attendance for students, as well as the life chances of those accessing it. Students offered access to Welfare Hub will be identified through our fortnightly Harbour meetings and will be limited in number to ensure a workable capacity.
• Reflection: Students who display Tier 2 incidents and above in the classroom are removed to support disruption free learning. They will then enter our Reflection room where students are able to reflect on their choices and continue with work from their lessons, until they have served a short detention. They will then return to classroom learning.
• School Nurse: the nurse holds a weekly drop-in clinic at a lunch time that students do not have to book into, providing an opportunity for students to confidentially speak to a professional who can support them.
• ESA: Where appropriate we offer Early Support Assessments.  These are cases that are referred to us through the Integrated Front Door (IFD formally MASH) – either because of a concern we have raised with them or from something outside of school.  These meetings can include outside agencies such as CAMHS or the Education Welfare Service.  We will also signpost parents to other avenues of support where appropriate.