Pastoral Care Vision statement

Care and Communication at our Core

Two girls sit on the grass with their arms around each other smiling. They have BCS teddy bears in their lap.

Vision

Here at The Blue Coat School, we pride ourselves on providing the best possible pastoral care for children. Our provision is defined by the quality of our relationships with pupils, staff and parents, our strong partnerships and how staff respond to the needs of each and every child.

All the staff have committed to this mission to:

  • Embed a culture of kindness and respect in all that we do
  • Engage with our pupils so that they recognise their own value and worth by expressing and understanding their emotions
  • Empower each child to thrive with confidence and resilience

Pastoral Care is widely available and we have used the services for our child. All teachers provide good pastoral care even though it’s not their allocated role.

Year 6 Parent

The Pastoral Team

At The Blue Coat School, exceptional pastoral care is achieved through teamwork. Every member of staff has responsibility for the children’s wellbeing. Everyone works in the best interests of every child to safeguard their welfare and promote their development, and our children are confident in knowing who they can reach out to if they have any concerns or worries.

There is also a dedicated Pastoral Team whose sole purpose at School is to support children in either a 1:1 or in a small group. The Pastoral Team meet every week to discuss pupils’ wellbeing. The School’s Special Educational Needs Coordinators, Designated Safeguarding Leads, the School Matron and the Chaplain also attend this meeting to ensure there is a holistic approach to pastoral care at The Blue Coat School.

Mrs L E James

Ms S Benjamin-Coker

Mrs L McLean

Mrs J Neeson

Fr Andrew Hutchinson

I can’t thank the staff enough for their pastoral care over the years as this has been very critical to our child’s growing experience and their positive development towards their teenage years.

Year 6 Parent

Picture of the small lighthouse decoration found in the well-being room called The Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse

A sanctuary nestled in the heart of the School. The Lighthouse offers a safe, quiet space for pastoral sessions. The Lighthouse is staffed during break times and lunchtimes for children to drop in to share good news or to seek a listening ear.

There are comfortable chairs for children to feel relaxed during pastoral sessions, and there are also mindful activities and games for children who need something to either occupy their mind or use prompts to verbalise their thoughts and feelings.

Two boys stand side by side smiling at the camera holding a photo from they made in a buddy activity containing a photo of the two of them together. Buddies are part of the pastoral care provided at The Blue Coat School.

Buddies

There is a strong buddy system here at The Blue Coat School. All pupils in Year 3 will have a Year 6 buddy who is in the same House as them. This helps their transition into Prep.

Year 3 and Year 6 buddies develop a wonderful bond through activities such as Buddy Brunch, Buddy Reading sessions and Easter Buddy. 

New pupils joining the School from Reception to Year 6 will also be assigned a buddy in their class to help them settle in.

Prep Houses

Every pupil in Prep belongs to one of the six Houses. This gives children a sense of community and kinship, facilitating friendships in other year groups. The House system also provides opportunities for healthy competition in a range of disciplines from sport to art and music, giving every pupil a chance to explore their talents and work as a team.

Belonging to a House also provides pupils with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Pupils in Year 6 will take on responsibilities such as House Captain, House Sport Captain and House Music Captain.

The House community also provides pastoral care to its pupils. Every member of staff is assigned to a House, and therefore will get to know the pupils in their House during the weekly House assemblies.

Two boys stand side by side smiling at the camera holding a photo from they made in a buddy activity containing a photo of the two of them together. Buddies are part of the pastoral care provided at The Blue Coat School.

Lichfield House
744 POINTS

Two boys stand side by side smiling at the camera holding a photo from they made in a buddy activity containing a photo of the two of them together. Buddies are part of the pastoral care provided at The Blue Coat School.

School House
718 POINTS

Two boys stand side by side smiling at the camera holding a photo from they made in a buddy activity containing a photo of the two of them together. Buddies are part of the pastoral care provided at The Blue Coat School.

Birmingham House
704 POINTS

Two boys stand side by side smiling at the camera holding a photo from they made in a buddy activity containing a photo of the two of them together. Buddies are part of the pastoral care provided at The Blue Coat School.

Grace House
692 POINTS

Two boys stand side by side smiling at the camera holding a photo from they made in a buddy activity containing a photo of the two of them together. Buddies are part of the pastoral care provided at The Blue Coat School.

CATHEDRAL HOUSE
690 POINTS

Pastoral Tutors

For pupils in Year 3 and Year 4, the Form Tutor and Head of Year are the key contacts for pastoral care. Pupils in Prep will see their Head of Year in their Year Group Hub every day before and after school. This means that both pupils and parents have a consistent person to go to with any updates or concerns relating to the child’s wellbeing.

In Year 5 and Year 6, as pupils begin to prepare for secondary school, in addition to their Form Tutor and Head of Year, they will also have the support of a Pastoral Tutor. They will meet with their Pastoral Tutor weekly in a small group. These pastoral groups also encourage peer support where they can share their highs and lows.

Headmaster, Noel Neeson, smiles at the camera.

Supporting Parents

At The Blue Coat School, we talk about the pupil-parent-teacher triangle. Parental support is integral to a child’s success at school. Therefore, we make every effort to provide parents with the resources and reassurance they need to support their child.

First and foremost, the Headmaster has time reserved in his diary each week for parent drop-in meetings. However, if a parent has a more personal or complex discussion point, dedicated time will be found to meet as soon as possible.

From Nursery onwards, parents are invited to Parent Workshops on themes such as Literacy and Mathematics to provide them with an overview of the curriculum and teaching methodologies to support their child.

Finally, The Blue Coat School is a community and alongside The Friends, we put on many family-friendly events such as the Christmas Fayre, as well as parent-specific events, such as parents versus teachers sports matches.

The BCS Blue

The Blue Coat School has an outstanding academic record and our pupils make rapid progress in all areas of the curriculum. In 2020, we launched our own bespoke e-learning platform called The BCS Blue. It is a secure, web-based interface which parents have full access to view their child’s successes and next steps in all curriculum areas.

The BCS Blue focuses not only on academic achievement, but it also provides data on the values, skills and attitudes that are necessary for pupils to succeed in education and beyond. 

Parents have full visibility of their child’s targets and progression enabling them to support and encourage their child’s to achieve in all aspects of school life.

Discover more about The BCS Blue

Pastoral care at the School is truly outstanding.

 

Year 5 Parent