Pastoral Care
At Whitgift we aim to give all pupils the opportunity to flourish, by supporting them in all of their endeavours and catering to the needs of every individual within the school community, such that they lead happy, fulfilled lives.
The transition to secondary school can present a huge challenge to some, and therefore our approach is to minimise the disruption with an enriching and thorough induction process that allows for the quick formation of friendship groups, support networks and positive character traits.
As a School we hope to foster ambition, self-esteem, responsibility, integrity, and tolerance and respect for others whilst at the same time, ensuring that every pupil can experience as rich a life as possible. The central tenets of this support are the Tutor and the Year group team, who provide emotional support and guidance on a whole range of topics, nurturing each pupil in his quest to find his ‘happy place’ and thrive in his chosen field, be that academically, creatively, sportingly or socially.
Part of preparing our pupils for the modern world and equipping them with the skills and strategies needed to be successful, include our tutoring and assembly programme and Ideatum (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) lessons on a whole range of pertinent and sensitive topics. We ask pupils to react and respond to issues to develop and widen their understanding of the world around them and help them make good decisions in life, that will serve them well in the future.
Tutors
The Tutor is the central figure in a pupil’s life. As well as being a source of inspiration, the Tutor is responsible for the guidance and personal welfare of the pupils in their tutor group, meeting them every morning and afternoon at registration. Tutors keep records of attendance and academic progress for each boy in the group, and they are also aware of individual circumstances and needs. It is important that parents should feel that the Tutor is the first person to contact, and parents should not be shy about communicating regularly and proactively with the School. In each case the Tutor will operate with the support of other specialists, such as the medical team the school counsellors and the wider pastoral team. If the Tutor has concerns about a pupil, he/she will raise them with the family and the Head of Year or the Head of Section as appropriate, to ensure that the best support is provided to the pupil based on individual need.
Heads of Year and Heads of Section
A Head of Year, along with a Deputy and Assistant is attached to each year group. It is the Head of Year’s responsibility to oversee the progress of the whole year and support and guide Tutors with individual pupils and issues. The Heads of Section have overall responsibility for every aspect of the life of their sections, in academic, pastoral and organisational terms. They are involved in the more serious issues of discipline. Heads of Section meet regularly with the Pastoral Deputy in order to ensure continuity of approach across the school.
Sami MichaelDirector of Junior Years and Admissions
The staff at Whitgift are inspirational. A friend told me that, by the end of the first term, they will know your son better then you do. I thought given the number of boys that this was an exaggeration, but it is actually true.
QUOTE FROM CURRENT PARENT 2024
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