Pastoral Care

At Whitgift we give students 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 may lead happy, fulfilled lives. 

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 student 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 student in his quest to find his ‘happy place’ and thrive in his chosen field, be that academically, creatively, sportingly and /or socially.  The extensive broader pastoral support team consisting of the Medical team, Learning Support, Counselling, Mental Health First Aiders, and the Safeguarding team work closely with tutors and the year group team, to ensure a joined-up approach to supporting students.  

Part of preparing students for the modern world and equipping them with the skills and strategies needed to be successful, include our tutoring and assembly programme and Ideatum (PSHEE) lessons, which focus on a wide range of topical issues.  We ask for you to get involved, to react and respond to these discussions to develop and widen your understanding of the world around you. 

Tutors

The Tutor is the central figure in our pastoral care structure.  A Tutor is responsible for the guidance and personal welfare of the students in their tutor group, meeting them every morning and afternoon at registration. The Tutor is the main point of contact for students and parents, and the relationship between Tutor and Tutee is a very strong one: it is important to develop an excellent working relationship with your or your son’s Tutor. Tutors fulfil an essential role in the School, with responsibility for overseeing wellbeing, personal growth and scholarly development. 

Heads of Year and Directors 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 students and issues. The Director of Section has overall responsibility for every aspect of the life of their section, in academic, pastoral and organisational terms. Directors of Section meet regularly with the Pastoral Deputy in order to ensure continuity of approach across the School.