Pastoral Care

Pastoral Support at Testwood School

Pastoral Care is the provision our school makes to support and promote the physical and emotional welfare of our students. A successful pastoral care programme means that our students feel safe, happy, involved and able to perform to their potential. We create the atmosphere which supports students and enables their success, their development of character and well-being.

At Testwood, our students are at the heart of our community. All students need to know that they are respected and valued individuals, with unique needs, strengths and potential. We want our students to feel cared for and supported so that they can “be ready, be respectful and be safe”. We must model this in everything we do and say. We promote good behaviour and take appropriate measures against any form of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Each Year Group has a Year Leader who is responsible for creating and maintaining a positive and nurturing ethos within the Year group, monitoring the well-being of each student and supporting the work of the Tutors within the team.

The Tutor is so important in our pastoral care system. Each Tutor is responsible for a Tutor Group, which stays together for registration and follows a comprehensive tutor time programme.

The pastoral structure is further underpinned and supported by our Pastoral Support Workers, our Inclusion Manager, our ELSA and our Safeguarding Team They work alongside the Year Leaders to support and educate our students with emotional and behavioural issues that can affect their learning within the school environment, and also offer support to parents/carers, and are able to signpost them to other agencies if needed, who can advise and support students and families outside school.

Pastoral care doesn’t just happen. It will take up an incredible amount of time and energy, but makes an incredible difference. We take it very seriously.

Every Child. Every Step. Every Day.

Tutors are there for all students’ day to day care and well-being, with additional support given to all students by the Year Leaders listed below:

Year 11 – Mrs Holmes   mholmes@testwoodschool.co.uk

Year 10 – Mr C Jenkins   cjenkins@testwoodschool.co.uk

Year 9 – Mr N Ainsworth   nainsworth@testwoodschool.co.uk

Year 8 – Ms S Niblock   sniblock@testwoodschool.co.uk

Year 7 – Mr C Manning   cmanning@testwoodschool.co.uk

Also within Pastoral Support, we have Pastoral Support Workers, who students can go to if they have a problem. They can listen to students concerns and help them reach a resolution, or signpost them to outside agencies who can offer youth services and/or counselling. Examples are Youth and Families Matter and It’s Your Choice. Our Pastoral Support workers are also Designated Safeguarding Officers, and work closely with families who receive support from Children’s Services.

In the Autumn Term of 2019 we held an Anxiety Support Evening, as we recognised that this is a growing concern for a number of our families. The evening was well-attended and included information around how to cope with anxiety and panic attacks, and the range of support available, such as support organisations and phone apps. Please see the link below to the presentation used that evening:

In Pastoral Support we speak to a number of students who struggle with their mental health, and we are keen to signpost them to organisations who can help in a crisis, especially when they are not in school to access our services here. Below are two documents which give information on some of the sources of support available to young people to support good mental health

During these difficult and uncertain times, we recognise that students may be struggling with anxiety or feeling low, it is important that they are still able to access support. We have therefore put together a list of online  sources of support for those who are struggling with their mental health.

We hope you find them useful.

Smiling Mind is an app designed to support meditation and mindfulness. It provides lots of information and guidance and the app provides guided relaxation/mindfulness sessions.They also have a YouTube channel with lots of informative videos as well as a guided meditation session: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSP__8_QEFYdi0gY2F3CXfA 

Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. This NHS website offers advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families is a national children’s mental health charity which offers advice for supporting mental health and wellbeing.

Offers support for the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Information about supporting young people with anxiety

Calm is a worldwide app for guided relaxation and mindfulness. They have created free access to support guided relaxation in response to the coronavirus situation.

Mental Health 27.6.21 (2)