An effective Pastoral Care system is essential to provide for our children as they encounter the rapid changes which are taking place in society. Children require all the skills necessary to deal with the rising pressures of media, family, education and peer pressure that they encounter in their daily lives. We believe in the growth and well-being of all children at CIS. There has been recognition that pastoral care and academic progress are linked. Therefore, a commitment to academic performance must be accompanied by a commitment to excellence in physical health, social competence and emotional resilience.  

The aims of the school’s pastoral care system are to support the school’s stated aims and values; in particular, to create a caring family community committed to the development of the full potential of every individual, and in which they can feel secure.   

In the Secondary School, the pastoral system is built around the tutor system.  The Team Leader and the Head of School are responsible for the organisation of this system, supported by the Form Tutors.  The tutor’s role is an all- embracing one of care and support for their tutees in academic and pastoral matters. 

In the Primary School, the Team Leader and the Head of School are responsible for the organisation of the pastoral system. The Primary School class teachers are responsible for the implementation of effective pastoral care in their classrooms. 

The House system (the four houses are Attenborough, Borlaug, Einstein & Musk) includes all students and staff and encourages competition and other activities. 

The Health Centre staff look after the health and well-being of students as well as providing another very useful pastoral support system. 

All students have one designated PSHE lesson and one assembly per week where pastoral themes are covered. 

All members of staff are responsible for maintaining records of any pastoral matters and recording it on the appropriate incident form.  Teachers are responsible for keeping parents informed about all matters relating to their children.  A record must be kept of all contact with parents. 

The School aims and values foster a positive and supportive community which encourages good personal relationships. Staff are encouraged to look for signs of a breakdown in personal relations and to report them as soon as possible.  Students should also be encouraged to report problems to staff.  Such problems should be discussed as openly as possible and students are encouraged to express their feelings.  It must be stressed that the aim of all such discussion is to build bridges for the future, not to find fault for the past.  Students views can be heard individually, and they should be given the chance to speak to a member of staff of their own choice.  In some cases, students find it hard to talk in public.  It can be useful to get students to write down how they feel.  However, sometimes there needs to be a “coming together” to enable reconciliation between students where there has been a breakdown in relations.  At times, problems do need to be aired in public to make real progress. 

Parents or guardians should be informed of the problem(s) and the procedures being followed.  

When it is considered that the problem is not a breakdown in personal relations but a case of bullying, then the School’s Anti-Bullying Policy should be carefully followed.   

Every opportunity will be taken to praise our students for their contribution to the life of the school. Through positive daily experiences, in addition to activities, we aim to communicate the following beliefs and values: 

The best discipline is self-discipline: but this can sometimes fail and should never be used as an excuse for the school not dealing with poor behaviour.  In a school community, there will always be individuals and circumstances in which school discipline will need to be enforced.  (See Behaviour Policy) 

     8. REWARDS 

Positive behaviour, improvement, attitude and academic achievements are rewarded in the form of house points and recorded on Edupage. Star of the week and Star of the month certificates are given to students. Certificates are also given for attendance. 

As a school we will encourage children to think positively about themselves and accept their own individuality. We believe that a child’s self-esteem will be boosted when they feel valued in all aspects of school life. 

See Safeguarding policy 

It is very important that the whole school community should be sensitive to its universality of background, culture and language.  There must be no discrimination on grounds of gender, race or creed. 

Staff supervise students as detailed in the duty rota. An outdoor policy informs staff of the recommended play time for students depending upon the temperature outside. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities when on duty. 

All students are supervised during breakfast, snack and lunch in the school dining room. The Year 1 nannies and TAs supervise students until 6.00 daily. 

We recognise that coming to school for the first day is an important and emotional step for parents and children alike. New students are assigned a buddy in their class who will help them with understanding the school routine and values.  

In the case of Year 1 children, a discussion takes place with the class and the teacher about how the new child won't know the routine and that we should help them to feel settled /if they are unsure about anything.  On top of that, if they have no English, the TA or nanny normally assists them in Russian with understanding the rules and routines for the first few days. 

   14. CONCLUSION