Pastoral Care: Pupil Support

At the heart of any childs success is self-esteem. If a child is confident in himself/herself then there is every likelihood that he/she will make the most of their potential. Beachborough aims to bring out the best in every child by encouraging success in academic studies, music art and sport. We have a Pastoral care system second to none and we believe that this strong system of support for every pupil at the school is crucial to their happiness and their development.

Pre Prep

Throughout the Pre-Prep the pupils are in small classes looked after by a caring and dedicated class teacher who very quickly develops an understanding of each pupil and a professional but friendly relationship with parents.

Forms

In Forms I and II (years 3 and 4), the pupils are looked after by their form teacher, in classes of a maximum of 18 pupils, who sees them for a considerable part of each day. Not only do these members of staff teach academic subjects to their own pupils they may also teach them Art, ICT, Physical Education or Games as the staff have specialist abilities in these areas. The time spent with the pupils helps to foster the important relationship that will lead to trust and respect.

In Forms III to VI (years 5 to 8), the pupils enter and follow through a Tutor based system where they will spend two years with the same member of staff and usually in groups of approximately eight. This member of staff will almost always teach their Tutees at some stage during a week and will probably see them for Games or other extra curricular activities. The Tutor will meet with the whole group together every week but will also meet several times each term with individual Tutees to review reports, current progress or concerns. In Forms V and VI the emphasis continues to be on the support of the individual pupil but there is a less rigorous regime as 12 and 13 year olds like to start to take more control of their lives and Beachborough believes that they should learn through experiences, even within our gentle environment. The tutor is always available to help at appropriate times.

Form Teacher

The Form Teacher (Form I and II) or the Tutor (Forms III to VI) is the first point of contact for parents. Members of staff are easily accessible at Beachborough and are usually able to meet with parents at very short notice, often immediately unless they are in class. However, should a parent wish to or need to, they may go straight to any member of the Senior Management team who are also on call for a great many hours everyday. Remember that we are a boarding and day school and there is always someone around to help!

Once a pupil at Beachborough understands the structure of our pastoral system, there should never be a time when that pupil is left wondering where and to whom to turn.