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NAPCE News – May 2024

NAPCE News – May 2024

Making a positive difference to young people through pastoral care

LEAD ARTICLE: “Embedding pastoral care into the curriculum: preserving the prominence of personal development” by NAPCE’s Dominic Riste
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“Embedding pastoral care into the curriculum: preserving the prominence of personal development” by Dominic Riste

“Muad’Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he COULD learn.” Dune – Frank Herbert

The science fiction novel ‘Dune’, by the American author Frank Herbert and recently adapted for film, opens with the rebellious Lady Jessica’s determination to teach her son, Paul Atreides, the skills of perception, observation, inference, control and prophetic sight. It is a multifaceted training plan that becomes a foundation for the qualities of adaptability, resilience and honour.

Underpinning this education is an acknowledgement of the importance of developing the skill of learning as demonstrated in the quote above.

In education, developing the skill of learning is a common goal shared across institutions, an academic and pastoral commitment that is embedded in the mission statements of many schools.

Although semantics may vary, the ambition to develop lifelong learners who are able to contribute to society and achieve future success lies at the heart of the intention of many educational settings.

Alongside the skills that are needed for academic progress, the skills needed for personal development make up an essential part of the vision of many schools.

Unfortunately, the current context for education poses risks to the ability of schools to deliver this dual intention.

The Guardian newspaper recently published an article called ‘Hunger, homelessness and gang grooming: just a normal week at one London academy’ that gave an insight into the ethical dilemmas facing school leaders when increased bills, reduced funding and unfunded pay rises are jeopardising the provision of wrap-around pastoral care.

Far from an isolated account, insights like this reflect research conducted by The Sutton Trust School Funding and Pupil Premium 2023, which highlights a pattern of school leaders having to reduce the academic and pastoral provision offered by their schools.

From trips to extra-curricular activities to the worrying suggestion that secondary schools have felt compelled to cut subject choices and limit the breadth of curriculum, and the equally concerning indication that teaching assistants in primary schools have been let go due to financial difficulties.

Ultimately, assets and opportunities that enrich education are at risk of being reduced by necessity.

Despite the challenge, schools are finding ways to maintain the valuable pastoral care available to their pupils. Embedding the pastoral care further into the fabric of the school, the lessons, the currciulum and culture is vital.

In my current role, as Assistant Headteacher and Safeguarding Lead in a large state secondary school, I have been looking at how the proactive and preventative side of safeguarding can continue to be developed and delivered through this process of embedding it within the curriculum.

Alongside a robust RSHE curriculum and delivery, I initially focused on visibility, staff training and ensuring that all members of the school community were aware of the safeguarding processes.

The next year I worked towards creating a holistic programme of training, messages, advice, reminders and collection of pupil voice that was calendered across the academic year.

By sequencing and disseminating the information, I intended to foster a preventative approach where young people were given the skills to navigate risks while parents and staff were given the awareness of what these risks might be.

In an effort to continue to grow and develop the provision for pupils, and considering the tighter budgets and less readily available funding, I have begun to plan for a way to embed this more deeply into the teaching that already exists.

There are key skills that are essential for young people to safeguard themselves and make positive choices where barriers arise.

The ability to think critically, recognise bias and perspective and evaluative the validity of information are all skills that have the potential to protect the individual using them.

When surveying the challenges facing pastoral care NAPCE National Chair, Phil Jones, noted the “rapidly changing technological world and this will require changes in our approach to education and how pastoral care is implemented”, highlighting the growth of technology as a significant development that must be reflected in the way we educate.

However, the ability to question the authenticity or inherent bias of a source on social media is a skill that has the potential to imbue pupils with the means to proactively safeguard themselves beyond their years at school, in person and online.

Beginning with staff training on what these skills are and how they can be developed, the expertise of class teachers as to how these skills can be embedded within their schemes of learning will be vital.

As an English teacher why not teach young people how to identify harmful, manipulative and deceitful social media advertising at the same time that I am teaching the influence of perspective on a non-fiction article? The plan is to track and deliberately plan for and seize on opportunities to teach these skills across all subjects.

As an English teacher I also can’t resist a cyclical ending, so I return to Dune’s fictional setting of Arrakis, an arid desert planet with limited water, on which the Fremen survive and thrive.

Where the conditions evoke resilience rather than resignation and where a Fremen demonstrate a profound appreciation of the value of water.

In the current educational climate the commitment to pastoral care could wilt, its moisture drained and surfaces scorched, however its presence in education is longstanding and will find methods to continue to enrich the lives of young people through embedding itself further into the educational structures that exist.

“You see, my climate demands a special attitude towards water. You are aware of water at all times. You waste nothing that contains moisture.” Dune  – Frank Herbert

Dominic Riste
Assistant Headteacher/Safeguarding Lead
NAPCE NEC Member
May 2024

AGM: NAPCE Annual General Meeting Agenda & Chair/Secretary Reports – Meeting is Taking Place on May 18th in London 
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NAPCE Annual General Meeting Agenda & Chair/Secretary Reports

Annual General Meeting 2024 
Saturday 18th May 2024
13:00 –14:00 hours (BST)

All 2024 members of the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education are invited to attend the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM). This will take place at 1-00pm on Saturday 18th May at Mixing Networks Unit 2.15, East London Works, 65 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1DU.

Please email events@napce.org.uk to confirm that you will attending the 2024 AGM and you will be emailed the agenda and documents for the meeting. We are hoping to be able to arrange a live stream on the internet for the AGM.   If you are unable to attend in person but would like to be sent the link for the meeting, please email events@napce.org.uk

We are pleased to announce that current members of NAPCE will have free entry to the Annual Conference which takes place in the Graeme Hick Pavilion at the Worcestershire County Cricket Club on Friday 11thOctober 2024. Please email admin@napce.org.uk to request information about the 2024 conference.

Thank you for your continued support for the Association.

Phil Jones, National Chair, the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education

Annual National Conference
‘Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’
October 11th, 2024 
In the Graeme Hick Pavilion
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcester
The 2024 Annual conference is included in the membership fee for 2024 and entry is free to all 2024 NAPCE members. Follow the link to https://2024-napce-annual-conference.eventbrite.co.uk   

NAPCE AGM 2024 – National Chair / Secretary Reports

Chair/Secretary Report 2023/24 
For The National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE) AGM – May 2024

The Association through the National Executive Committee (NEC) continues to maintain strong financial management and governance. The NEC at its meetings and through the work of its members ensures sound strategic planning and internal accountability for the activities of the Association. The NEC ensures, (that as a non – profit making charity which aims to support pastoral care in education), the work of its members, NEC and sub committees including the Editorial Board (EB) has the support needed to achieve its aims including administrative, financial, and appropriate insurance. The National Executive has the responsibility for ensuring that the Association meets the governance expectations of the Charities Commission. The strategic priorities for the NEC this year have been.

  1. Planning events and conferences, where appropriate in partnership with other organisations to ensure that NAPCE is active in the educational world.
  2. To expand the activities of the NAPCE to enable the Association to interact with an increasing number of people with an interest in pastoral care in education.
  3. To develop the role of NAPCE as a provider of training and professional development, to share theory and good practice in pastoral care.
  4. To continue to develop the structure and organisation of the Association to meet the current and future needs of its members.
  5. To raise the profile of NAPCE and the Journal in the educational world

The Association like many organisations has faced many challenges in recent years because of the global pandemic and cost of living crisis. The strategic aims during this period have been.

  1. To be financially secure.
  2. To continue to engage and interact with people with an interest in pastoral care in education.
  3. To sustain interest in the work of NAPCE, to maintain and increase membership.
  4. To support professionals with an interest in pastoral care and explore new ways to support professionals, to ensure that the Association continues to have positive role in a changing educational world.

These strategic aims have been achieved because of the hard work and contributions made by the National Executive (NEC), Editorial Board (EB), NAPCE Admin support, NAPCE members and people who support the work of the Association. In recent years, the Association has adapted to changing situations and been successful in responding to these challenges. The NEC and EB have taken advantage of opportunities to promote NAPCE online and to return to live events and face to face meetings. This ensures that NAPCE is taking advantages of all opportunities to raise awareness about its work and to engage people in supporting the aims of the Association.

The NEC continues to work closely with the EB to support their work in developing the Journal and to maintain its excellent reputation. The Association has a positive relationship with the publishers of the journal, Taylor and Francis. They continue to be an important partner in the future development of NAPCE and by providing a regular income to provide financial stability. Discussions have started with Taylor and Francis, about a new contract for the journal, from December 2025, to enable the Association to make an informed decision and to consider all options. This decision will include consideration of issues, such as, the management of the website, (as this is no longer going to be part of the support provided by the publishers in a new contract agreement with societies for the publication of the journal). This will be a priority for the Association in 2024 to make a decision that continues to secure the future of NAPCE. Professor Noel Purdy continues as the Editor of the Journal and is assisted by Associated Editors, Caron Carter, Amanda Hatton and Mark Shields who was appointed in 2023 to provide the administrative support for the Journal. James Coggins continues to be the Association’s contact Taylor and Francis and his support and guidance is appreciated by the NEC and EB. The Association was proud in October to have a new pastoral book edited by NAPCE published by Cambridge Scholars Publication. It was a great pleasure to see ‘Pastoral Care in Education, New Directions for New Times’ published after months of demanding work editing the manuscript and NAPCE thanks everybody who contributed. The book has had complimentary reviews and will be a valuable resource for anybody interested in pastoral care in education and is available from all ‘good book’ sellers and Amazon.

Following the success of similar events in recent years NAPCE once again organised an online conference in March. The event attracted 461 views on the NAPCE Eventbrite page, and sixty-four links were reserved for the evening. Delegates joined from the UK and a number of places across the world including USA, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, and Moldova. Delegates came from all parts of the UK including Belfast, London, Manchester, Norwich, Lincoln, Bolton, Burnley, Guildford, and Sheffield. The guest speaker was Shaun McInerney, School Leadership and Strategy Lead at the University of Worcester.

In his interesting and stimulating presentation he explored how pastoral care can unlock potential. He talked about the need for a pro-active approach to pastoral care and the importance of listening to children and young people to be clear about their needs and how effective pastoral care can build their confidence to communicate with other people. He examined the concept of social capital and explained how it can open future social mobility opportunities. Sean commented on the need to build relationships that connect the academic and pastoral work of schools and that leaders need to create the conditions and positive relationships to unlock potential in learners. A “Pastoral Question Time” followed the presentation. The members of the panel were.

  • Professor Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship, Stranmillis University College, Belfast
  • Dr Mark Diacopoulos, Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Leadership, Pittsburgh State University, USA
  • Dr Caron Carter, Senior Lecturer in early childhood/childhood, Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University.
  • Victoria Raynor, Director Raynor Safeguarding Ltd,
  • and Shaun McInerney

The questions were put to the panel by Phil Jones National Chair of NAPCE.

These included.

  • Is conformity the goal for pastoral leaders and pastoral systems in 21st century schools?
  • Do all learners need pastoral care and support?
  • Is there time to care in the pastoral work of schools in 2024?

Does new technology and social media always have a negative impact on well-being and mental health?

Comments made by delegates about the event included.

“Thank you all, a really well considered conversation by the panel and the chat.”
“Thanks to all speakers and to Phil for organising this conference, much appreciated.”
“Such a fantastic conference! Thanks everyone!”“Thank you, very interesting.”NAPCE organised a Symposium in Belfast on Wednesday 21st June 2023 with Stranmillis University College to explore the title ‘. Who Cares About Pastoral Care?’ The aim of the Symposium was to share good practice in pastoral care and to address the challenges being faced by schools in Northern Ireland. The inspiration and motivation for planning the event came from Professor Noel Purdy who is the current editor of NAPCE’s academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ and a member of both NAPCE’s National Executive and Editorial Board. National Chair Phil Jones, National Executive member Eilleen Donnelly and Anne Jones from the NAPCE Admin team attended the event and joined a room full of delegates for the sold out event 

The first speaker was Koulla Yiasouma, the former Children’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland, who spoke on the title “Education needs pastoral care to succeed-addressing pastoral care challenges facing schools in Northern Ireland”.
In an honest and passionate presentation, she reminded the audience that every child is a unique person with rights that include the right to be safe and the right to be heard.
She explained how there is a link between pastoral care and academic progress and how pastoral care is an integral part of education and needs to be part of a whole school approach to meeting the needs of children and young people.
She talked about how different language is used to describe pastoral care in schools. She reminded the audience that all children have pastoral care needs and some vulnerable children have more than others. The next speaker was Catherine Davidson, Vice-Principal of Ballysillan Primary School. The title for her presentation was ‘The Importance of a nurturing approach to primary schools.’ Another speaker was Claire Breen, Principal of Tor Bank Special School, in Dundonald. The school was the winner of the NAPCE Award in 2020 for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care’. The title for the presentation was ‘Supporting the school community through their bereavement journey.’ The final speaker was Catherine McHugh, who is Principal of St Patrick’s College in Dungannon. The school was the winner of the 2022 NAPCE Award for Pastoral Team of the Year and Pastoral Development of the Year. The event was a brilliant opportunity to share good practice taking place in pastoral care and to bring people together who despite the many challenges currently being faced by schools, had a determination to improve the learning experience and future life chances of all children.

The Association organised the ‘National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education’ for the fourth year in 2023. This is an important initiative to raise awareness about NAPCE and to engage with more people who share an interest in pastoral care in education. It has become an important part of the education calendar which was demonstrated by the number of nominations increasing for the 2024 Awards. We continue to see a connection between people who make nominations for the awards and then become more actively involved in NAPCE and interested in becoming members. Nominations came from different regions in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. The 2023 Presentation Event took place in Worcester in September 2023 in the Graeme Hick Pavilion at Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Awards were presented to the winners selected by the judging panel, in eight categories to recognise the achievements of people working in different areas of pastoral care in education. The sponsors of the awards included, Taylor and Francis, Association of School and College Leaders and Crown House publishers. This was only the second time that the awards have been presented at a live event and NAPCE was pleased to see the number of people attending double from the previous year with 140 guests in the room as the winners were announced in each category. The guest speaker was Ronald Skelton the Headteacher and CEO of Broadway Academy in Birmingham. He spoke about the challenges faced by the school and their work to support young people to enable them to achieve their full potential. Entertainment was provided by performers from Alderbrook School in Solihull, Sienna Evans Cook, a student at Chipping Campden School and Irish Dancers from the McCarthy- Felton School of Irish Dance. A huge thank you to Susana Cervera, Anne Jones and Iain Johnson for their work to make the awards and the presentation event an enormous success. Thank you to Noel Purdy, Anne Emerson, Julianne Brown, Margaret Mullholland and Jill Robson, for being part of the judging team. The finalists for 2024 will be announced in June and the grand presentation event will take place in Worcester on Friday 11th October. More details will be shared in future editions of the NAPCE monthly newsletter.

The Association was once again actively involved in the planning and delivery of the Association of School and College Leaders, (ASCL) annual conference for Pastoral Leaders in January 2024. The conference which took place in Birmingham was sold out and NAPCE contributed with Phil Jones representing NAPCE by chairing the panel of invited educationalists to answer questions from delegates. Anne Jones from the admin team was available on the NAPCE display desk to talk to delegates and tell them about the work of NAPCE. This was an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of NAPCE, with delegates in leadership roles in primary and secondary schools, attending the conference, from all around the country. NAPCE was once again invited to contribute to the planning of Safer Internet Day and was a registered supporter of the event. This is an annual event involving schools and organisations from across the country. As Chair of NAPCE, Phil was invited to attend the online event in February, that was streamed live from the top of the BT Tower in London. It is good to see NAPCE taking an active role in educational events and activities and that other educational organisations are now approaching NAPCE to ask for our support and contributions to important educational events.
Future events that are being planned by the NEC include another Symposium in Belfast on 24th June. The annual conference on 11th October in Worcester with the title ‘Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’ and the Presentation Event for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education in Worcester on the evening of October 11th.

The NEC have continued to take positive action to enable the Association to interact more effectively with other people who share an interest in education and the contribution that pastoral care can make to the learning experiences of children and young people. The Association continues to form partnerships with organisations with similar interest and values. The sponsorship of the National Awards has provided opportunities to form partnerships, and these have included The Schools Consent Project, Connect to Purpose and Global Equality Collective. The increase in contact with NAPCE administration by email and telephone has continued this year and demonstrates how NAPCE has raised its profile. There have been requests for advice and guidance on a wide range of pastoral issues that members of the NEC have responded to. Contacts have been about advice on good practice in pastoral care and guidance about the roles of pastoral leaders, pastoral staff, and designated safeguarding leads. NAPCE through its Twitter (X) page and other social media platforms encourages the sharing of good practice in pastoral care and discussion and debate about current pastoral issues.
The Association is pleased to continue working with Iain Johnson from Noise PR. Iain is managing our social media and supporting the Association with its publicity and marketing. Iain has made a huge contribution to raising awareness about the work of NAPCE and is making a real impact in helping us to achieve our aim of interacting with more people who share our interest in pastoral care. The impact of his support can be seen in increased followers on social media and people contacting NAPCE. Iain produces the monthly newsletter for the Association, which has seen a growing number of people requesting a copy and an increase in the number of people opening and reading the newsletter each month. The Newsletter has published a wide range of articles on pastoral care, written by guest educationalists from other educational organisations as well as contributions from members of the NEC and EB. The newsletter has become a valuable resource for the latest thinking and sharing of ideas about pastoral care in education and ensures that members and supporters of NAPCE are kept up to date with current information about pastoral care and news about NAPCE events and activities. This increased interaction has seen more interest, in membership of the Association and there has been an increase in the number of members and subscribers to the journal. This demonstrates that the work to increase awareness about the work of NAPCE is having an impact. There have been challenges this year with our contact with external organisations such as Santander our bank and the Charities Commission. There are increasing requirements from external organisations who do not seem to understand in this age of trusts that NAPCE has always referred to executive members as officers and not trustees. For this reason, an amendment to the constitution is proposed for the AGM with the addition of the statement instatement six. For clarity with external organisations the trustees of the Association will be the officers. 

Members of NEC this year have contributed their energy, skills, and expertise to the Association to enable it to continue to expand its activities for its members and raise its profile in the educational world. The NEC welcomes suggestions about how to raise awareness, of the work of NAPCE, and any views or opinions from our members about future developments in policy and practice in pastoral care in education. NAPCE as a charity follows the guidance and advice of the Charities Commission to ensure that it has good governance and that decisions are made in the best interest of achieving the aims of the Association. Thank you to all members of the National Executive Committee, Editorial Board, Anne Jones, Communication Administrator, Susana Cervera, Meetings and Events Administrator, Iain Johnson at Noise PR, Mark Shields, for administrative support for the journal and James Coggins and his colleagues at Taylor and Francis, for your support, contributions, energy, and ideas this year. NAPCE continues to raise its profile in the educational world and to make a positive contribution to the sharing of good practice and developing effective policy and practice, in pastoral care in education.

Phil Jones, National Chair
Jill Robson, National Secretary
NAPCE 
       

AWARDS: Outstanding Practice from the NAPCE Awards 2023 Find Out More

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 – Sharing Good Practice – Episode 6

The NAPCE Awards 2023 was an amazing success, bigger than ever with a record number of entries and a sold-out event.

Every year we share a huge number of great examples of excellent practice in pastoral care and we’re proud to share some of these with you in NAPCE News which may help guide and inspire your own work.

For this sixth episode we’re focussing on the category Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care.

Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care

An individual, group, or organisation who through their actions have raised awareness about pastoral care or pastoral issues and encouraged positive improvements for the benefit of young people.

In 2023 this award was sponsored by The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is the leading professional association and trade union for all school, college, and trust leaders. They support and represent more than 25,000 leaders of primary, secondary, and post-16 education from across the UK. Members of ASCL are responsible for the education of more than four million young people and children. ASCL works to shape national education policy, provides advice and support to members, and delivers first-class professional development. More information can be found on the website at https://www.ascl.org.uk

The winner for 2023, announced at the grand presentation event in Worcester, in September 2023 was Ellie Costello, Team Square Peg

Here are some of the comments that were made about the 2023 winner of this award in the nomination.

Ellie has a passion for improving the life chances of children. Through her work she ensures that the voice of families is heard in discussions about how the needs of children can be met by the educational system. She is an advocate for the ‘square pegs’ who often do not fit the round holes of the current education system in the United Kingdom. She is a determined supporter of inclusion in our schools and highlights the need for an approach in schools, that is focused on meeting the needs of all learners from different backgrounds and who have had different life experiences.  Ellie has a positive approach to her work and is optimistic about finding effective ways to support children who are not fitting in. This encourages an approach to pastoral care in education that is proactive in providing appropriate support that is relevant to the needs of every individual learner. Ellie is a director of ‘Square Peg’ which is a community interest company with the aim of bringing about change to prevent children and families from being failed by an education system with a ‘one size fits all approach’.

Ellie is driven by the experiences of caring for her own children to provide support and information to families to help them to overcome barriers to school attendance. She has been responsible for running the ‘Square Peg’ organisation from April 2022 and has used media opportunities including articles in national newspapers and numerous interviews on radio and television to raise awareness about the difficulties many families face in supporting their children to attend school and to achieve their full potential from their education.   Ellie is the author of the book ‘ Square Pegs. Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in’. A guide for schools’, published this year by Independent Thinking Press, with Fran Morgan. The book illustrates why there is a need to consider mental health and wellbeing and to recognise that all children are individuals with different needs and experiences when developing educational policy and practice. Ellie’s work is an important reminder that the purpose of schools is to meet the needs of children and that schools need to work in partnership with families. With Ellie, we can be confident that children with underlying needs that impact on their ability to access education have a champion who will use her energy and enthusiasm to ensure that they are not forgotten.

Here are some of the comments made in the nominations for the other finalists in this category.

Mr Stephen Page, All Saints Catholic School

The nomination was for Mr Stephen Page’s creation and the positive impact of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Project.  This project reflects one of the key priorities for the school, the visionary notion that no child is left behind.  This means that every student is provided with the opportunity to succeed, with clear and direct support provided to those that may be struggling to achieve their potential and are at risk of being left behind by the rest of their cohort. They may need wrap around pastoral care alongside academic intervention.  This project was based on the principle that a teacher must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional language; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.

From examining the year ten end of year data for the current year eleven it is clear that there are a number of students that are not making the progress that they are capable of and therefore require additional intervention.  For this reason, Stephen identified a group of (circa) twenty students based on projected progress 8 scores as well as other personal and learning needs and strives to enhance the progress they make and increase their overall outcomes. These pupils will be made known to staff and to their parents so that they receive complete support inside and outside of class.    The programme started in September with student’s performance being reviewed and then the intervention for these students will continue where it is deemed necessary.  Where students show sustained improvement in effort and attainment they can be removed from the sessions unless they wish to stay on. The removal of the stabilisers will be gradual, and they will remain monitored personally, behaviourally, and academically.    Parental engagement is a vital element to the success of this programme.  Therefore, parents are informed of the programme and kept up to date.  The head of year also supports this intervention, providing another avenue of support through parental meetings.    A clear measure of success is the upward movement of students’ GCSE scores as they move through each of the key assessment milestones, especially the December and April mock examinations. All pupils report feeling more confident and upskilled since the targeted project began; a project that brings curricular achievement and pastoral care together.

Pastoral Care Department, Glenlola Collegiate School

Glenlola Collegiate School is a high achieving girl’s Grammar School in Northern Ireland.  Their priorities are to enable students to thrive and to strive to create opportunities for their holistic development. In the aftermath of a global pandemic, pastoral support has never been more important and is a foundational part of their whole school practice.  As a result, the approach to pastoral care and mental wellness is proactive rather than reactive. By encouraging and promoting positive and healthy mental wellness, the school provides students with the strategies they need to cope with life’s inevitable challenges.

To embed an ethos of pastoral care throughout the school, the school have created a zone called Cygnet Wellness Centre, comprising of a Wellness Room, Relaxation Room, and a Counselling Office.  They chose the name Cygnet due to our school emblem, the swan. This centre has developed into a popular, calm yet lively place for anyone in need.  Cygnet Wellness Centre is available to pupils every lunchtime and is supervised by the Pastoral Care Team and Pupil Wellness Team. These rooms can also be booked by staff for themselves or their classes to use. They are designed for quiet time but are also used for specific events such as Pilates, mindfulness, and visits from a local therapy dog. It has bean bags and sofas, a projector playing nature scenes, a sensory room with stars projected, diffusers and instrumental music, and opportunities for activities suggested by students such as colouring and painting. In feedback pupils have said how important this space is for them and is a vital part of their school routine.

The Pastoral Care Team comprises of a Vice-Principal, Head of Pastoral Care, Deputy Head of Pastoral Care, two Pastoral Assistants and three Counsellors.  Senior Pupils volunteer as Peer Listeners. They have built friendships with younger students and identify and pass on concerns about anyone they feel needs further support. Our younger students report how transformational these friendships are for them and their mental wellbeing, and our Senior Pupils have found this has benefited their own mental wellbeing and inspired them in their career choices.  Peer Listeners and Peer Supporters are trained in active listening, child protection procedures and pastoral care using resources developed from the Childline Mentoring schemes.     Pupils can drop-in or book an appointment. The school has its own school counsellor, and pupils are made aware of this option, so it is normalised and promoted. Pupils with specific concerns can use drop-ins at lunchtimes to the Pastoral Care Offices where they can talk to a member of the Pastoral Care Department.  All pastoral staff and other key staff have completed Mental Health First Aid courses.  Students have travelled to Uganda to work with the school charity ‘Charlene’s Project’, and a pupil team promote and facilitate fundraisers and events, with six Ugandan pupils sponsored through our house system.

Highfield and Brookham Schools

The key objective for pastoral care centres on the emotional and physical welfare of children. In order to raise awareness of pastoral care the school takes a whole-school strategic and operational approach to foster an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and promotes tolerance, resilience, fairness, and equal opportunities among the children. To raise awareness of the importance of pastoral care and what the school does to support it, this last academic year the school have carved space out of the children’s busy days to allow time dedicated to their pastoral care.

To ensure that the school has a successful support programme that’s fit for purpose and that will leave all children feeling safe, happy, involved in the school community and able to perform to their full potential, the school have implemented a new ‘Weekly Wellbeing’ initiative.     Across the Nursery, Pre-prep, and Prep school there is a full programme of activities for children. Putting on a full programme rather than an occasional activity builds awareness in children that there are different ways to look after their emotional welfare. Groups of children gather by interest and age to indulge in some ‘me time’. There is ‘Journaling and Scrapbooking’ on Tuesdays, ‘Cards and Board Games’ on Thursdays and ‘Lego and Chill’ on Fridays. ‘Be With the Boys’ and ‘Go with the Girls’ are run by Peer Listeners – a group of trained and compassionate Year 8 children who offer our younger children a friendly face or a kindly listening ear in times of trouble or upset. The peer listeners are selected via a robust interview process involving the school’s Head of PSHE and typically deal with issues such as friendships, homework worries or feeling left out.    Other events in the Weekly Wellbeing calendar include ‘Listening Club’ where children can chat or share worries with a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.

Three fully trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants also have discussions with children about understanding their feelings, the importance of working together, expressing empathy, and recognising facial expressions. As the children better recognise their emotions, they too have helped raise awareness and understanding.    The most successful activity in raising awareness is the weekly lunchtime wellbeing walk. All children and staff (support staff as well as teachers) are invited to head outside into our 175-acre grounds to enjoy the simple pleasure of a stroll and a natter. Inviting the whole school community to join ensures that everyone is aware of the importance of these activities but can also help signpost children to activities that might support them. The pinnacle of these weekly walks came in February when Pre-prep and Prep school children came together to mark the culmination of Children’s Mental Health Week. Children of all ages joined the thought-provoking walk; chatting, laughing, and playing along the route as they discovered strategically placed topics for discussion such as ‘what helps you cope when things are difficult?’. The younger children spending quality time in the company of their older peers was a huge benefit and a learning curve for both.

The children have benefited hugely from the heightened awareness of the school pastoral care initiatives, as highlighted in our November 2022 Independent Schools Inspectorate report which deemed the school “excellent” in all areas. The report found that pupils had “a very strong understanding of how to keep safe and healthy” and that they understood that “keeping them safe is the number one priority” for the school. The children told the inspectors they also understood how to be mentally healthy through a strong PSHE curriculum.   Highfield and Brookham Schools are now investing in and fast-tracking the development of their very own wellbeing centre which will ensure that the commitment to the care of children, and staff, will be at the core of everything they do.

CONFERENCE: Tickets for NAPCE Conference 2024 are On Sale Now

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NAPCE Annual National Conference 2024 – Tickets On Sale Now

Annual National Conference

‘Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’
October 11th, 2024
In the Graeme Hick Pavilion
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcester

At a time when education is facing challenges to meet the needs of children and young people, effective pastoral care and support in schools, colleges and educational settings is essential, to enable all young leaders to achieve their full potential from their learning experience. The Conference will explore how professionals and everybody with an interest in education can respond to the learning, personal development, welfare, and wellbeing needs of children and young people.

Expert speakers and experienced practitioners will share ideas and good practice to enable delegates to improve the learning experience of children and young people in their care and prepare them for their future roles in society.

The Conference provides an excellent professional development opportunity for all professionals working in pastoral roles and for anybody who wants to make a difference in the learning experience of children and young people. Delegates will take away from the conference.

  • A clear understanding of the current issues and challenges being faced by the pastoral work of schools and colleges.
  • Current thinking and ideas about how effective pastoral care and support for learners can be delivered.
  • An awareness of good practice that has had an impact and made a difference in the learning experience of children and young people in different settings.

Keynote speakers include.

  • Victoria Raynor, Director, Raynor Safeguarding -‘Opening Windows to Opportunities. The Purpose of Pastoral Care in Education’.
  • Dr Caron Carter, Senior Lecturer in Childhood Education at Sheffield Hallam University – ‘Children’s Friendships Matter’.
  • Liz Slater, Liz Bates, Independent Advisor, Trainer, and Magistrate – ‘The Role of the Trusted Adult’.

Good practice presentations from previous winners and finalists in the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education organised by NAPCE include.

  • Raymond Herron, Senior teacher, St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School, Belfast – ‘Restorative justice approach to behaviour management’
  • Oribi Davies, Director of Inclusion Hub, Friern Barnet School, London -‘Alternative provision to enable young people to remain in mainstream provision’.
  • Ellie Costello, Director Team Square Peg, – ‘Working with families to promote good attendance and to support young people in their education’.
  • There will also be a presentation from Jill Robson, NAPCE National Secretary – ‘Interactive Pastoral Care’

In addition, it is planned that the programme for the Conference will include live video interviews with.

  • Charlie Walker, NAPCE National Executive Student Member – talking about his visits to schools in Asia and Africa and experiences of pastoral care.
  • Nic Ponsford, Founder and CEO of Global Equality Collective – talking about their work to help schools build positive inclusive cultures.

The Conference will be Chaired by NAPCE National Chair, Phil Jones.

Please note there may be changes in the planned programme due to circumstances beyond the control of NAPCE.

  • Free parking at the venue
  • Premier Inn next to the venue
  • Walking distance to Worcester Foregate Street railway station.
  • Refreshments and lunch provided for delegates
  • Excellent venue with views of the River Severn and Worcester Cathedral

Follow the link for more information and tickets.
https://2024-napce-annual-conference.eventbrite.co.uk
CONFERENCE OFFER
Join NAPCE as an individual member for 2024 for £44.00 (£21.00 retired, NQT, students rate ) and have free entry to the National Annual Conference along with back copies of the academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ and future hard copies delivered to your address.

Or

Join NAPCE as a group member for 2024 for £66.00 as a school college or university (£43.00 primary and special school rate) and have free entry to the National Annual Conference for 2 people along with 2 back copies of the academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ and two copies of future hard copies delivered to your address. The named person for a group has all the benefits of individual membership.

Go to www.napce.org.uk and click the link for membership and the online application form.

Once membership is confirmed go to https://2024-napce-annual-conference.eventbrite.co.uk to reserve tickets at the free member’s rate. 

EVENT: NAPCE Symposium Coming Back to Belfast in June – Tickets On Sale Now

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NAPCE Symposium Coming Back to Belfast – Tickets On Sale Now

NAPCE is very proud to be hosting a Symposium in Belfast this June, following the success of our inaugural sell-out event last year.

We are very pleased to announce that we will be returning to Stranmillis University College on Monday, June 24th, for the event, which is ideal for people working in pastoral care in education.

Tickets are FREE to NAPCE members and £15 to non-members and are available to book here

Here are the event details.

Title: Promoting and Supporting Effective Pastoral Leadership in Schools

Date/time: 10am – 12.30pm, Monday 24th June

Venue: Craigantlet Room, Refectory Building, Stranmillis University College, Belfast BT9 5DY

Cost: £15 non-members, NAPCE members (free)

Join us for this timely and insightful half-day conference on Promoting and Supporting Effective Pastoral Leadership in Schools organised by the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE) in association with Stranmillis University College, Belfast.

All schools are committed to the pastoral care, emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people, but too often pastoral leaders report feeling overwhelmed but under-resourced and under-supported in their increasingly busy and challenging professional roles.

This half-day conference aims to address this need, by providing insight from key policy-makers and researchers, as well as national award-winning practitioners from across Northern Ireland.

Delegates will hear more about the latest DE policy developments, gain insight into what the ETI are seeking through inspection, and gain practical ideas and strategies from those at the cutting edge of pastoral practice across a range of settings, with a particular focus on supporting children and young people impacted by adverse childhood experiences.

Numbers are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. The conference is priced at £15 for delegates (free for NAPCE members – see NAPCE website for details of how to join)

Outline Programme:

9.30-10.00 Arrival, tea/coffee
10.00 Welcome: Professor Noel Purdy (Stranmillis University College/NAPCE) Phil Jones (NAPCE Chair)
10.10 Keynote speakers: Linsey Farrell, Deputy Permanent Secretary at DE and Nicola Byrne, Assistant Chief Inspector at ETI
10.45 2023 NAPCE Award Winners:

Áine Deane, Sacred Heart Primary School, Derry on “Bridging the Gap- promoting inclusive wellbeing to enrich the lives of pupils and their families.” – winner of Pastoral Leader of the Year 2023

Raymond Herron, St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School on “Developing Restorative Practice across the School” – winner of Pastoral Development of the Year 2023

11.30 BREAK
11.45 Panel Discussion on Supporting Children Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences – to be chaired by Phil Jones featuring guest panellists:
–            Dr John McMullen, Queen’s University, Belfast (Educational Psychologist, Researcher and Educator)
–            Jonny Hampton, Organisation Lead, Reach Mentoring
–            Niall Manogue, Principal, West Winds Primary School, Newtownards
–            Hannah Campbell, Nurture Leader and Programme Coordinator, St Patrick’s College, Dungannon
–            Sheila Lavery, Trauma Educator and Therapist
12.30 CLOSE of Conference

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