GOOD PRACTICE: Outstanding Pastoral Care Practice from NAPCE Awards “Pastoral Leader of the Year” Finalists

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education organised by NAPCE were a opportunity to recognise the brilliant work that has been done in pastoral care.

It is a great opportunity to shine a light on the amazing efforts to support learners and the good practice that is taking place in schools across the UK and internationally.

NAPCE is proud to be able to highlight the excellent work that is being done in pastoral care in education through the 2021 awards.

This month it is the turn of the pastoral heroes who despite the challenges of the pandemic, through their work made a great contribution to the education and lives of children and young people in their care.

The Pastoral Leader of the Year award is sponsored by the publishers of NAPCE’s academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’, Taylor and Francis.

This award goes to the person who has a passion for pastoral care that is shared with colleagues to inspire and motivate them to make a real difference in the lives of the young people they work with.

The winner in 2021 was Luke Ramsden, Senior Deputy Head, at  St Benedict’s School, Ealing, London.  

Luke has been responsible for developing outstanding safeguarding and pastoral practice at St Benedict’s School and has introduced a range of initiatives that have promoted the safety and wellbeing of pupils.

This has included successful campaigns to tackle bullying, peer-on-peer abuse and mental health issues where Luke has made use of accurate data to identify, predict and effectively target problems.

Luke is also the Chair of a Safeguarding Advisory Panel that provides expert advice and is regularly invited to speak at safeguarding events and conferences.

His contribution to the development of effective safeguarding and pastoral practice has been truly outstanding.

The finalists for this award in 2021 were.
Miss Laura Fisher, Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland.

Laura travelled to San Francisco to explore LGBTQ+ inclusion and has since given training to the pastoral team, pastoral leaders across the ALC and the school’s Board of Governors, with plans now in place to support these vulnerable learners in school.

During lockdown, she organised mental health presentations and has been in the school building every day to support parents and pupils.

She has completed Place2Be Mental Health training, neglect and suicide awareness training and led an ACES TeachMeet. She is member of Action Mental Health focus group, is the ALC representative for the Pastoral Steering group and is currently leading whole school Take5 status.

Helen Burton (Deputy Headteacher) Belmont Community School, Belmont Durham.

Helen was nominated for an unwavering commitment to the welfare of all children, particularly the disadvantaged.

She is passionate about improving the life chances of children through education and pastoral care.

She uses her moral purpose and relentless drive to secure the best for children and in doing so inspires others to go the extra mile.

This is best exemplified through the many acts of kindness she is responsible for, including mentoring and tutoring the most challenging children; personally organising and delivering food, reading books and work to vulnerable families during lockdown.

She is a leader who genuinely walks the talk, never asking anyone to do something she hasn’t already done herself.

Micki Handford, The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester.

Micki leads a team who support children missing school due to mental health problems.

She introduced the Thrive programme to better identify wellbeing priorities for each child and then develop a bespoke package.

During lockdown she made weekly wellbeing calls, home visits and met a particularly anxious child at the Sure Start centre to help complete GCSE assessments.

She arranged Zoom meetings for parents on topics such as finance, housing, CAMHS and supporting study, recording sessions for those unable to attend on a You Tube channel.

She liaises with family support, health, social services and is a safeguarding lead.

Alison Simpson, Cobden Primary School, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Alison has formed, organised and lead a new team of professionals to provide outstanding nurture and therapy sessions and wellbeing initiatives, in a highly deprived primary school with an extremely vulnerable group of pupils.

Alison has tirelessly driven for improvements in the lives of children at school and at home and has developed feedback and pupil voice systems to ensure that children can be heard and that their needs are being met.

Over 25% of her cohort have now received quality provision around wellbeing and pastoral needs in 2020 – 2021 where in the previous year there was none.

The nominations for the 2022 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education are now open.

To make a nomination in any of the categories please follow the link

https://napceawards.wufoo.com/forms/napce-awards-2022-entry-form/

SAFER INTERNET DAY 2022: NAPCE Will Officially Support the Event in February Next Year

Safer Internet Day 2022

NAPCE is pleased to once again to be working with UK Safer Internet Centre and the charities, Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and South West Grid for Learning to plan and support Safer Internet Day 2022.

Phil Jones NAPCE National Chair was invited to attend the national planning meeting on Monday 6^th December to help plan the 2022 event.

The 2022 event takes place on 8^th February, and it will include a live broadcast to promote safe use of the internet from the top of the BT Tower in London.

The aim for 2022 is to inspire a national conversation about using technology, responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively to reach more young people than ever before. It will encourage young people to speak up and adults to engage and listen. The activities planned for Safer Internet Day 2022 will equip young people with the skills they need to interact safely and respectfully, while enjoying their online communities.

Educational materials have been developed and are available for free at the website https://saferinternet.org.uk/ in the age ranges 3-7, 7-11. 11-14 and 14-18.

They include ideas for assemblies, videos, quizzes, and lesson plans.

Resources are available for adults to share with children and young people at home and at school.

For more information about Safer internet Day 2022 follow the link-
Safer Internet Day 2022 – UK Safer Internet Centre

FROM THE CHAIR: A Festive Message from NAPCE Chair Phil Jones

As we approach the end of the term many colleagues working in pastoral roles in schools have shared with me that this has been one of the most demanding and exhausting terms in their careers.

Despite the arrival of a ‘new normal’ we are still in schools living in a very uncertain world where it is difficult to plan ahead and know what challenges we are likely to face in the future.

Schools have been at the frontline of the nation’s response to the pandemic dealing with daily demands to support children and young people and provide some stability for their local communities.

The impact of the experience of the pandemic is still not clear with the priority being to cope daily and provide learners with the best possible educational experience.

One headteacher said to me last week that we have realised that our students do not even remember how to walk around the building.

Schools are realising that well established routines and expectations have been eroded by the experience of the pandemic and schools are having to invest time in reinforcing their culture and ethos that enables a school to function effectively.

Much of this daily work is being done by staff in pastoral roles in schools.

When children and young people look for answers about what is happening in their world they look to the people in pastoral roles in schools and this is difficult when the uncertainty means that the adults do not have the answers.

We may not be clear about what problems and challenges will emerge from the experience of the pandemic, but we can be sure that staff in pastoral roles in schools will have an important role to play.

NAPCE is determined to continue to highlight the good practice and excellent work that is being done in pastoral care in education.

January is the month for renewing memberships of NAPCE and if you are not already a member, we hope that you will make it one of your new year resolutions to become a member of NAPCE and support our work in the best interest of all children and young people to support them in achieving their full potential from their education.

Membership of NAPCE comes with a subscription to our academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’, and this ensures that you are up to date with current research and ideas about pastoral care in education.

Once again in 2022 NAPCE will be celebrating the excellent work and good practice in pastoral care in education by organising the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education.

Please take a few minutes to make a nomination to ensure that your excellent work or the excellent work of your colleagues is recognised.

The new year will be the 40^th anniversary year for NAPCE and special events and activities are planned to celebrate the occasion.

These include a Conference and Anniversary Dinner at Worcestershire County Cricket Ground in October.

Make sure you are following NAPCE on Twitter and other social media platforms for the latest news about events and plans for other activities.

I hope you have been following the NAPCE advent calendar on Twitter with our ideas about the reasons why pastoral care in education is important.

Please interact with us on Twitter and let us know if you agree with our thoughts or whether you have got ideas that you would like to share about how effective pastoral care in education can make a real difference.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everybody who has supported and contributed to the work of NAPCE in 2021.

A big thank you to everybody who attended and contributed to the online conference, wrote articles for the newsletter or journal, made nominations for the Awards and shared ideas about pastoral care.

Together you are all making a positive impact on the learning and lives of children and young people.

A special thank you to the members of the NAPCE National Executive and Editorial Board for your inspired ideas and determination to make a difference.

A very happy Christmas to everybody and my best wishes for a safe and fulfilling new year.

Phil Jones
National Chair
NAPCE

MEMBERSHIP: Renewals for NAPCE 2022 Membership Are Being Sent Out

2022 Membership Renewals – NAPCE

Invitations are being sent out to NAPCE members to renew your membership for 2022.

Next year it will be 40 years since the National Association for Pastoral Care was formed and the academic journal Pastoral Care in Education was published.

Special events including a weekend conference and Anniversary Dinner are planned to celebrate the 40 years that NAPCE has been supporting education.

Members will have priority for bookings so to make sure that you are fully involved in the Association’s special year renew your membership early and get the full benefits of being a member of NAPCE.

If you have shown your interest in the work of NAPCE by registering for the newsletter or following NAPCE on social media, then now is the time to become a member in time for the anniversary year.

The National Executive have made the decision to NOT INCREASE THE PRICE OF MEMBERSHIP for 2022 and full membership includes a subscription for four copies of the academic journal to be delivered to your home address.

Taylor and Francis publishers manage the membership subscriptions on behalf of NAPCE and their contact details are T&F Customer Services, Sheepen Place, Colchester, CO3 3LP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5543 . Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 5198 . Email: societies@tandf.co.uk. Contact Taylor and Francis to find out about the different ways that you can pay your subscription.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP –  Individual and Group memberships include a subscription to Pastoral Care in Education: An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PCE) Published by Routledge

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP including one copy of PCE Individual Subscription Rate £44 US$88 €57 NQT/Retired/Student Individual Rate £21 US$40 €33

GROUP MEMBERSHIP including two copies of PCE Group Subscription rate £66 US$132 €86 Primary/Special School Rate £43

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP society membership only – does not include PCE subscription. Associate Subscription rate £10 US$16 €30

Follow this link to apply for membership RPED_NAPCEmembership-New.pdf (netdna-ssl.com) or go to Apply Online – NAPCE to apply for membership online.

ARTICLE: Safeguarding Supervision in Schools – The Need and the Purpose by Carle Elder

Safeguarding Supervision in Schools – The Need to and the Purpose

Supervision – The Need

Education is a universal service. Therefore, it is inevitably serving some children and families with complex needs.

The idea that any child is exposed to abuse or trauma is abhorrent. Rightly, safeguarding is elevated and prioritised in order to protect children by seeking to reduce the incidence of these episodes and to provide emotional support to children and families in the unfortunate circumstances where they have occurred. Sadly, traumatic events are a part of life so there will always be a need for mechanisms to support people in the midst of them.

There is tremendous pressure on schools in the UK to have, as part of their safeguarding functions, a well-developed provision that compensates for some of the reductions in public resources that we have seen over the past few years.During my time as a school and trust leader I noticed that as schools became ever more knowledgeable and sophisticated in their safeguarding practices, the expectations around their depth of involvement in safeguarding matters was matched only by the increase in the sheer volume of cases they uncovered and were working on.

It was my privilege to be the Principal of an academy and then Director of Education for the same trust that largely operated in city settings in the east midlands. Unfortunately, these communities had a greater than national average incidence of deprivation and, although I have no data to confirm the connection, a similarly high level of incidence of safeguarding concerns.

These experiences of made two things clear to me:

• There seems to be a growth in the pressure, demands on schools and their safeguarding staff alongside an increase in the volume and complexity of the safeguarding issues they are facing
• The emotional toll of working closely on complex safeguarding cases is often enormous and it is essential to have a robust and effective support system for those staff involved.This leads me on to two important questions:

• How can we keep improving our safeguarding practices?
• Who supports those supporting the most vulnerable children?My own experience combined with further reading, wider research and engaging with professional learning (such as the NSPCC Supervision Skills training) has led me to the realisation that supervision for our safeguarding staff and leaders is the answer to both of these questions.

Supervision – The Purpose

Tony Morrison, regarded as an leading expert in this field for over 30 years, proposed a model for supervision that can be applied just as successfully in schools as in the social care settings it was initially based in. Often described as the 4x4x4 Model of Supervision, it connects the four functions of supervision with the four beneficiaries via the four elements of an adult learning cycle (Kolb, 1988).

Two of the four functions stated in this model of supervision are ‘development’ and ‘support’. Clearly, these directly address and resolve the questions posed earlier:

• The Development Function: Supervision, when done well within a model and framework, ensures the continuing professional development of those involved in safeguarding. It enables these staff to improve the knowledge, skills and competence to safeguard children.
• The Support Function: Supervision enables those staff directly involved in complex safeguarding cases to safely process their emotional response to this work. There are obvious benefits to them of being able to offload but the consequences of this help the other key stakeholders too. These staff are less likely to be burnt out; are more able to be effective and can therefore better serve the children, families and school. Also, it is reassuring to know that having invested in the knowledge and skills of these staff, the support function will impact on their ongoing motivation and capacity to do the role and have positive impacts on staff retention.Additional Functions of Supervision:

• The Mediation Function: Develops in the safeguarding staff a deeper understanding of how their role and work contributes to the overall aims of the school and organisation.
• The Managerial Function: Clarifies and reinforces the expectations of the safeguarding staff. It is essential that those working in safeguarding know what is expected of them, how they are expected to perform these tasks (procedurally and attitudinally) and also when they need to do them by.These functions have connections to the policies and practices in schools and trusts. Supervision creates the space for professional dialogue and discussion to ensure these are better than fit-for-purpose and optimised. Additionally, supervision complements some of the aims of existing performance management processes in clarifying expectations and reflecting on how well actions align with the framework of policy.

In conclusion, supervision of our safeguarding staff enables that key element of our work to be done more successfully for all concerned.

There is clarity on how this aspect of our work fits within the wider school and community context (mediation function); everyone involved knows exactly what is expected of them and how they are expected to do it (managerial function); the staff performing this work are developed and the benefit of this learning and experience is shared across the staff peer group and network (the development function) and everybody involved contributes to and is supported by a culture that promotes their wellbeing and emotional health (the support function).

It bears further repetition, Safeguarding Supervision helps us safeguard our children better.

Further reading:

Department for Education (2015, updated December 2020) Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Available at Working together to safeguard children – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (accessed October 2021)

Department for Education (2015, updated September 2021) Keeping Children Safe in Education: Statutory Guidance for schools and colleges. Available at Keeping children safe in education – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (accessed October 2021)

Kolb DA (1988) Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. London: Pearson Education

Morrison T (2005) Staff Supervision in Social Care (3rdEdition). Brighton: Pavilion Publishing & Media

Sturt P & Rowe J (2018) Using Supervision in Schools: A guide to building safe cultures and providing emotional support in a range of school settings. Brighton: Pavilion Publishing & Media

About the Author (Carle Elder):

Carl has been involved in teaching and school leadership, often serving challenging communities, for over 15 years with the notable achievement of leading a previously failing school in Nottingham to sustained and significant improvement. Carl has witnessed first-hand the incredible impact that improving schools by improving leadership undoubtedly has; a profound impact on the children and also the community as a whole.

Carl has a sound knowledge of the education sector, a track record of successful leadership, and a genuine interest in self-development regarding leadership theory and practice. Carl is now a full time Educational Consultant and Coach who has also completed the NSPCC Supervision Skills in Child Protection programme and offers supervision to school staff through Leadership Edge – Coaching in Schools.

AWARDS: Entry for the NAPCE Awards 2022 is Now Open

We are delighted to launch the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2022 organised by NAPCE.

The third annual NAPCE awards will be in the 40^th anniversary year for the Association and we are inviting everybody with a pastoral role or an interest in how pastoral care in education can support children and young people to achieve their full potential.

We are looking for the people, teams and organisations that make a real difference in the learning experience of children and young people and want to recognise their achievements and celebrate their good practice.

The categories for the awards this year are:-

Pastoral School of the Year
A school that can demonstrate a commitment to pastoral care and support for learners that makes a real difference in the progress and personal development of young people in the school.

Pastoral Team of the Year
A team that works in pastoral care and can demonstrate a determination to support young people to achieve their full potential and a positive impact on the young people they work with.

Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year
A member of staff who works in pastoral care and who always makes the extra effort to support young people to enable them to become effective learners and achieve success.

Pastoral Leader of the Year
Has a passion for pastoral care that is shared with colleagues to inspire and motivate them to make a real difference in the lives of the young people they work with.

Pastoral Development of the Year
A pastoral initiative or idea that has achieved positive outcomes and has improved the learning experience and future life chances, for young people.

Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care
A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference in pastoral care, for the benefit of young people.

International Contribution to Pastoral Care
An international school, organisation outside of the UK or an individual working in research or in an international school outside of the UK, that has promoted or delivered high quality 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.

The maximum number of words to support a nomination is being increased from 100 words to 300 words this year so there will be every opportunity to describe the good practice and the impact it is making.

Nominations can be made for excellent contributions to research, for raising awareness and for good practice in pastoral care in education from the 2021 -2022 academic year. The sponsors and panel of judges will be announced shortly.

The closing date for nominations is 30^th May 2022 and the judges will then have the difficult task of deciding who the finalists and winners will be in each category.

A grand live presentation event is planned for the anniversary year in the autumn to announce the winners.

All finalists will receive a certificate form NAPCE to recognise their achievements and winners will receive a plaque and a £100.00 cash prize.

Make sure your good practice is recognised by making a nomination today.
 
To make a nomination for the 2022 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education organised by NAPCE go to https://napceawards.wufoo.com/forms/napce-awards-2022-entry-form/