If you have any further questions about our Pastoral care, Alastair Bowden, our Deputy Head (Pastoral), would be delighted to answer them.
Who can I go to if I need to speak about my child?
We would suggest that your child’s form teacher is your first point of contact if you would like to speak about your child, although all teachers and other members of staff will provide support and guidance. If parents or children feel they require help, either the Head or one of the two Deputy DSLs in the Prep and the Head of Pre-Prep can support them. Children may also choose to speak to their chosen independent tutor. We believe in communicating and working with parents to avoid and resolve issues that arise through a child’s school journey – helping a child to work through any social problems they may have is very much part of their learning.
How do you ensure my child feels secure in school?
Where possible, children will experience a taster day with their year group so that they can meet their teachers and get to know the children they will be with once they have joined the School. The form teacher appoints a ‘buddy’ to look after individuals joining the School to ensure they are integrated quickly and can find their way around in those first important days and weeks. Our class sizes are small; children have daily sessions with their form teachers and every child is known well by all the teachers and support staff – we pride ourselves on our happy community, advocating inclusivity and kindness.
How do you instil the core values in my child?
The School values are part of our everyday vocabulary: through assemblies, our reward system and in the way we encourage our children to be the best versions of themselves. Here, we ask our community to truly live the values as they are ones which will enable children to be positive and aware citizens who are outward facing.
What is your pastoral care structure?
The backbone of our pastoral care system are the teachers and the wider school staff. Everyone has a responsibility to encourage the wellbeing of our children and our school community. Because we ensure we truly know every child, we can recognise when an issue may be about to arise. The form teachers are supported by two Deputy DSLs in the Prep and a DSL in the Pre-prep, all overseen by the Deputy Head (Pastoral). Rest assured, we believe that your child’s happiness is as important as learning and for children to achieve their potential, they must feel secure in their environment.
How do you ensure every child flourishes?
Sherborne Prep is non-selective, inclusive, and broad – we want children to enjoy school; to be courageous and tenacious in their education and to seize the opportunities on offer. It celebrates every child and provides a breadth of opportunity to allow them to explore what they enjoy as well as seek out new experiences.