The Pastoral Care System within Notre Dame Senior School is the building block upon which the learning and growth of the individual takes place.
Our pastoral care system functions throughout the school, based on the key principles of support and ‘accompaniment’ as in our Mission Statement. The Form staff are managed and led by a team of Year Heads and the Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral). Weekly pastoral year team meetings focus on the needs of students and are an effective way of keeping each team updated and informed so that we can best support our girls.
The school radiates a caring attitude. Relationships are excellent between pupils, staff and pupils, and staff and parents. Older pupils happily mix with younger ones, a characteristic fostered by the school’s ‘Big Sister’ scheme for Year 7 pupils, many of whom feel proud to have a 6th former as a mentor and friend. Peer Mentors, drawn from our Year 10 and Year 12 pupils, work with the ‘Big Sisters’. These Mentors are trained with an introduction to counselling skills. Peer Mentors are themselves supported by the pastoral staff, who assist them to perform their roles with confidence.
Each girl in Years 10 and 11 has an Academic Mentor from amongst the staff. Regular one to one meetings are held to monitor each girl’s progress and to fully support each pupil to maximise their learning.
The School Mission Statement states that fulfilment comes through the recognition and nurturing of the individual by:
- Emphasising personal, moral and spiritual development, based on Gospel values
- Striving for personal academic excellence
- Providing wide-ranging opportunities
- Fostering a strong relationship between family and school
The excellent strength of pastoral care at Notre Dame has been recognised in the last Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspections:
Excellent pastoral care in the quiet and positive atmosphere of the school supports pupils very well, fully in the spirit of the school’s mission statement to educate young people, accompanying them in their efforts to build their lives in the present and for the future. Staff are wholeheartedly committed to the well-being of the pupils...
