Our pastoral care system functions throughout the school, based on the key principles of support and ‘accompaniment’ as in our Mission Statement. The Class teachers are managed and led by the Pastoral Director and the Assistant Head. Weekly staff meetings are an opportunity to focus on the needs of students and are an effective way of keeping everyone 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 prefect scheme for Year 6 pupils, who are proud to act as ‘Big Sisters’ to the younger pupils.
All new pupils are allocated a ‘friend’ from within their own class to accompany them through their first days in school (and this allocation will continue as long as the pupil will benefit from it).
Pupils know clearly through PSHEE lessons and Circle Times the expected code of behaviour and how to seek help if they are unhappy.
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:
Underpinning the strong personal development is the excellent pastoral care provided by all staff. The school puts into practice its values. In their comments and responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, pupils showed that they are happy at school and that staff care about them. Relationships between staff and pupils, and amongst the pupils themselves, are excellent. Parents appreciate the care provided for their children. Due attention is paid to encouraging pupils to live a healthy lifestyle. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils and health and safety are secure, and the anti-bullying policy is securely implemented.
