Student Services Team
Student Supports and Key Pastoral Provision
The safety, health, well-being, personal development and achievement of every student are paramount to The Winston Churchill School. The pastoral structure ensures that a wide range of provision and expertise is tailored to meet the needs of each and every student, reflecting a school ethos that makes the highest level of care for its students a priority. Whilst those with a particular key role in providing high quality pastoral welfare are detailed below, each and every member of staff is committed to the welfare of all students, collectively striving to ensure personal and academic success for all in a positive, nurturing, learning environment.
The Form Tutor
Tutor Programme, Academic and Pastoral Support and Guidance
Effective tutoring is central to raising standards of attainment and achievement and supporting students in their personal development. There are 55 tutor groups, with 11 form tutor groups in each year cohort (Years 7-11). All full time staff are either a form tutor or attached to a tutor team, with structured, specific roles and responsibilities, including all members of the Senior Leadership Team.
The role of the form tutor is invaluable. The form tutor will monitor the academic and social progress of students in their care, provide essential information and guidance specific to that student and year cohort and deliver a quality, structured tutor time programme. With advice, guidance, support and challenge from the Year Leader and the Deputy Year Leader, the form tutor is tasked with raising students’ expectations as learners and member of our school community, and provide opportunity for them to reflect on the quality and value of what they are learning and contributing to all aspects of school life.
The form tutor is the main point of contact for parents and tutees. A positive home-school partnership, with tutor and parents/carer communicating clearly and effectively, is significant to every student achieving success and resolving issues of concern.
The Pastoral Management Team
The school employs a team of staff, within its pastoral structure, to provide high quality time and expertise to address particular matters of concern relating to student welfare and family support. This includes our Child Protection team, a school health practitioner and our Attendance and Welfare Manager.
As non-teaching members of staff, this team are able to provide flexibility with their time to actively listen, support and guide students on a range of sensitive matters that are significant to the student in terms of coping at school during times of particular difficulty. The school has strong links with outside agencies and organisations, including the police and other education establishments that provide effective partnership work with both home and school in order to best meet student, family and school needs.
Student Support - Special Educational Needs
We ensure that the needs of all students are being met. Our whole school high profile commitment to the importance of quality SEN support and provision is reflected by the status of our SENCO, who is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. In addition a Deputy SENCO and a strong Learning Support department ensure that SEN students are supported effectively throughout the school, usually in their teaching group or through programmes that support their social, personal and academic development. The school works in partnership with both outside agencies and the local authority to access behaviour, learning and student welfare support.
Students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) are supported extremely well and those who speak a language other than English are encouraged to take a GCSE in that subject by Year 10. Gifted and Talented students are identified and supported in a range of ways both within subject areas and through specialist activities.