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Pastoral Life Pastoral Life Pastoral Life Pastoral Life

Pastoral Life

King Edward’s is a happy and successful school, where the social and emotional well-being of our pupils is central to all that we do. We get to know our pupils well and build open and trusting relationships so that the children who arrive in Year 7 can flourish, succeed and develop into spirited, thoughtful and confident young adults. We value tolerance and kindness, and work hard to develop resilience and independence.

The pastoral life of the School is led by the Deputy Head (Pastoral) and the heads of sector, who direct the work of the heads of year and the form tutors. On a daily basis a Form tutor is the key person in overseeing the progress and development of our pupils. They listen, encourage and support, and work closely with experienced heads of year or senior tutors to ensure that no child slips through the net and that each receives the support and guidance that they need. Sixth Form prefects play a key role in supporting the work of the pastoral team both formally and informally. 

Our community is inclusive and welcoming, and our pastoral care is proactive and not simply reactive when things go wrong. At King Edward’s we expect children to learn from their mistakes and to work with us to move on.

The Head of Pastoral and her team are widely praised, but students rate their tutors' ability to support them through the helter skelter of school life.

Good Schools Guide

Our support network includes a confidential and free counselling service as well as an excellent medical centre and school nurse who looks after us all.

Pupil Voice Pupil Voice

King Edward’s School is a listening school. We take our pupils’ views seriously and provide opportunities at every level for them to be involved in decision making about their lives. Pupil Forums are elected from tutor groups to collect ideas and views and to relay and discuss openly once every half term with each head of sector. There are usually one or two representatives from each tutor group who canvass the views of their peers and bring the issues of the day to the table.

The aim of the groups is to canvas views, bring them to the forum setting, discuss them as a group and wherever possible, suggest and help to implement changes for the benefit of the pupils. Pupil forums have influenced recent uniform changes, conducted a food survey, reviewed extra-curricular activities, requested and established the very successful tuck shop, canvassed opinion on the style of the new bus shelter, and had input into recycling and environmental projects. Pupils have been involved at every stage of planning for the new building and will play a key role when new menus and lunches are being planned.

Each Sector Forum elects representatives to serve on the School Council. These pupils play a key role in relaying any discussion points from the Forum meetings to the whole School Council. They are also involved in passing back any relevant information to Forum representatives about whole school issues and developments.

There are also numerous informal opportunities for pupils’ voices to be heard. One of the great strengths of our School is the relationships between the pupils and their teachers, and so pupil input is frequent and respected. Older pupils work as prefects with younger form groups; Senior Prefects meet with the Deputy Head for breakfast on a weekly basis, and engagement is encouraged at all levels of the School.

Pupils' social development is evident in their strong contribution to the life of the school

ISI Report 2015
Lower School Lower School

The Lower School years are exciting ones, full of great change and many new experiences and opportunities. We aim to help pupils cope with transition from Junior to Senior School, to settle in quickly and develop organizational skills whilst introducing pupils to a broad and exciting curriculum and enabling children to try a wide range of activities.

The Form tutors, who stay with their groups for both Year 7 and Year 8 and thus build close relationships with children and families, are responsible for the day-to-day care of pupils in their forms, looking after their individual needs and concerns. Form tutors meet their forms for 20 minutes each morning and again for registration at the start of afternoon school.  They also teach the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) Programme and are a key point of contact for parents and teachers.

Everything is directed towards the well-being of the pupils.  No wonder they enjoy their education and so well in it.

Good Schools Guide 2015
Middle School Middle School

The Middle School years are a time of transition and discovery. We want our pupils to grow in confidence and to enjoy this time of their life. Our focus is on developing articulate, well rounded and interesting young adults.

The tutor celebrates achievement with the form, supports pupils through the occasional difficult moments, sets targets to aspire to and helps to sort out problems from lost property to more serious teenage challenges, such as friendship and personal issues. The tutor, who remains with the form group for the three years of Middle School, is the first point of contact for parents in all matters concerning their children. The tutors work closely with the year heads and head of sector who have the overview of the Middle School. The year heads set the tone for their year groups both in terms of behaviour and also in academic matters.

The Middle School aims to foster independence in pupils as well as mutual support. We value a healthy balance of academic achievement and all that King Edward’s has to offer outside the classroom. A flourishing Middle School pupil is confident and ambitious, yet modest and reflective.

Staff are deeply committed to the pupils' personal development and are confident in dealing with pastoral issues.

ISI Report 2015
Sixth Form Sixth Form

The Sixth Form is about self-discovery, growing independence and learning to lead within the School community. Most Year 11 pupils continue into Year 12 and are joined at this stage by approximately 30 pupils from other schools.

They are placed into one of 15 small tutor groups, which comprise a mixture of Year 12 and Year 13 pupils; real integration and a mature sense of purpose is our aim.

Tutors at this stage of the School remain the first port of call for their charges and their families, providing support from the start of the Sixth Form through to receiving A Level results and moving on to university. The tutors play a key role in the process of applying to university, giving advice and preparing UCAS references. At this stage of the School we aim to foster an adult working relationship between pupils and their teachers, with our young people increasingly taking responsibility for their studies and activities.

As elsewhere in the School, tutors give guidance, support and encouragement, and of course continue to work closely with parents in order to maintain the best possible partnership between home and school at this important stage of the teenage years as life beyond King Edward’s beckons.

By the time pupils reach sixth form they have become mature, kind, friendly, loyal and socially responsible young people.

ISI Report 2015
The School Day The School Day

The School operates a two-week timetable, Monday to Friday, with normal school hours from 8.40am to 4.00pm daily. Pupils should arrive at school in good time to be able to attend registration promptly (8.40am). We run a breakfast club from 8.00 - 8.30am every morning.

The Main Teaching Block is open to pupils from 8.30am. Sixth form pupils may go to the Holbeche Centre, which is open from 8.00am. The Information Technology Centre is open to pupils from 8.00am. Play areas are not formally supervised before school and pupils should not play games there at this time. Staff are always available in Nethersole and the Stewart Building before the start of school in case of accident or emergency.

The school day ends formally at 4.30pm, thirty minutes after the end of lessons in the Senior School. Any pupil who, for whatever reason, remains on the School site after this time should either be engaged in an official after-school activity or should go to the Library, which is supervised until 6.00pm. Pupils must not be involved in any unsupervised play on the School site after school. Pupils will sometimes be required to stay on after school for team practices, rehearsals etc.

We greatly encourage a pupil’s total involvement in the life of the School. If selected for a school team, a pupil is expected to play as a matter of loyalty to the School. Matches are normally on Saturdays, but also occasionally after school midweek.

Medical Centre Medical Centre

The School Medical Centre is located by the sports hall and is run both by a Registered General Nurse who is also qualified in basic counselling skills, assisted by a first aider/medical room administrator.

The Centre is an important hub of the School, providing medical care for both staff and pupils. The Medical Centre covers both chronic and acute conditions where a pupil may require immediate treatment, as well as ongoing physical and emotional support. We also employ a qualified counsellor who specialises in support for children and young adults, along with a sports physiotherapist, who offers weekly sessions.  Pupils also have access to a private counselling room.

Further support is provided by four enthusiastic Sixth Form medical prefects who are more than happy to chat to fellow pupils who may need a little TLC.  This can be especially effective when it comes from a younger person who can often quickly gain trust and provide the support necessary to relieve any potential anxiety.

On a lighter note, we also provide assistance with everyday issues such as torn uniforms and tights, general school information, guidance, timetables, even providing the odd biscuit or two, should anyone find they have missed breakfast or lunch.

In short, we are here to help and advise pupils, staff, parents and guardians.

PSHE PSHE

We have bold and ambitious aims with our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) programme. The subject aims to help pupils develop good character, make wise choices, and foster the skills and attributes they will need for a successful life beyond school. Devised and coordinated by the Head of PSHE and delivered by form tutors as part of the academic curriculum, the fortnightly one-hour lesson also makes use of expert visiting speakers and is reinforced in form time and assemblies.  

An essential part of a KES education, it is a pupil-led approach that continuously evolves in response to pupil needs. Each year group may well have what appears to be a ‘standalone’ lesson, but every session develops on previous teaching. This enables a spiral programme which starts in Year 7 and continues throughout a pupil’s time at KES. 

Sessions cover a broad range of topics, including digital citizenship, period poverty, TikTok’s privacy settings, how to vote, the science of drugs, controlling relationships, the difference between debit and credit cards and so on. By providing our pupils with a programme that reflects their needs in this modern world, we aspire to investigate and strengthen pupils’ own feelings of well-being and self-worth and to motivate them to discover and create informed opinions about the world around them. 
 

Lunch Options Lunch Options

Lunches are booked on a termly basis and are served in the Willett Dining Hall.  A canteen system offers pupils a choice of freshly prepared hot and cold meals made on the premises by our own catering staff.

The catering team aim to offer a wide variety of dishes, using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Additionally, pupils in the Senior School can also select their own packed lunch from a variety of menu options including sandwiches, fresh fruit, yoghurts and healthy snacks. The new Willett Dining Hall in the Wessex Building provides pupils with ample space to sit with their friends in the light and spacious dining area, with additional seating on the terrace outside. Pupils choosing to bring their own packed lunch from home are also welcome to use the seated dining hall facilities.

Sixth Form pupils can also enjoy the additional café facilities within the Holbeche Centre.  The café offers a range of drinks, snacks and light meals.

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