Pastoral System

Support

Our Outstanding Pastoral System is created by a dedicated team of tutors and support staff, led by our Deputy Head in charge of Pastoral Care, Mrs Green.

Our tutors provide support for students in the non-academic aspects of their life, as well as providing encouragement for them to excel academically. Tutors spend time with each of their tutees, providing academic mentoring, which focusses on the strengths and weaknesses of each student across the curriculum both academically and behaviourally.

Students are encouraged to be open-minded and positive about their learning and to see themselves as a whole person, with a unique blend of gifts and talents. They are encouraged to see themselves as responsible for their own learning.

Tutors are the first port of call for students who are struggling in any area of school life and will provide reassurance, guidance and action where necessary, for example to deal with friendship issues. Parents are welcome to contact tutors with any questions, queries, or to let them know of any problems with their child, or family situation.

Our Heads of Year are all qualified Safeguarding Officers, and can be consulted about any aspects of a students’ life. NBS is able to refer students to all kinds of supportive services, including our in-house counsellors, Chaplaincy team and social services.

At NBS we also have our Pastoral Care Team to provide practical help for students, including a sickness support area, and information services.

Consequences

There can always be times when things may go wrong for a student and we encourage them to reflect on their actions and develop strategies to prevent things from getting out of hand again.

We operate a clear system of Reminder-Warning-Consequence to eliminate low level poor behaviour. If a student has fallen short of expectations in a serious way then we have a supportive Internal Exclusion Room (known as the Damascus room) where students are given the space to consider their actions and put them right.

Ofsted Inspection Report November 2023 “What is it like to attend this school?

“Pupils at Nicholas Breakspear School (NBS) receive an exemplary education. They are cared for deeply by all school staff. Pupils also show high levels of mutual care and respect for one another. The positive school culture enables pupils to be and feel safe. One parent described the school as a ‘treasure’. It is a view typically shared by many.

All pupils are unwaveringly polite, kind, confident and thoughtful. They welcome visitors and share their school experiences enthusiastically. Adults constantly model the positive behaviours they want to see in the pupils. Pupils respond incredibly well to this. Lessons and social times are consistently calm. In corridors during lesson changeover, pupils enjoy talking about what they have learned.

Staff’s expectations of pupils are very high, both academically and in their everyday school life. Pupils meet these expectations, not because they have to, but because they value the teaching and support they receive.

The inspirational opportunities pupils have to achieve the school’s aim to be a ‘better person’ are extensive. These include extra-curricular activities and visits abroad, including pilgrimages to Lourdes. Individual personal development is threaded all the way through the school’s ethos.”