Caring for Students

A fundamental belief of the school is that if students are feeling good then they are best placed to perform to the best of their capabilities both academically and also in all their other activities and pursuits. Therefore providing exceptional pastoral care, in addition to academic support, is a key focus. 

Pastoral and Academic Support Systems

Pastoral care underpins personal development and we know from research and experience that with outstanding pastoral care, students feel they belong and they are able to flourish because they feel valued and cared for. The pastoral and academic support systems are seen across all sections of the school, incorporating the distinctiveness of each curriculum but with the common goal and outcome to care for the students' whole person. 

British Secondary and High School

In the British Secondary and High School (BSHS), pastoral support begins in the classroom. Teachers know their students well; they understand the importance of wellbeing and the positive impact it has on learning and progress. If there are any concerns about individual students, they are quickly picked up by classroom teachers and given to the Pastoral Support Team.

Each Year Group has a Dean who is responsible for the pastoral and academic tracking of their students. The Deans are led by the Assistant Head for Student Wellbeing. We also have an Assistant Head for Student Progress who monitors academic progress, which may be affected by pastoral issues, and works closely with students, parents and key staff. Regular student support meetings happen where the relevant staff discuss individual students: their well-being and progress.

British Primary Section

In the British Primary Section (BPS) we believe that excellent pastoral support focuses on nurturing the individual needs of each child. Our staff aim to build trusting and empathic relationships with all the  pupils in their care and our teachers know their students well; they understand the importance of wellbeing and the positive impact it has on learning and progress. If there are any concerns about individual students, they are quickly picked up by classroom teachers and those concerns are passed to our Pastoral Care Team.

BPS  understands the importance of enabling the voice of the child to be heard to promote safeguarding and wellbeing and to that end we offer our students the following:

  • ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ school; we encourage our children to share their concerns at all times.
  • Pupil Attitudes to School & Self surveys for students - promotes the voice of the children.
  • Tribe Council - children are encouraged to bring their views and ideas to their elected Tribe Council Class Representatives.
  • Peer mentors are very visible in the playground - they listen to children and facilitate activities within the playground.

German Section

Pastoral care in the German Section is provided by the class teachers, who are the main point of contact for students and also parents of the class whenever the need arises. The class teachers normally have a significant number of teaching hours in their class and therefore know their students very well.

Class teachers not only look after their students, but also support them in increasingly looking after themselves: They help them set up and run the Klassenrat, the class council, in which the class can address and resolve a wide range of issues among students. The class teacher and other teachers of the class also hold regular coaching sessions with individual students to help them improve behaviour and academic performance.

French Section

The wellbeing of our community is a priority objective.  We wish to place our students in the best possible conditions so that they can flourish in a caring environment.  The steps are resolutely positive and students are supported in their social and emotional development and are encouraged to participate in the life of the community.