Our vision for the Pastoral System at The English School
The English School has always been concerned about the personal and social development of its students, whether or not it has used the terms pastoral care or pastoral curriculum.
With the development of the current Pastoral System, we have brought all the things we do into a clear structure with specific goals and aims. We have been successful in making ourselves more available to all students. We offer academic and personal monitoring on a one-to-one basis in order to enhance both academic achievements and the development of personal and life skills.
Here is a brief list of what is done in order that our goals and aims are achieved:
- Induction of new students
- Team building at Athalassa
- Fun Evening
- Welcome Guide for Junior students
- Working Efficiently towards Exams
- Supporting and Monitoring Individual students
- Form Tutor Time
- Assemblies
- Prefects
- PSHME (Personal, Social, Health and Moral Education)
- Pastoral Evenings and parental contact
- Community Service
- First Aid Courses
- Projects Abroad
- Student Participation in various events and activities
Induction of new students
On Induction Days, new students are welcomed to the school by members of the Senior Management Team, the Pastoral Team, the Games and Music Departments as well by a group of students. The students group included the prefects, who act as guides and / or mentors. A lot of useful information is given to the new students, which aims at making their first few weeks at The English School as smooth as possible. Each new student in year 2 and above is paired with a peer mentor who supports the new student for the first weeks at school.
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Team Building and Treasure Hunt at Athalassa
A great opportunity for Year 2 students to work in teams and have fun with classmates and members of the Pastoral Team. The activity strengthened social skills and trained students in following instructions as well as using their imagination.
Fun Evening
As an extension of the induction activities this event is organised at the beginning of term. Its purpose was to allow students of Years 1 to get to know each other better, and for all participants to realize the importance of teamwork. The Pastoral Team was assisted by a group of senior students and the prefects who organise team games as well as live music and singing.
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Welcome Guide for Junior students
This is a booklet addressed to new students and their parents; it gives details of how the school functions.
Working Efficiently towards Exams
Senior students are provided with guidance and support through documents addressed to students a few weeks before the Mock Exams. Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 are given extra support through two documents, one before and one after the Easter Holidays. These encourages students to be responsible for their learning and revision plans in a proactive way. The guidance includes advice on issues such as self-evaluation, fighting stress and exam preparation techniques.
Supporting and Monitoring Individual students
One of the pastoral team's main responsibilities is to support and monitor students with difficulties in areas such as study skills or motivation, or those who have been through difficult circumstances or who are simply experiencing difficulties personally or emotionally. Under- achieving students are encouraged to set targets and work towards them. This is time-consuming but very productive. The Academic and Pastoral Programme of the school work together: colleagues feed each other with relevant information on individual students, thus enhancing monitoring of both personal and academic development.
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Form Tutor Time
Consists of registration every morning, Form Tutor period once a week and extended Form Tutor periods. During this time various activities take place, which support students' personal development, supporting the PSHME programme (see below). Issues covered include decision making skills, tackling racism, and monitoring their own progress. Students get to know their form tutor better; the form tutor is the student's first point of contact with the pastoral team when support is required. This time also allows further opportunity for the form tutor to identify students who may benefit from pastoral support.
Assemblies
These are usually led by members of the SMT, but over the last two years more and more students and their form tutors, or other colleagues, have prepared and presented activities to the whole of the student body. This offers students another opportunity to develop their social and communication skills and, at the same time, gives them more confidence.
Prefects
...are a group of students in Years 2 to 4 who are acting as assistants to the Pastoral Team. Some of their duties are as follows: helping with the organization of various events, improving the school environment and peer mentoring. The prefect programme is further developed each year.
PSHME (Personal, Social, Health and Moral Education)
Rapid changes currently taking place in society, as well as new technologies are providing new opportunities for our young people. At the same time there is fierce competition and new expectations regarding their personal autonomy. We need to prepare our students for the challenges they will be facing, which cannot always be predicted. For this reason, young people need to be motivated to develop life skills that will equip them to face the future with confidence. The future will need thinkers and people who are life long learners. Young adults also need to be prepared to cope with unforeseen health issues. PSHME helps students to lead confident and responsible lives as individuals and members of society. Through learning strategies in lesson time and a wide range of activities across and beyond the curriculum, students gain practical knowledge and skills to help them live healthily and deal with the moral, social and cultural issues they face as they approach adulthood.
PSHME gives students opportunities to reflect on their own experiences and develop awareness of their own strengths, weaknesses and aptitudes and the needs of others. It helps them to understand and manage a wider range of relationships as they mature, to show respect for the differences between people; to develop personal wellbeing and self esteem: It encourages them to believe in their abilities; It enables them to take responsibility for their learning and future choice of courses and career. As students gain confidence in themselves, they develop an ability to express their own reasoned opinions and acquire decision making skills. They become autonomous citizens of Cyprus , Europe and the world beyond.
A particular focus of our PSHME programme at the English School is encouraging tolerance in diversity, that is, tolerance of difference whether it concerns race, religion, gender or a person's physical or intellectual abilities. We strive to recognise students' individuality, the plurality of the school population, but also encourage their sense of belonging to the whole English School community.
Our PSHME programme includes pastoral sessions, led by outside professionals. We co-operate with the Director of the Family Planning Association and with a number of doctors and other professionals. Examples of such sessions include topics like the following:
- Tolerance and respect for diversity
- Fighting bullying, racism and discrimination
- Sex Education
- Breast Cancer Awareness
- Male health issues
- Smoking
- Empowering young people (in co-operation with ÊÅÍÈÅÁ)
- Healthy Eating
- EU issues
- Road Safety
- Effective relationships
- Science and Ethics
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Members of the Pastoral Team with students in the PSHME room
^ topPastoral Evenings and parental contact
During the pastoral evenings we have in October the Pastoral Team members, the SMT and a number of Junior and Senior students work together to present the work done within the Pastoral System. A number of activities are demonstrated and attractive slides give information of the Pastoral Team vision and activities. We also work with parents when monitoring individual students who are receiving extra support from the pastoral team. Parents are vital members of the support team for their children. Students spend a large proportion of their time at home. What goes on there can have enormous influences on a student's attitude and performance at school.
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Community Service
The community service programme offers Year 7 students the opportunity to contribute to the community outside the school. About 85 students every year work at various institutions such as hospitals, clinics, kindergartens and the police force.
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First Aid Courses
Courses for all levels with St. John's Ambulance are offered, helping students to acquire essential first aid skills. For the last 6 years we have had a school coordinator and this has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of the programme. As a result, a large number of English School students are ready and able to deal with emergency first aid situations.
Projects Abroad
Participation in the London Science Forum and the Global Young Leaders Conference in the USA is becoming more and more competitive as more and more Year 6 students express keen interest in applying for them. More programmes are now available following Cyprus' accession to the European Union. The participants are always encouraged to share their experiences with their peers at assembly time.
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Student Participation in various events and activities
Our students participate in the School Council, in the Advisory Councils, in the Common Room Committee, in organizing the Junior Students Party, in charity activities, in parades in commemorations, in representing the school outside the school and outside the country (e.g. Model United Nations, Debating Competitions, Workshops). In the huge variety of clubs, societies and activities, students of The English School are provided with an enormous range of opportunities to develop socially and personally. Through these they also improve their use of their initiative and develop their sense of responsibility.
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