Seven Stars Primary School Seven Stars
Primary School

Pastoral Support

Pastoral Support Overview

 

Our Open Doors curriculum relies on children being cared for and nurtured well within a safe and happy environment in school and at home to give them the best opportunity for them to be in a good place to learn.

 

Sometimes life gets difficult and we all need help and support, whether children, adults or families. Therefore, we have a strong focus on pastoral support which we have been building up over a number of years.

 

Pastoral support depends on strong, open and trusting relationships.

 

Some of the ways in which we support our children and their families are:

 

  1. Family Support Manager (Mrs Wright)
  • Support for families in crisis (formal and informal)
  • Attendance at agency meetings
  • Part of Senior Leadership Team with input for pastoral/behaviour needs of pupils
  • Communication link with parents/carers (open door)
  • Liaison with agencies and support services for families
  • Leading and liaison with local family Support mentor cluster of local schools
  • ‘Listening ear’ for staff dealing with families/children in crisis
  • Oversight of CPOMs and other safeguarding recording systems

 

  1. Mental Health & Well-being Mentor - Inclusion Mentor (Miss Moor)
  • Therapeutic interventions for individual pupils or groups (referred via CPOMs):
  1. Drawing and talking
  2. Lego therapy
  3. Nurture
  • Feedback and communication with class teachers and Senior Leaders regarding outcomes of interventions
  • Coaching model with CAMHs supporting mentor to provide support to pupils in school who may not yet meet threshold for CAMHs assessment or involvement but need support (e.g. anxiety issues)
  • Attendance/punctuality lead conducting phone calls, home visits and meetings to ensure pupils are in school and on time (with follow-up actions if necessary e.g. penalty notices)
  • Support for pupils in crisis (with consent of parents and in liaison with staff)
  • Part of staff well-being team

 

  1. Regular Senior Leader ‘vulnerable pupil’ update meetings
  • At least half-termly meetings of Senior Leaders/Key Stage Leaders/SENCo and mentors to discuss all pupils across school to ensure actions for support are taking place and review effectiveness of interventions (and identify any patterns e.g. across families)
  • Use of Pupil Context (vulnerability) grids for whole classes and individuals to identify the context of the child and ensure we are targeting the support into the correct areas of need (and not missing any areas that we could address or seek support for)

 

  1. Healthy schools team
  • Regular meetings to discuss ways forward for pupils including:
  1. Anti-bullying
  2. Mental Health action plan (we are a CAMHs pilot school)
  3. Strategies for supporting healthy living (e.g. RSHE; Healthy eating)

 

  1. Key Stage / Phase teams
  • Regular (at least half-termly) meetings with pastoral support of pupils one of the key agenda items

 

  1. Additional links to agencies and support including:
  • ‘Operation Encompass’ immediate reports to school of incidents attended by police outside of school (including at night) so pastoral support can be provided by school to pupils and families
  • Golden Hill Outreach Team
  • Additional Educational Psychology Support
  • Local Police support team
  • New Progress Housing

 

  1. HT has links with local Primary Inclusion Hub and with the Preparation for Adulthood working party in order to:
  • Support the development of inclusion (including pastoral support) and share good practice
  • Keep abreast of latest developments in pastoral support and inclusion
  • Ensure strong links with local support e.g. the newly created Team Around the School and Inclusion Support Hub

 

  1. Strong parental links:
  • Parent and toddler group (established pre-pandemic and being re-instigated this term)
  • Strong links with parents at EYFS (workshops, informal conversations, liaison with agencies and support)
  • Parent courses with Lancashire College based in school (basic skills and parenting courses)
  • Informal relationship building events (e.g. bingos; coffee mornings)
  • Family Support Manager links and support (see above)

 

  1. Links on the school web-site to support for families who are struggling e.g with debt, mental health issues, domestic violence, behaviour

Support