Pastoral Support
Our aim is the removal of all barriers to learning in our ‘Pursuit of Excellence’.
Pastoral Care at Bishop Douglass School
We are a ‘Good School’ (Ofsted 2013) with a positive inclusive Catholic ethos which enables all of our diverse community to fulfil their potential. We offer a broad, balanced curriculum so that all, from their relatively differing starting points can make outstanding progress and excel. We offer an extensive and comprehensive PSHE programme across all year groups tailored to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development, preparing them for life’s opportunities and responsibilities. Being a small school affords our students a strong sense of community and having all our students on one site gives us a single identity across years 7-14. We have strong induction programmes which run throughout the year. This ensures that all our newcomers soon find their way around the school and start to feel at home.
Partnership with Parents
We firmly believe in working in partnership with all parents/carers. This is why we require you to attend all meetings about your child, take an active interest in their progress/wellbeing and keep us informed should any difficulties arise. We expect all to buy in to our culture of high expectation. It is important that you understand our behaviour management policy from the outset so that we develop a shared understanding.
Readiness to Learn
We are a uniform school and expect all students/families to support our culture of achievement and ethos of care. Students are expected to attend school every day and we set targets to support each young person in achieving 100% attendance. Students are to be punctual and arrive in school by 8:40am at the latest. The Learning Support Centre cares for those pupils who need additional support and guidance. We promote a range of rewards as we believe in positive reinforcement. High expectations are the key to success.
Student Support
We are a fully comprehensive school and believe in removing the barriers to learning in order that all can be the best that they can be irrespective of ability, race or creed.
All interventions deployed support and develop our inclusive philosophy. We have a strong pastoral system underpinning our curriculum to ensure that all have an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential and achieve at the highest level. Each year group is supported by a dedicated team of staff so that each child is known and treated as an individual.
Pastoral Roles
Your child’s progress and wellbeing will be overseen by their form tutor and dedicated Head of Year. The form tutor is your initial point of contact.
Additional Needs Support
The Additional Needs Department consists of two distinct areas – Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language – with a common focus – to enable students to access the widest possible range of curriculum opportunities and achieve their full potential.
The SEN Department, under the leadership of the SENCO, supports students with SEN at all Key Stages. Our approach is flexible and designed to meet students’ individual needs. Students may be supported through small group, withdrawal or supported in lessons to help them develop confidence as learners. There is close liaison between support and subject staff to ensure access to the curriculum.
The EAL staff work alongside subject teachers in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 to maximise learning across the curriculum and to develop students’ confidence and competence in English. Students who are at early stages of learning English are offered a bespoke language programme to improve their English. Other support may include a literacy-based curriculum, withdrawal from lessons, or support within lessons from trained staff. A homework club is run every evening in the week. Extracurricular activities include early morning reading club, spelling club and lunchtime club, where students can play games, socialise and have help with homework.
