Pastoral Care

Here at St Mary’s, we endeavour to nurture every pupil and safeguard their well-being and mental health. We recognise that all pupils should feel safe and emotionally secure if they are to develop resilience, self-belief and ultimately succeed in school and beyond.

In the Prep School, we use a programme called ‘HeartSmart’ and a variety of resources to support our PSHE curriculum.

To support the pupils well being and emotional development we also offer;

· A Peer Mentoring Programme where older students are trained in how to support younger pupils with a range of topics.

· An Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA).

· An emphasis on Student Voice so that the pupils can take ownership of their school environment.

· Zones of regulation so pupils become used to talking about, understanding and regulating their emotions.

· Listening Ear which is a drop in service provided by staff for pupils to talk about their worries or concerns.

Our full time school counsellor is a proactive member of our Prep School community. Her open door approach gives pupils another person to speak to if they need support or advice. Our counselling team also hosts regular assemblies with the students about broader topics such as friendships and navigating their way through any issues that may arise.

The importance of communication can never be underestimated in well-being. We are proud to operate an open door policy throughout our Prep School to ensure we know what is going on at home, so we can fully support our pupils.

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