Pastoral Care
All staff at King James regard the development of the whole child as critical. We have high expectations of academic success, but this does not detract from the fact that it is also the character values that we embed in each of our pupils that will ultimately see them through to realise their ambitions and dreams.
We are very keen to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each pupil in the school and so all children have either a form teacher or form tutor who has primary responsibility for all day-to-day issues involving care and wellbeing. Tutors are the key to our pastoral system; there to listen, advise and help students make and understand their own choices, and to act as the primary contact with parents. The tutors are supported by the Pupil Support & Inclusion Teams.
High Standards and Expectations
Students and pupils at the academy have high expectations of themselves and one another. Pupils are expected to be leaders amongst their peers, modelling behaviour both in and out of the academy that their parents and carers would be proud of.
Our pupils work hard and so do our staff. We want the best for your child we want them to succeed and fulfil their dreams and your expectations. We want them to be prosperous, happy and to have choices about their future. We will be relentless in providing your child with opportunities. In return, we will expect them to work hard, conduct themselves positively, and be committed to academy life. A copy of our uniform expectations can be found here.
Pupil Wellbeing
Day to day each pupils first point of contact for support should be their class tutor (yr 5 & 6) of their form tutor (yr 7-11). If they need further support during the school day they have several options:
Go to Student Services on the Senior Site where they can help with timetables, medical and other key issues (see here). Medical issues can also be supported by the Office on the Junior Site.
In Year 7-11 pupils could visit their Head of Year or Pastoral Support Team.
Go to the Inclusion Teams.
If parents / carers are interested in how the Bridge supports pupils on the Senior Site and other resources are out their to support their child they can click on the link below:
Junior Site Pastoral care
On the Junior Site, it is the teachers who are ultimately responsible for the pastoral care of the students in their class, helping each of them to achieve and enjoy what they do. Students are expected to be good mannered, courteous and respectful of the feelings of others and that high standards of behaviour and values are maintained.
It is also important that the children get pleasure from both their own and others’ achievements. With this in mind, we have several pastoral support mechanisms in place to ensure that we quickly identify the needs of children and their families, addressing any learning or social issues effectively. This may be in the form of whole class activities, a small group intervention, or through 1:1 support delivered by outside agencies that we partner with.
Arriving at any new school can seem daunting so, from the time students are allocated a place, we try to make them feel part of King James Academy by inviting them and their parents in to the school on various occasions before the start of their first term. These are opportunities to get to know their new tutor and classmates, and to find their way around the school, so that they arrive for their first day in September confident that they belong here.
Our pupils’ pastoral needs are incredibly important to us and so we make sure we do everything possible to ensure their well-being. This includes having a school drama therapist and counsellor accredited by the HPCP and BACP, who meet pupils and support them with emotional difficulties. We are a Hub school for NESSie who supports parents, staff and students across Hertfordshire with positive mental health.