Pastoral Care

At SPCS, pastoral care is at the very heart of all we do. The Good Schools Guide describes SPCS as ‘pastorally superb’. Your child will be known, noticed and nurtured right through from Reception to Year 8.

Our Pastoral Team

The class teachers oversee your child’s pastoral care under the oversight of Catherine Thomas, our Deputy Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Our pastoral team also includes a team of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL), the Cathedral Chaplain, a Counsellor, a Mental Health Lead and ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants).

Boarders are additionally supported by access to an Independent Listener, separate from the management of the school, whom they can contact at any time.

Partnership with Parents

We work in partnership with you to understand how your child learns best. Great communication with you is what allows us to consider every aspect of your child’s wellbeing, and to optimise their learning across every area.

Parenting through the Prep years certainly has its challenges, as children learn to manage more of their lives independently. We aim to give parents a forum for discussion and advice, both through our Wellbeing Hub and through our own seminars and workshops on issues such as balancing the risks and opportunities of online life.

Our partnership with parents is built through curriculum evenings, parent meetings, opportunities to see your child’s work at a “Book Look,” learning showcases and concerts. Our weekly Circular newsletter keeps you up to date with activities and achievements across the Prep School. Alongside regular parent meetings and reports, you’ll always find an open door for discussion, whether to share a joy or a concern.

At SPCS, we love to celebrate, and our families enjoy joining us at events such as Harvest Festival and Sports Day. Our Nativity play, performed in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral, is a real highlight of the Reception year.

Pre-Prep Pastoral Care

We support our pupils in developing respect for themselves, others and the world around them. We make our expectations of behaviour clear and reinforce them through celebration of good behaviour at assemblies and the weekly Star of the Week ceremony.

Confidence is developed through growing competence. Regular opportunities to perform (at assemblies and concerts and events such as Sports Day) build self-belief.

Pre-prep class teachers oversee your child’s pastoral care. Our pastoral team also includes the School Chaplain, a Counsellor, a Mental Health Lead and ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants).

Prep School Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is always our priority: we understand that all achievement needs to be rooted in wellbeing. During the Prep years, children learn to be increasingly independent: while this is exciting for them, it can also bring anxieties. We work hard to understand each child’s needs and equip them with the tools they need to overcome any challenges.

Secure relationships are at the heart of your child’s wellbeing. Our approach places great emphasis on the skills needed for self-management, developing and nurturing friendships and working together in teams. Learning how to communicate with others, clearly and effectively, is a key focus in the Prep School. Relationships Education is actively taught through Personal Social Health Education lessons.

We support our pupils in developing respect for themselves, others and the world around them. We make our expectations of behaviour clear and reinforce them through awarding house points and through celebration at assemblies, for example, with our weekly Respect Award.

Confidence is developed through growing competence. Regular opportunities to perform (at assemblies and concerts and events such as Sports Day) build self-belief.