Overview and aims
At Ridgeway Secondary School, pastoral care is the provision our school makes to ensure the physical and emotional welfare of pupils. We believe it is the essential foundation upon which learning can take place and it forms an essential part of our culture of Ready Respectful and Safe. We pride ourselves on our relationships with young people, links with home and the overall experience that each child has at this school.
All staff have a pastoral and safeguarding responsibility and understand that high standards of pastoral care go far further than a basic commitment to welfare, with pastoral care extending to every aspect of school life in order to foster pupils’ personal development as much as their academic progress.
We believe that good pastoral care in school is also fundamental to the development of character and social skills, which will be of critical importance to pupils in later life.
At Ridgeway, we have a holistic approach to pastoral care: a whole school vision that aims to improve learners’ attendance, and to foster an atmosphere that is conducive for learning and promotes tolerance, resilience, fairness and equal opportunities for all, with due regard for protected characteristics. Such an approach to pastoral care should eliminate racism, inequality, discrimination and other hindrances to learning, to create an ethos that culminates in engagement and academic achievement of learners.
Below you will find information regarding our pastoral system. For more information regarding your child, in a pastoral sense, please contact their form tutor.
The role of our Pastoral Team
At Ridgeway, each student belongs to a House (please see relevant section on website for further details). Each house includes a tutor team, a Head of Key Stage and is supported by the schools Pastoral Manager.
Our Pastoral team help ensure that students are able to learn and make progress in lessons and develop the necessary skills to overcome friendship issues and other problems. They support the form tutors and liaise closely with parents and support agencies where necessary. These teams are supported by the safeguarding team if issues of this nature arise.
To discuss pastoral concerns with a member of the pastoral team, please contact (via the school office) – Mrs Dodd for KS3 concerns and questions and Mr Pittaway for those related to KS4.
Mrs T Dodd – Head of Key Stage Three
Mrs M Smith – Pastoral Manager
Ms C Gibbs – Attendance Officer
