Reddiford School is committed to developing well-rounded, happy pupils. Our pastoral care extends into all aspects of school life, thus ensuring pupils excel in not only their academic abilities but also their personal development. We strongly believe that exceptional pastoral care is fundamental in developing each child’s character, social skills and emotional / physical wellbeing, as these key attributes are vitally important in later life.
Friendly and respectful staff-pupil relationships are fostered at Reddiford School. All staff nurture the individual needs of each child and care about their progress; the excellent pupil-teacher relationships are regularly commended in our school inspection reports. Every child will have a number of trusted staff they can go to if they have any problems or difficulties. Children are made aware that they can come and talk to the School Counsellor or designated Mental Health staff at any time. Daily check-ins by form teachers and teaching assistants are also an important part of our pastoral care.
Pupils learn how to form strong and supportive friendships and are equipped with the necessary skills to help each other. Engaging Wellbeing and PSHE lessons and Circle Time activities develop pupils’ skills of communication and participation, whilst also showing empathy and respect to others. The school also uses the Learnful programme to further build pupils’ resilience and emotional intelligence. For further information and resources from Learnful please click here.
New pupils are always allocated a buddy mentor to help them settle into school life. Year 2 and Year 6 prefects listen to children and facilitate activities within the playground, and support children who feel that they want to talk to someone about their playground related problems and concerns. Additionally, our House system instils a sense of belonging, community spirit and flourishing self-esteem amongst children.
At Reddiford School we also value the importance of Pupil Voice. We are a ‘talking school’ and encourage our children to share their concerns at all times. Each classroom and department have a ‘Voice Box’ which are monitored by form teachers and Heads of Department. Pupil surveys are another way to promote pupil voice and their outcomes are used to inform strategic plans within the school. Pupils also regularly bring their views and ideas to their School Council members, which are then shared with the Senior Management Team.