Pastoral Support

Moving to remote learning should not mean that our pupils and staff feel disconnected or unable to benefit from a full Sedbergh education. At times like this it is more important than ever to endeavour to make our pupils feel part of a community, have strong pastoral support and continue to be encouraged to pursue interests and passions outside of the classroom.

All staff and pupils will be required to check their email at 07:45 each day from Monday to Friday for a daily briefing notice. This will be an opportunity for us to come together as community for a shared sense of purpose and for a daily introduction to all things co-curricular.

At Sedbergh, our pupils are fortunate enough to receive an extraordinarily high level of pastoral care and adult interaction. Moving to an online platform will not change this, but it will alter the way it is delivered. All pupils will be able to contact any member of staff they wish to talk to via Microsoft Teams and will be encouraged to do so if they have problems or just want to talk.

In addition, tutors will be in contact with their tutees every day to check on progress, to try to trouble- shoot issues and to provide a familiar and reassuring contact. In addition, tutors will engage in a weekly video call to discuss things in more detail. PSHE will still be taught formally by tutors in their regular timetabled slot.

Housemasters/Housemistresses will also be in contact frequently and will make at least weekly direct communication with individuals. Although we have formalised the regularity of our communication, this does not mean this is the only time pupils will receive contact and it must be noted that these communication channels are always open.  Housemasters/Housemistresses and Tutors will also be in close contact with parents and will happily field any questions or queries about pupils’ progress and well-being, as usual.

The wellbeing of our pupils is paramount and we are more than alert to the risks associated with social isolation and too much screen time. Our Wellbeing coordinator and school counsellor will continue to have her scheduled appointments with pupils and is available for ‘drop in sessions as requested by pupils or their teachers. The School Chaplaincy Team is available for those pupils who wish to seek his guidance and support and the Chaplain can be contacted via Microsoft Teams.

Whilst in school, our pupils complete a monthly wellbeing survey supplied by ‘GoVox’, a wellbeing and mental health self-checker. Given the change to our environment, this will now be a weekly survey which we will ask our pupils to complete. They are very familiar with the concept and the results this has given us so far to detect issues early have been invaluable. We encourage all our pupils to take their time with this and complete it thoughtfully and sensibly – a chance for them to pause and reflect on their emotions during these unsettling times will be key.