Purpose -:- General Focus -:- Child Protection -:- Summary For Parents -:- P.S.E. -:- Record of Achievement -:- Careers
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Pastoral Care
Information for Parents
Child Protection
Caring through partnership
It is the purpose of Markethill High School to provide an educational environment suited to all of the pupils entrusted to its care. The school will seek to promote a caring supportive environment with well ordered school community, where staff and pupil can work in an atmosphere of mutual respect, so that each and every pupil should achieve the highest level of intellectual, personal, physical and social development of which he or she is capable.
The delivery of Pastoral Care in Markethill High is through a general focused programme and is co-ordinated by a Pastoral Team led by a Vice-Principal.
GENERAL FOCUS
This demands a caring commitment by all teachers to guide and advise pupils on both a formal and informal basis on personal and educational matters.
SPECIALISED FOCUS
The Form Teacher has a detailed knowledge of the many individual needs, aspirations, interests and academic progress of each pupil in a particular class, and this form teacher carries out the Personal and Social taught Programme.
The YEAR HEAD supported by the Senior Management, oversees the general welfare of all pupils in the Year Group and supports the Form Teachers at all times.
We also make available to pupils the help and support of a number of outside services including an EDUCATIONAL WELFARE OFFICE, MEDICAL SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES, CAREERS PERSONNEL - which combine to meet the varied and often complex needs of our pupils.
A Child Protection Policy operates in Markethill High. Its aim is to protect our pupils by ensuring that everyone who works in our school - teachers, non-teaching staff and volunteers - have clear guidance on the detection and interagency management of situations where abuse or neglect of a child is suspected. The overriding concern of all caring adults must be the care, welfare and safety of the child, and the welfare of each child is our paramount consideration.
In all their contact with pupils, staff of Markethill High follow the guidelines and procedures described in the DENI publication, ‘Pastoral Care in School - Child Protection’ (1999).
The following principles form the basis for our child protection activity:
 | children should be listened to and taken seriously; |
| in any incident the child’s welfare must always be paramount; this overrides all other considerations; |
| a proper balance must be struck between protecting children and respecting the rights and needs of parents and families; but where there is conflict the child’s interests must always come first; |
| children with disabilities are children first and have equal rights to protection. They may, however, have particular needs which require specialist attention. |
In particular, the central principle our staff support is that every child has the fundamental right to be safe from harm and to have proper care given to their physical, emotional and spiritual well being.
In all cases of suspected child abuse, the action that will be taken in Markethill High is that of informing Social Services, and the SELB. The school will NOT be involved in investigating the suspected abuse.
Disclosure / Concerns regarding abuse or neglect
Markethill Designated Teacher for Child Protection informed (Vice-Principal, Pastoral)
Principal informed; Plan of Action agreed; Referral decision taken
No referral (parents informed Referral - Social Services and SELB informed.
of school's concerns) (Parents informed by school or Social Services.)
School will continue to monitor pupils as appropriate
It should be noted that information given to members of staff about possible child abuse cannot be held ‘in confidence’. In the interests of the child, staff may need to share this information with other professionals. Only those who need to know, however, will be told.
The Pastoral Team in Markethill High will update the school’s Child Protection Policy and procedures in the light of any further guidance and legislation as necessary, and review it annually.
Personal and Social Development
The pastoral care of our pupils means responding to their needs at a period of their young lives when they are growing physically and acquiring a wide range of knowledge and skills.
By responding to the needs of our pupils we are:-
| helping them in the formation of values, attitudes and beliefs; |
| guiding them through a period of emotional instability; |
| making them aware of the influence, good and bad, to which they are subjected; |
| helping them develop good personal and social skills; and, above all, |
| nurturing their self-esteem. |
In Markethill High School, the Personal and Social Development Programme is designed to meet the developing needs of pupils in years 8 - 14 and to assist them in their learning tasks. This weekly timetabled series of lessons has been planned in a progressive manner and includes topics relevant to each year group. The topics for this programme, which may be added to in response to the needs of individual class groups, fall into one of five broad themes:-
| Education for life |
| Academic development |
| Health education |
| Moral development |
| Self-awareness/careers |
In Markethill we believe that the fostering of trust and good relationships with the Parent/Guardians of our pupils is very important. A close partnership between home and school should help ensure that all our young people learn and develop to their full potential in a caring, supportive and safe environment. Good communication is essential if we are to achieve this.
If you have any concerns about any aspect of your son/daughter’s education, please contact the school and an appointment will be arranged for you to meet with one or more of the following members of staff:-
| Form Tutor |
| Year Head |
| Vice-Principal (Pastoral, Curriculum) |
| Principal |
We would also encourage you to attend our yearly Parent/Teacher Meetings. In turn, members of staff are encouraged to keep Parents/Guardians fully informed regarding pupils progress and development.
This
information is intended as a summary of many aspects of Pastoral Care in
Markethill High School. The following, more detailed policy statements are
available on request:-
|
Markethill High School places great emphasis on the provision of appropriate Pastoral Care for all pupils. The system employed by the school is geared to build up the pupils' confidence, which enables them to understand themselves as individuals and to develop sound relationships with other pupils and staff at the school.
Form teachers are assigned to each class and have responsibility for primary guidance, counselling and discipline. The Form Teachers are supported by Year Heads, Vice-Principals and Principal. Towards the end of June, prior to pupils starting Markethill High, parents are issued with detailed information about uniform and school routine. On the first day of the new school year only year 8 pupils will attend, to participate in our Induction Programme designed to familiarise them with their new surroundings. Parents of Year 8 pupils are invited to meet with their child’s form teacher in either late October or early November.
In years 8-10 each class is timetabled once a week for a tutorial period with their form teacher, when the pupils follow a structured programme of Personal and Social Education. The year 8 programme is closely linked to the Induction process.
While the form teachers will endeavour to build a good relationship with each pupil there may be circumstances when additional counselling is deemed necessary, either at the recommendation of a teacher or at the request of the individual pupil.
Careers Advice and Guidance, at critical periods of choice is provided by the Careers Department working with the Principal, Vice-Principals and the Careers Officer from the Training and Employment Agency (TEA).
In years 10-12, pupils are timetabled once a week for Careers classes. These follow a wide and varied programme of careers visits, group discussions, TV and video programmes about careers and talks from visiting speakers.
In year 10, before making the GCSE subjects' choice, there is a consultation process which involves parents, subject teachers and pupils. This takes the form of a Parents’ Evening followed, if requested, by individual interviews with a member of the Careers Department and the Careers Officer from the Training and Employment Agency.
In their final year pupils participate in a Work Experience Scheme. The Careers Officer visits the school on a regular basis and every pupil is given the opportunity to discuss career prospects in an individual interview at some stage during year 12. Pupils have the opportunity, in school, to hear careers’ talks from outside speakers as well as attending Careers Conventions outside school.
The Careers Department organises annually a Business Insight Conference. This is part of a broader programme for the school and arranged in conjunction with Industry Matters Ltd. We are greatly supported in this by local business and industry. By working in groups with local employers pupils are able to extend their insight into the world of work. The link with Industry Matters Ltd has been expanded to include a Careers Planning Day for year 10, Study Skills Day for year 11, Interview Skills and Personal Effectiveness Days for year 12.
