Pastoral Care

It’s simple really: if each child flourishes in School and beyond, feels nurtured and happy while they are here and goes out into the world a confident and aware adult then The Leys community has achieved its Pastoral Aims.

The emotional, physical and spiritual health of our pupils is as important to us as their academic progress. Our pupils join us at the start of their journey into adulthood. They will be faced with many challenges where they have to consider what values they hold, how they want to present themselves to the world and who they want to be. This is a journey that should not be made alone, so at the Leys we have in place a range of pastoral support to nurture and guide pupils.

House Support

The primary support to pupils is the Housemaster or Housemistress (HsM). This is the person who will see them throughout the day, who will help them make choices such as what GCSE to study; will speak to them when there are any concerns and celebrate in the little and big successes of daily life.

Working alongside the HsMs are the Matrons who look after the day to day physical well-being of the pupils. Instilling habits of tidiness, sorting out school uniform in a hurry and finding lost kit – these are just a few of the essential chores that Matrons face.

Meeting on a weekly basis and also working in the house are the Tutors, members of the teaching body, who are tasked with taking care of the academic progress of a number of pupils. Tutors will talk through reports with their Tutees and plan how pupils can make progress from one cycle of reports to another. Uniquely at the Leys, Sixth Form pupils have a dedicated Tutor who will stay with them for two years guiding them through the UCAS process.

Medical Centre

The Medical Centre offers support to all pupils during the day and is available for boarders and home boarders in the evenings. The medical centre is staffed throughout the week 24 hours a day, with the exception of Saturday night to Sunday evening, when an on-call service is available. Three times a week a doctor from the Trumpington Street Medical Practice offers on-site appointments for pupils who need more specific medical health care. The school nurses have a range of skills to meet the particular needs of our pupils and all have a range of training to offer mental health support. If pupils feel they have more significant concerns, or on the recommendation of parents or the Housemaster or Housemistress, the school also offers a counselling service, as well as access to an independent listener.

As you may be aware the government is asking all schools to have a focus on encouraging high attendance rates for all pupils. At The Leys we are very fortunate that our pupils want to be with us taking part in lessons and activities.

The most significant cause of pupil absence is illness. In school we know that pupils quickly spread coughs and colds and it is inevitable that covid will pass through our community. The government guidance is clear. Pupils are expected to be in school unless they are too ill to attend. If pupils have a high temperature they should stay at home until their temperature is down or they feel well enough to be in school. Pupils should not be testing for covid. If a pupil were to test and return a positive result they should be out of school for three days. The government view is very much covid is with us like flu and colds and we must live with it.

If you need to contact the Medical Centre, please call 01223 508922.

Chaplaincy

A key part of the journey our pupils make is developing a moral compass. The School Chaplain, Rev. Simon Coleman, plays a pivotal part in ensuring ethical and spiritual guidance are available. Through weekly chapel services as well as through the Divinity department, our pupils are taught to reflect on how they develop their ideas, as well as developing the skill of critical thinking to discern right from wrong.

PSHE

In the first three years of their time at the school, our pupils take part in a PSHE programme which is designed to provide pupils with the structure to develop:

• Positive relationships with one another;
• Engage with the world around them;
• Look for meaning and purpose in what they do;
• Develop a sense of perspective when facing challenges in everyday life;
• Understand how to sustain good physical health; and
• Feel a sense of responsibility to ensuring our way of life is sustainable.

Key Contacts

Helen Hynd – Director of Pastoral Care – overseeing life in the boarding houses and ensuring that all parts of the school work together to support the pupils.

Will Davidson – Senior Tutor and Designated Safeguarding Lead – overseeing the safety of all the pupils in the school. Mr Davidson is the first point of contact if you have any concerns regarding the welfare of a pupil.

Rev Simon Coleman (‘Rev’) our School Chaplain offers spiritual and religious guidance across the school. He also has many years’ experience offering pastoral support to children, adolescents and young adults in educational contexts.