Sixth Form Pastoral System

St. Margarets Church of England High School

Introduced by Mrs Helen Brooks - Deputy Director of Sixth Form

The Pastoral System is the great strength of our Sixth Form. We welcome students regardless of race, gender or creed. Each individual is treated with respect and consideration. All students are expected to exercise self discipline within the framework of what is known and accepted as responsible behaviour in a Christian environment. We treat our students as adults, and welcome them into a friendly, open and secure environment. We believe it is important to listen to our students' views and opinions, which helps them to develop a sense of self-worth. We endeavour to create opportunities for our sixth formers to develop their inter-personal skills and to learn to play their full part in an active community.

Guidance in the Sixth Form

The Sixth Form Tutor is on hand to provide regular guidance and support. Aspirational Target Grades are agreed between the student and the academic tutor at the onset of study. At set times of the year, in November and March, students will sit down with their Guidance Tutor and arrive at mutually agreed evaluation assessments. In this way students are able to measure their own performance against their A.T.G. and are given helpful advice on ways to enhance and develop their full potential. Parents are also involved in our triangle of support - student, Sixth Form and home - with regular reports and student /parent consultation meetings.

Planner/Diary

Students are presented with a Planner/Diary, which acts as a Sixth Form Handbook providing useful information as well as a framework for planning their completion of assignments and private study. We are fortunate to be able to offer our students exclusive private study facilities. The Sixth Form Study Centre is staffed by Patricia Gray and Greg McLean, and allows students the opportunity to work uninterrupted. Students also have the additional facility of the Internet Lounge, enabling them to work in groups or on the computer, under the supervision of Jacqui McKechnie.

Citizenship

Active Citizenship forms a major part of our pastoral programme. Students are challenged to achieve seventy hours of citizenship, learning new skills, including: teambuilding, leadership, community involvement and problem solving. These are recorded centrally by Greg McLean, who provides both tutors and students with regular updates of how their record is looking, as well as being recorded by the individual student. Success in completing the Citizenship Programme is recognised when students "graduate" at our special leavers' service at the end of Upper Sixth. Our Citizenship Programme has been widely commended, and we have received an award from the Citizenship Foundation and the Lancashire Rose Bowl for Citizenship.