Pastoral care

Children are encouraged to speak to those staff with whom they are most comfortable.

All of our younger children at Kingshott have a class teacher who, along with their TA's, will be the first point of contact for our pupils. 

All of our older children are allocated a Form Teacher, who is responsible for delivering the PSHCE (Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship) scheme of work, as well as being the first port of call when dealing with any other matters.  As children move up the school, not only do they turn to their Form Teacher in times of need, but all other members of staff are on hand to help. 

The health and welfare of your child is extremely important to all of us at Kingshott.

We have an on site School Nurse, Mrs De Naejer, who is a qualified nurse with an extensive history in supporting children. She is responsible for all the medical needs of the children in school. She is on site to deal with any pupil injuries and illness.

Should your child be unwell during the day, she will determine whether they are well enough to remain at school or need to go home. Likewise, should we feel that an injury requires a medical opinion (e.g. X-Ray), contact will be made with parents to arrange collection.  If it was considered necessary, an ambulance would be called to deal with cases where more immediate attention was required. In these instances, we would contact parents immediately and arrange to meet you at the hospital.  

In addition to our School Nurse, many of our staff including all the PE and Games staff, are qualified in first aid, and school trips (sports fixtures, field visits, etc) are accompanied by a first aider.

The Hub is a welcoming space for children to use as and when they need some quiet time. Pupils are able to access this space as and when they need during the school day. 

It is very important for the children to have ownership of their feelings and The Hub is a secure place for them to think and/or talk if they have any worries or concerns. 

All children’s visits are monitored for regularity and pattern. Worries are shared with relevant staff and parents as appropriate, and the children are aware of the rules around sharing information.

By providing them with a quiet place, children are able to learn how to regain control over their own emotions. We encourage deep breathing exercises as a simple but effective way for children to find balance and calm.  The Hub also has many books for children to be able to read to understand how they might be feeling and to give them the tools and vocabulary to able to express themselves to others.  

Sensory tactile objects, also known as ‘fidget toys’, provide something for children to hold and touch. They also help children to re-focus and gain control over their emotions. 

Drawing and colouring is also a form of art therapy and helps children to find calm and express emotions. In The Hub, we always have a supply of art materials for the  children to use.

Our House system supports a vertical pastoral system. Children in Year 3 to 8 are allocated a House. This serves to generate a healthy competitiveness throughout the school, and also encourages the children to socialise across the age range.  It is not uncommon to see a seven year old and a twelve year old working together towards the success of a House team.

Pastoral responsibilities do not start and end with the staff. Senior children take the lead in exercising responsibility for ‘looking after’ the younger children. 

Our oldest children, (currently Years 7 and 8) in particular spend time during breaks playing with the our youngest children in Reception through to Year 2, as well as sitting with Year 3 children at lunchtimes.

There are also elected Prep Prefects who hold positions of responsibility, taking part in assemblies, prize giving ceremonies and other functions.

Kingshott School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.  We recognise that all adults, including temporary staff, volunteers and governors, have a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils from harm, and that the child or young person’s welfare is our paramount concern.

We believe that Kingshott School should provide a caring, positive safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, emotional, physical and moral development of the individual child or young person.

We have a Safeguarding Policy and procedures in place.  All staff must ensure that they are aware of these procedures.  Parents and carers are welcome to read the Policy which is displayed on our website and available as hard copy for our school office.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child or young person’s welfare. 

We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child or young person’s welfare.

We have a team of Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs).  Our lead DSL is Mrs R Burrows.

Please click here to see our Safeguarding Policy

We take the security of our pupils very seriously. The School grounds are securely fenced with access gates that are all secured during the school day.

Gates are open during drop off and collection times, however during the rest of the school day parents and visitors are only able to access inside the school grounds and buildings once they have identified themselves to a member of our Office staff.

We understand that children have different needs at different age groups. Whilst our values and the excellence of our education - academically and pastorally - will remain consistent, we will enable, and support, children of different ages to develop and thrive in their own age-appropriate way. 

Our pastoral, support and discipline systems will be adapted to reflect the needs of each age group. More information will follow, as Kingshott makes its move to offer GCSEs.