Pastoral Support
Pastoral Care
We strive to create a supportive, caring and happy environment where effective learning can take place. Pastoral care is central to our ethos and we have a supportive pastoral system, which makes pupil well-being its priority.
Close relationships between teachers and pupils on a day-to-day basis are vital and fully recognised. Although the Headteacher has overall responsibility for all members of our school, Class Teachers and Teaching Assistants are primarily responsible for the pastoral care of each pupil. The Senior Leadership Team take an interest in all the pupils and are quickly informed of any individual concerns.
We offer outstanding pastoral care, which is evident through the progress that our children and families make as a whole. We ensure Early Help is at the forefront of our ethos when addressing concerns, whilst ensuring the right help is provided at the right time to our children and families. This is to prevent issues from escalating and becoming a greater problem.
We have a strong working relationship with relevant agencies such as Health Visitors, Children’s Services and West Midlands Police. We are able to signpost to other organisations, when necessary, to ensure the greatest results are achieved for a family in need of support.
Playtimes are well supervised and pupils are encouraged to support each other. Mrs Wooldridge our Parent Support Officer is always on duty at lunchtimes to support and talk to pupils.
Family Liaison Officer
Our Family Liaison Officer, Sarah Hill is responsible for overseeing the welfare of our families. Alongside Mrs Wooldridge, Sarah works closely with parents and guardians to make sure a support structure is in place for every pupil.
The Family Liaison Officer and Parent Support Officer are on hand during drop off in the mornings and pick up in the afternoons, as well as throughout the school day, to speak with parents and discuss any concerns. Parents can also contact school to speak with Mrs Hill or Mrs Wooldridge using the school telephone number.
Partnership with Parents
We put a lot of emphasis on parents’ involvement in their child’s education. A positive partnership between school and parents, with active parent involvement, helps pupils’ personal, academic and emotional development during their vital years here at Wednesbury Oak.
Parents are as important as teachers in:
- Monitoring Learning – regularly discussing learning, homework and attainment with their child
- Fostering values and good character – supporting their child’s personal development and encouraging them to develop a positive character
- Supporting organisation – Helping their child to be organised for success, by having all the right equipment and uniform and being in the right place at the right time.
- Motivating and raising aspirations – motivating their child and encouraging them to fulfil their potential.
We believe that our partnership approach to working with parents plays a big part in our success. Our commitment to pastoral care and to ensuring that every pupil gets personal attention means that parents can be assured that their child will flourish in our safe and secure learning environment.
Visit Keeping Children Safe is Everybody’s responsibility an online resource that details services, support and guidance available to children and young people who you may consider to be at risk of harm.
What is Early Help?
Early help is a form of support aimed at improving outcomes for children or preventing escalating need or risk. Because of this Early Help is also sometimes referred to as prevention or preventative services.
These services are part of a “continuum of support” and provide help to families who do not, or no longer, meet the threshold for a statutory intervention.
Early help services can be provided at any stage in a baby's, child's or young person's life, from the early years right through to adolescence. Services can be delivered to parents, children, or whole families.
The importance of helping families early is highlighted in national safeguarding guidance across the UK. However, the form services take varies between local areas, depending on local provision.
The term early help, most commonly used in England, often covers universal services aimed at improving outcomes for all children, such as:
- children’s centres
- open access youth services
- health visiting
Why is early help important?
Providing timely support is vital. Identifying and addressing a child or family's needs early on can increase protective factors that positively influence a child’s wellbeing, and decrease risk factors that may be impacting a child’s life negatively.
Research suggests that early help and intervention can:
- protect children from harm
- reduce the need for a referral to child protection services
- improve children's long-term outcomes
- improve children’s home and family life
- support children to develop strengths and skills to prepare them for adult life.
The Level of support we as a school offer:
Universal support – To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum, e.g., developing resilience for all.
Additional support – For those who may have short term need and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement
Targeted support – For all pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as wellbeing groups or personal mentors.