At St Peter’s Primary School, pastoral support is a high priority and we aim to promote the wellbeing and self-esteem of every child. We work together to support children and families, in order to ensure that they achieve the best possible experience during their time at school. 

Leaders ensure that keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. They carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Leaders know their vulnerable pupils and families well. Staff use their training to spot quickly pupils who are at risk. Leaders work well with professionals and other agencies. They are tenacious in following up any concerns they may have. This ensures that vulnerable pupils and their families receive the help they need. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in the real and online world. They understand the importance of consent and of not sharing personal information.

Ofsted 2023

We have a strong Pastoral Support Team that includes Angela Hunt (Deputy Head), Lynne McCullough (SENDCO) and Learning Mentors, Carla Evans & Liz Barnett. 

If you would like to make direct contact with any member of this team, please email pastoralsupportteam@sppschool.uk

How can our pastoral support team help your family?

We can work with children and parents in lots of different ways. Some of these include: 

• One to one support  

• Small group support

• Attendance issues

• Making phone calls on your behalf

• Writing letters of support to other agencies

• Help with filling in forms for housing/benefit applications

• Help with applying for secondary school places

• Giving a listening ear when parents just need to talk

• Attending meetings with parents

• Pointing you in the right direction for specialist help and support

• Parent groups – offering training and support

• Parent drop in sessions/coffee mornings

• Advice sessions for school transition

Our Learning Mentors help pupils make the most out of school life by breaking down barriers to learning. For children, they are someone supportive to talk to, share successes or disappointments with, or to provide help with practical difficulties or worries. They deliver a tailored and flexible approach to meet the needs of pupils they are working with.  Our learning mentors work with children to support with the following: 

• Settling into a new school

• Friendship issues

• Problems on the playground

• Family breakdown

• Unstable or difficult family circumstances

• Changes in home life

• The loss of a loved one

• Coping with illness

• Any form of bullying (including cyber bullying)

• Controlling emotions

• Social skills

• Self-esteem or confidence issues

• Worries or concerns about transferring from primary to secondary school

• Other worries or concerns

The Pastoral Team are also members of the St Peter’s Safeguarding Team and work with the school leaders in matters relating to children’s welfare and child protection concerns. 

Our safeguarding team consists of: 

Designated Safeguarding Lead: 

Angela Hunt (Deputy Headteacher) 

Deputy Safeguarding Leads: 

Tim Eustace (Deputy Headteacher) 

Catrin Battista (Headteacher)

Lynne McCullough (SENDCO)

Elizabeth Barnett (Learning Mentor)

Carla Evans (Learning Mentor)

Safeguarding Governor:

Victoria Green

 

If you have any concerns about the safeguarding of a child, please contact us. 

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means:

• protecting children from abuse and maltreatment

• preventing harm to children's health or development

• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care

• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes

• Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

You can find our Safeguarding Policy below :

What is Child Protection?

Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare.  It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Prevent Strategy

From 1st July 2015 all schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism".  This duty is known as the Prevent Duty.  It applies to a wide range of public-facing bodies, including all primary and secondary schools.

Schools can build pupils' resilience to radicalisation by providing a safe environment for debating controversial issues and helping children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision making.  Schools are already expected to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of pupils and, within this, fundamental British values.

Mandatory Reporting of FGM - Procedural Information

From 21st October 2015 it is mandatory for teachers, health and social workers to report to the police if they find, or are told, that someone under 18 has undergone FGM.

To obtain more information on FGM please click the link below for Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Online safety

St Peter’s Primary recognises the benefits and opportunities that new technologies offer to teaching and learning.  We encourage the use of technology in order to enhance skills and promote achievement.  However, the accessible and global nature of the internet and variety of technologies available mean that we are also aware of potential risks and challenges associated with such use.