Ashfield Girls' High School

Pastoral Care in Ashfield

Our aim in Ashfield is to challenge girls today to become women of value in the future. One of the ways we do this is through our comprehensive Pastoral Care system.

The pastoral system exists to serve the interests of pupils, to ensure that they feel safe and secure and can achieve their full potential academically, morally, physically and spiritually and gain maximum benefit from their school experience. The role of Head of Progress and Form Tutor is of prime importance in ensuring that this can be achieved for all pupils.

Each girl has a Form Tutor who she sees twice a day. Form Tutors provide pastoral care by getting to know the pupils individually, offering a listening ear, promoting positive behaviour and encouraging good attendance. They are an advocate for the pupil and maintain good links with home.

Each year group then has a Head of Progress. He or she is responsible for the pastoral care of the year group. The Head of Progress monitors attendance, behaviour, punctuality and academic achievement. They are an excellent point of contact for parents and carers.

The Head of Junior School works with Heads of Progress for Years 8 – 10 and her role involves supporting pupils with complete needs, leading the Junior School Pastoral Team and liaising with any outside agencies who work with Junior School pupils.

Overseeing pastoral care is the Head of Pastoral Care (Assistant Vice-Principal). She has the ultimate responsibility for pastoral care in the school. Her role involves liaising with outside agencies such as Education Welfare and Social Services, particularly for Senior School pupils. One key area of her role is dealing with pupils who are going through difficult times and she provides support and encouragement for them.

Miss J Friar is also the Designated Teacher for Child Protection within school. The deputy designated teachers are Mrs B Cripps and Mrs N Christie. Their role is to ensure that procedures and policies are in place and are followed with regards to safeguarding and child protection. If you have any concerns about child protection issues please contact them.

We have a very positive ethos in Ashfield and so pupils can often go to any member of staff for help and support. Mrs Mungavin also operates an open door policy so pupils are welcome to come to her with any issue.

The pastoral care of pupils is also supported by a number of systems and facilities within school. Each class has a form period with their form tutor once a week and the pupils study Personal Development within LLW. We have counsellors from Family Works and East Belfast Community Counselling in school and each pupil has support material in their planners pointing them to outside agencies.

Our mission statement is:
＂ To provide students with secure and appropriate learning environments for a programme of education which meets their individual needs and which brings them success and fulfilment in their school life and prepares them for life beyond school.＂