Mr Gerry Strong
(Principal)
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| PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral care has to do with looking after the total welfare of the pupils in respect of their personal and social needs, as well as intellectual. It makes a major contribution to the affective aspects of learning and to the ethos of the school, helping all pupils to be happy and confident. Pupils' progress is regularly checked and followed with interest. Guidance will be made available to them when it is needed and any difficulties they encounter will be sympathetically and professionally handled. Their personal and social needs are diagnosed and met by our caring pastoral system. The pastoral care of our children is made easier because of the size of St. Joseph's, as it is possible for every member of staff to become acquainted with all the pupils in the school, thus enabling teachers to assess situations quickly. Contact is first made with P7 pupils, (our prospective first year pupils), in January of the last primary year, by the principal of St. Joseph's. This is to invite those pupils and their parents to the annual Open Night in the school. The Open Night is held on a fixed night late in January/early February. Provision is made for all pupils to spend a full day at St. Joseph's in June. In September, all pupils are allocated a Form Teacher who will look after them for the first three years. The Form Teacher is a key figure in the pastoral welfare of the pupils and the first person they should turn to when needing information, advice or for sharing a problem. All the Year 8 Form Teachers have had years of experience helping pupils through the difficult transition from primary to high school. Pupils are allocated a different Form Teacher for their last two years at St. Joseph's. Parents are invited to meet 1st Year Form Teachers in September. Form Teacher parent meetings are held at least once a year. Parents should never be afraid to contact school with a worry or a query, particularly in Year 8. Parents are also welcome to visit the school, but, for mutual convenience, it is always better to telephone to make arrangements first. |
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