Pastoral Support
Pastoral Care and Happiness
At Rye, every single pupil is cared for based on their own individual needs – we pride ourselves on providing the right level of pastoral care and support required at any moment in time. Our approach to pastoral care is founded in care, respect and trust to create a community full of happiness and support, in which every individual pupil is known.
From the first moment we meet each pupil, our main priority is their interests, feelings about coming to school, what drives them to succeed and any nervousness or concerns they might have so that we can support with each one of these. We also place great value on the relationships we build with parents – these positive relationships mean that we work collaboratively to ensure each pupil is getting the individual support and guidance they need.
Our pastoral care comes to life in many different ways throughout our school community.
Be well, do well
We recognise that the happier our pupils are, both mentally and physically, the better their outcomes will be. And so, our all-important job as a school is to keep our pupils happy and healthy at all times. And if they’re not, we have a team who work with individuals to give the support they need at any one time.
Our nurturing approach encourages pupils to gain a sense of their own worth and promotes emotional well-being. We help them to build the courage and resilience required to realise their full potential.
Our small form groups
Small form groups mean each pupil always has a single point of contact and receives individual care from their tutor on a daily basis. Our girls find the support from both fellow pupils in the form group, and their tutor, invaluable in building friendships, exploring who they want to be, and gaining confidence as they move through our school.
The house system
Every pupil and member of staff belongs to one of the houses in our house system. One of the key benefits of the house system is that pupils develop strong friendships with peers from right across the school. This gives a wonderful sense of community and support and means that pupils always know a familiar face around school.
Our Lay Chaplain
We also benefit from having a Lay Chaplain, Mrs Fran Walsh, who works with our pupils. Fran joined us in September 2020 with a wealth of experience in youth work and school chaplaincy – you can read more about her here. Teaching the values of respect, tolerance, and understanding, our pupils are reminded of the beliefs that enable them to work together as a community.
Fran has created a warming Chaplaincy Room within our school which serves a multitude of purposes, but most importantly it is a place of welcome and friendship for us all to share faith and fellowship together.
We encourage parents and pupils to talk to us safe in the knowledge that our staff are both approachable and focused on the happiness and well-being of each and every one of our pupils.
“There is a wonderful sense of community, personalised academic support, and strong school traditions.”
