Pastoral care

At The Manor we pride ourselves on providing the most outstanding pastoral care. We cherish and nurture each child as a unique individual and every member of staff plays an important role in supporting the children’s happiness and wellbeing.

The Form Teacher is the absolute lynch-pin for every child, guiding them in all aspects of school life. Everyday pastoral matters, such as friendship ups and downs and home or school worries, are handled with the utmost care, and kindness is at the very core of what our staff teach and model for the children.

The school promotes a set of ‘Manor Values’, rather than rules, which the children become familiar with very quickly. These are spoken about regularly in Learning for Life lessons (PSHE), assemblies, form/carpet times and they are also displayed around the school site on posters proudly designed by the children:

Be respectful
Be brave
Be gentle
Be kind and helpful
Be conscientious and work hard
Be a good listener
Be honest

There are many other layers of pastoral care threaded throughout the school. Form Teachers can defer to our amazing Heads of Section (Pippa McConnell for Pre-Prep, Jennifer Shaw for Years 3&4 and Neil Jackson for Years 5&6) for input and guidance. Mrs McConnell, Mrs Shaw and Mr Jackson all have years of experience in helping and supporting pupils but, more importantly than that, they get to know all of the children and families well so that they can handle any bumps in the road with genuine empathy and compassion.

We are also lucky enough to have a dedicated Deputy Head Pastoral, Varun Footring, who leads on all matters relating to mental health, wellbeing and behaviour. Mr Footring takes the time to understand the children so that he can support with pastoral issues wherever needed and his open-door policy means that children can, and do, pop to see him for anything, big or small.

We take a restorative approach to behaviour management, focusing on repairing harm and restoring relationships. This approach allows all parties involved in an incident to address the situation together and find solutions that benefit everyone. The other great benefit is that it emphasises understanding the impact of actions, taking responsibility, and making amends.

Our School Nurse, Ellie Mitchell, works closely with Mr Footring, and indeed all of the teaching staff, whilst our wonderful Head, Mrs Hamlyn, is also very present in the children’s day-to-day school lives, making time for every child and every interaction.

There are so many aspects to pastoral care which are thoroughly woven into every aspect of the school it is difficult to convey in words, but it is fair to say that the most common feedback we receive from current parents, visitors and from families coming to look at the school is that The Manor offers a nurturing warmth and friendliness that they have simply not encountered in other settings.

...Our son often references 'that Manor feeling', held in his heart since he started. The Manor feels like home: a caring and kind space with engaging and supportive staff, a community which feels like second family…
Manor Parent

Wellbeing and Mindfulness

We take pride in being a listening school with an embedded child-centred approach; all members of the school community are encouraged to talk openly and freely about any issue.

Having a positive understanding of our mental health and wellbeing has never been more important and we actively promote this, with every age group, throughout our curriculum. In the Pre-Prep we talk about Zones of Regulation so that children can develop an understanding of their emotions and how to manage them. As children progress through the school, wellbeing matters are addressed frequently in Learning for Life lessons (PSHE), assemblies, form/carpet times and through our dedicated teaching of Mindfulness in Years 3 and 4.

We also believe that Sport, PE, Forest School and outdoor learning are vital in promoting wellbeing and our timetabling allows plenty of time for children to be outdoors, to be active and to be themselves.

Our site is designed to offer spaces for the children to relax and be calm in, as well as to let off steam. We have a Peace Garden, reading spaces, a wonderful Library, our cosy Cottage (which is also our Learning Support base) as well as the recent additions of The Lodge, for outdoor learning, and The Snug, which is our brand new nurture room.

House System and Buddy Groups

Part of what makes The Manor so special is the warm, family feel, which pervades throughout the school. We actively promote interaction between year groups so that the children have a support network beyond their class.

From Year 3 onwards the children are grouped into Houses (Eagles, Falcons, Hawks or Kestrels) and enjoy lots of healthy competition collecting merits for their house and during inter-house activities.

Sitting alongside the House System are our Buddy Groups, where 6-10 children from Years 3 to 6 are grouped together with a teacher who will stay with them throughout their time in Prep. They meet every term to catch up and undertake fun activities together, meaning that positive relationships across year groups are thoroughly cemented.

Our Shared Reading initiative regularly brings Prep children together with Pre-Prep children so they can enjoy stories together. In addition, our Year 6 children can volunteer to become Early Years Helpers or Young Sports Leaders; these are incredibly popular positions of responsibility, demonstrating our pupils’ enthusiasm for helping and supporting others.

1:1 Support and Counselling

We are very aware that every child may have moments where they need 1:1 support, whether this is ad hoc or needed for a more prolonged period, and we facilitate this in a number of ways.

We have staff who are trained to deliver ‘Drawing and Talking’ sessions which encourage children to open up and talk about their feelings. Our trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) is also available to offer support, whilst our Learning Support team often find their roles extend into helping with wellbeing and emotional regulation. We also have a School Counsellor that children can be referred to as well as strong links with external agencies and the local authority for additional support when needed.

Parent Support

Parenting is a demanding business and we are also mindful of the support we can offer to parents as they navigate a variety of challenges ranging from promoting healthy sleep habits at home to the minefield of online safety.

Each Year The Manor offers parent support in a number of ways including presentations, workshops, visiting speakers and more informal drop-in sessions.

All of our staff, from Form Teachers through to our Head, are always happy to meet with parents to discuss any issues or worries they may have about life at school or at home.

Safeguarding

As a school we take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and have robust processes and procedures in place to teach the children how to stay safe and to support families. For more information please see our Safeguarding Policy (link).

Visit Us

We hold regular Open Events where you can meet key members of the Senior Leadership Team and tour the school with some of our Year 6 pupils. We also offer Private Visits at any time, comprising of a meeting with our Head, Rachel Hamlyn, followed by a tour of the school. Private Visits can also be arranged virtually if you are unable to come to the school in person.

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