Caring for our School Community – our School Nurse Team
Sport
Our Sports teams have enjoyed an exciting term , representing the School in boys ’ hockey , rugby , netball , swimming and cross country .
The boys ’ hockey teams had a great season , displaying strong teamwork , communication skills and consistent training , which led to impressive results , especially at the annual Yorkshire Cup .
The Rugby 7s squads showed great resilience and determination throughout the term , demonstrating impressive skill and teamwork . Rosslyn Park 7s was a particular highlight as always .
At Pocklington School , we have a dedicated school nurse team who care for the health of our day and boarding pupils as part of a multidisciplinary wellbeing team . Registered General Nurses , Karen Eccles and Claire Hallam are supported by Healthcare Assistant , Donna Dawson .
Karen Eccles joined the School in 2007 , after a career in Accident & Emergency ( A & E ), working as a departmental nursing sister at York District Hospital . Claire previously worked in A & E at Hull Royal Infirmary , before joining Pocklington in 2019 . Donna was appointed to a new role of Healthcare Assistant at Pocklington School , in 2022 . She has 10 years ’ experience working as a Teaching Assistant at a local primary school and is a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant .
We talked to Karen Eccles about the School Nurse Team :
When and where can pupils find you in school ?
We are available to all our pupils 8.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday and cover sporting fixtures on a Saturday . For our boarding community , we provide on call cover for the boarding houses overnight and at weekends . We are generally based in the Medical Centre behind the girls ’ boarding houses , or the Cricket Pavilion when we are covering field sports .
What are the key roles of the school nurse team ?
We help to support pupils ’ physical , emotional and psychological needs . We provide a friendly , caring and safe environment for pupils to talk about their worries , concerns , illnesses and injuries … or sometimes all they need is a general chat !
We provide first aid cover for the whole school and provide support to an external School Health Vaccination Team to ensure our pupils have access to the UK vaccination programme available on the National Health Service .
What does a typical day look like for a school nurse at Pocklington School ?
The day starts with a check-in with all our boarding houses where we assess any pupils that are ill , injured or may need to see a doctor . During the school day , pupils can drop in to see us , preferably outside of lesson time , but any time if necessary and of course we are always on hand to deal with any emergencies that arise .
From 2.00 – 4.00pm , we move to the Cricket Pavilion to cover sports fixtures , but we are still available for our whole school community . We cover sport and co-curricular activities after school and finish the day in the boarding houses , where we do a final check to see if we are needed before we go home . We like to use this as an opportunity to chat to the boarders and staff in their relaxed ‘ home ’ setting . One nurse is always on call overnight .
What do you love most about your job ?
Caring for our school community is a real privilege . We get to see pupils grow and flourish , often arriving as nervous Year 7 pupils , before developing into confident , mature Sixth Formers . Knowing that you have been there for support and guidance during their journey is an absolute pleasure .
Over the course of the term , the netball teams demonstrated improvement in their game play , growing in confidence and skill with each game . Their communication and teamwork on the court improved dramatically .
The return of swimming fixtures was welcomed , and two close galas at Hymers College saw the pupils back in the pool competing .
The School ' s cross-country runners faced tough challenges , with difficult courses and strong competition , but they showed great resilience and determination , pushing themselves to the limit in every race . The team worked together brilliantly , with each runner pushing themselves to go that extra mile for their teammates . The standout performance was Ben Falkingham , who is the Humberside cross-country Champion .
Overall , the term was a great success for the School ' s sports teams , with many strong performances and impressive displays of teamwork and sportsmanship , and all the pupils can be very proud of their achievements
David Byas , Director of Sport
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