PASTORAL SUPPORT
PASTORAL SUPPORT
The Sixth Form is a vibrant and busy community , with a high standard of behaviour , and students quickly feel at home
One of the strengths of Sevenoaks School is the pastoral system , which aims to guide students through the challenges they face in their lives . Finding a healthy and effective balance in all aspects of school life can be difficult at first , so each student has a tutor , responsible for their pastoral and academic welfare , who sees them every day .
Day students are placed into small tutor groups of 14-16 students , split between Upper and Lower Sixth , and thus integration between years is encouraged and experiences can be shared . Boarding students are also placed into tutor groups , and are treated in the same way as day students throughout the school day .
Tutors are the first line of contact for parents , in matters pastoral , academic and co-curricular , and are there to support students over their Sixth Form careers .
All Sixth Formers undertake a programme of Personal , Social and Health Education ( PSHE ). This work covers a wide range of topics from entrance into university and organising life there , to investigating matters of personal health and wellbeing . Equally important are the twice-weekly assemblies , where students are given an ethical dimension to their education through short talks on a variety of topics .
We have a well-developed induction day , allowing students to get to know each other and the details of the Sixth Form ; an early highlight is the Freshers ’ Ball within the first fortnight .
The integrated Sixth Form culture means that stopping and asking questions of students and teachers is a way of finding out answers and meeting new friends . Students have a wide range of advice and support beyond that , should they require it . This includes their Tutor , Divisional Head , the School Nurses and the Counselling Team .
All Sixth Form students wear a suit , making them smart and ready for work . This and many other features of their day-to-day life will make them feel part of a community which is as kind and inclusive as it is dynamic and diverse .
Jon Lidiard Deputy Head Pastoral
THE IB AT SEVENOAKS | THE SIXTH FORM 53