At Lord Lawson, we want to create an outstanding climate for learning.
It is important that our young people feel happy, supported and cared for in order to achieve their best in the classroom. We believe that our pastoral system provides the support and guidance that students need to be successful from the moment they join us up until the moment they leave us.
Our pastoral team is made up of both teaching and non-teaching staff. Each morning students meet their tutor for registration and it is to this member of staff that students will turn to initially if they have a problem. Ordinarily, a student’s tutor will stay with them as they progress through the school, building a positive relationship. Tutors monitor school uniform and attendance as well as discussing behaviour (both positive and negative) with the members of their tutor group.
Following a reorganisation in 2021, our pastoral system is based on year groups. Each year has a Year Leader, and a Deputy Year Leader, who assists in the running of the year group. The Year Leader coordinates the team of tutors, ensuring that high standards are kept consistently across the year group; they also have an overview of the progress, behaviour, personal development and wellbeing of all students in their year group. There is a programme for tutor time, which includes personal development and assemblies, as well as monitoring and celebration of attendance and behaviour.
Deputy Year Leaders do not teach, so they are able to deal immediately with a range of issues as they arise. They get to know students within their year groups very well and will work with individuals or groups who may need additional support at particular times of the day.
A further important source of pastoral support is provided by the full-time Education Welfare Officer (EWO), Mrs Jo Walsh, and her assistant, Mrs J Knight. The EWO monitors absence and punctuality and also provides support for students who may need the involvement of external agencies.
At Lord Lawson, we also have a Supported Learning Department. Staff within this area offer support to students before, during and after school. Opportunities exist for students to be supported in a quiet location with their academic studies as well as access to staff who are experienced in supporting students with any emotional and/or social needs. This will include providing students, who may have been absent for a period of time, with a structured re-integration programme to school. The Supported Learning team includes Special Education Needs staff, who can provide a range of different strategies to support students with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities. The range of strategies available includes one-to-one tuition, small group work and in-class support.
We have a First-Aid Unit which is open each day from 08:30 until 15:30. This is staffed daily by a trained first aider who can attend to first aid incidents as well as dealing with medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, allergies, epilepsy and other conditions, in consultation with health professionals dealing with particular students.
We also provide a counselling service. Our counsellor takes referrals from members of the pastoral team. Counselling is completely confidential, meaning that information is not disclosed to staff, family members or friends. There are rare occasions when the counsellor may need to pass on confidential information in order to protect others; this is in keeping with details set out in our Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures.
- Mr A Rayner is Assistant Principal responsible for Safeguarding
- Mr P Walsh is Assistant Principal responsible for Behaviour and welfare
- Mrs A Jacobson is Year 7 Leader. Mrs D Coates is Deputy Year Leader
- Ms V Liddle is Year 8 Leader from September 2021. Miss K Milburn is Deputy Year Leader
- Mr S Earle is Year 9 Leader from September 2021. Mr C Sturrock and Mrs J Clarke are Deputy Year Leader
- Mr D Cave is Year 10 Leader from September 2021. Mrs D Smith is Deputy Year Leader
- Mr J McConway Year 11 Leader from September 2021. Ms C Turnbull is Deputy Year Leader
