Pastoral Care

Rathmore seeks to foster academic excellence while meeting the individual needs of pupils within a well structured and fully supportive pastoral care system.  All pupils are encouraged to develop their gifts and to become confident, articulate and responsible members of society.

 

The ethos of the school is Catholic with a strong emphasis on the spiritual and moral formation of pupils.  Pupils are encouraged to mature as fully committed Catholic adults prepared to respect the beliefs and traditions of others and to bring to society the values of the Gospel.

 

Pastoral care deals with the overall development of the pupil – physically, academically, socially, morally and spiritually.  It requires a caring commitment by all teachers to guide and advise pupils.  It permeates all aspects of school life and contributes to the creation of a supportive atmosphere in the school for both teachers and pupils.

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The tutor, with a detailed knowledge of the needs, emotional development, progress and academic attainment of each pupil is at the heart of the pastoral care system and acts as a liaison with Year Heads, Heads of Department, subject teachers and parents.

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The Aims of the Pastoral Care System are:

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• to promote the physical, academic, social, moral and spiritual development of all pupils

• to provide an environment that will enable each pupil to develop self esteem

• to ensure that each pupil is given the opportunity to fulfil his/her academic potential

• to provide a caring framework within each year

•  to promote a sense of belonging to the tutor group, the year group and the community

• to help prepare pupils with educational choice and advise on academic progress

• to encourage self discipline through guidance and example

• to encourage regular attendance and punctuality

• to encourage pupils to make a positive contribution to the wider community

• to promote positive relationships and effective communication with parents

• to assist pupils who are experiencing problems.

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Tutor System

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Each Year Group of 180 pupils is divided into Tutor Groups of about 20 pupils and each group is placed under the care of a Tutor who seeks to build up a detailed knowledge of the needs, emotional development, progress and academic attainment of each pupil in the group.

 

Tutors are at the heart of the Pastoral Care System and liaise closely with Year Heads, Heads of Department, subject teachers and parents.

 

Tutors meet their groups at the beginning of each school day, four times a week for a Tutor Period and once a week for a general Assembly of the Year Group under the direction of the Year Head.

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One of the four Tutor Periods is extended, lasting 40 minutes.

 

The Tutor Period begins with prayer and is used to register pupils, to relay information and to deliver a Pastoral Care Programme designed to meet the needs of the pupils in a particular Year Group.

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Pastoral Programme

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The following themes are included in the Pastoral Programmes from Year 8 to Year 14:

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• Bullying Awareness

• Drug and Alcohol Education

• Internet Safety / Cyber Bullying

• Positive Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

• Relationships and Sexuality (consent)

• Social Justice Awareness Campaigns

• Study Skills

 

The Tutor encourages discussion and seeks to promote group identity and close relationships within the group.

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