At Queen’s College the health, wellbeing and academic development of every child is at the heart of all we do. Our pastoral care and pupil support services are part of our continued drive to fulfil our core belief that “We educate not for school, but for life”.
Pupil Health & Wellbeing
At Queen’s College the health, wellbeing and academic development of every child is at the heart of all we do. Our pastoral care and pupil support services are part of our continued drive to fulfil our core belief that “We educate not for school, but for life”.
Here at Queen’s the safety, security and happiness of all our pupils is of paramount importance and this is reflected in the outstanding 24 hour pastoral care. We really value the individuality of our pupils and provide the support and encouragement to enable them to flourish. Living and working together is a skill and supporting and respecting each other is at the heart of our ethos.
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing at Queen’s College
Deputy Head Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead – Mr Andrew Free
The pastoral care and wellbeing of your child is at the centre of all of our thinking and decision making. Our aim is to get to know every child as an individual and to work hard to develop excellent working relationships with parents. Working together helps us to ensure that your child develops at a rate that is appropriate for them and ensures the best outcomes for them both educationally and emotionally.
We are proud of our inclusive and caring community and are committed to developing and maintaining an ethos centred around kindness and respect towards others and a determination to be the best version of ourselves at all times.
We hope that you find the pastoral information useful, but should you require any additional information please feel free to contact me directly.
To support the emotional and social wellbeing of our children and young people we have a dedicated team of counsellors, one of whom is on site during the school day on each day of the week
Pupils in the Senior School can see a counsellor in one of two ways. They can either speak to a member of staff (a tutor or teacher they trust and get on well with) and ask them to refer you to a counsellor, or they can contact the counselling service directly yourself using the e-mail address below:
counsellor@queenscollege.org.uk
Pupils in Pre-Prep and Prep may be referred by a member of staff. In this case the counsellor will always speak to parents first to discuss concerns and clarify the process of counselling and feedback to parents.
Queen’s College Counselling Team
Michelle Howell is a qualified integrative counsellor and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): she has a background of training in mental health within the NHS and has many years’ experience of working with young people. She is contactable on: mch@queenscollege.org.uk
Denis Victor is a qualified integrative counsellor and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): He has a background in youth work in the local area and has a wide range of experience working with young people from many different cultures. He is contactable on: dkv@queenscollege.org.uk
Year Leads
The wellbeing and academic progress of your child will be looked after by their Year Leader. The Year Leader’s are dedicated to ensuring that each child in their care is safe, comfortable and thriving.
All year groups have a year base and an allocated outdoor space for social activities and these are staffed by tutors and the Year Leader
Year Leaders work closely with tutors, academic staff and boarding staff and are the first point of contact for parents if you have any questions about your child’s education.
Where to find help and support
Wellbeing Centre
Our Wellbeing Centre opened in September 2021 and is housed in the same building as our Learning Support Department and adjacent to the Medical Centre. The Wellbeing Centre is at the heart of the college. It is a calm and relaxing centre where pupils can come to seek support, respite and access help or resources that they need to support their wellbeing. It is a safe and comfortable space that pupils become familiar with through their Personal, Social, Health and Moral Education (PSHME) sessions as well as through mindful activities such as yoga and Pilates.
The Wellbeing Centre is led by the Wellbeing Team who coordinate the pupil services, as well as putting in place a programme to support parents and staff.
The Centre is supervised daily by the team who greet pupils as they arrive to ensure that they receive the support that they need.
Our Wellbeing programme is not only for pupils but also for parents who are able to engage in a variety of ways including online seminars on a range of topics as well as face to face meetings in order to best support your child through their young life and their education.
Chaplain
Here at Queen’s College we have a full-time Chaplain who represents the wider church to the school and has a responsibility for developing our Methodist tradition and ethos.
Alongside the College Leadership Group, the Chaplain’s role is to develop a stimulating and compassionate school community in which individuals are cared for and where qualities such as honesty, tolerance, understanding and commitment are encouraged.
The Chaplain leads the school in worship weekly during the term. Senior assemblies include a thought for the day, prayers and hymns and are open to all faiths.
In addition, the Chaplain also arranges the annual Remembrance Service, Carol Service at Temple Methodist Church and the Founders’ Day Service also at Temple Methodist Church.
Although these services take the form of a Christian act of worship they are not denominationally based.
The Chaplain also arranges Confirmation classes and has a supporting role when it comes to pastoral care.
The Chaplain is always available for a quiet chat, cup of tea and support when needed.
Medical Centre
The School Medical Centre is run by a team of Registered Nurses.
Its aim is to support the health needs of every pupil, allowing them to achieve their full potential in all aspects of school life.
Integration
In the Summer term before starting school, new pupils into Year 7 are invited for a Familiarisation Day which will introduce them to a day in the life of the Senior School.
This will include:
A tailor-made Assembly
Meeting with Houseparents
Fun in the labs
Acting, painting, cooking and a look at Design Technology
Orienteering competition around the Senior School
Parents are also invited to join us at the end of the day to meet key members of staff and enjoy a relaxed afternoon tea.
At the beginning of the Autumn term, each new pupil is allocated a ‘shepherd’ who knows the routine of the school day and who guides them around the school until they feel settled into school life. Wherever possible, we try to match new pupils to ‘shepherds’ with similar interests.
Senior Houses and The Founders' Shield
The four competitive Houses are an important part of life at the school. All pupils and staff in the Senior School belong to one of the Houses. The senior school houses are Ray (red), French (purple), Woolmer (green), Barnicott (blue), the houses are named after the original governing body when the school was established in 1843: Governor: Rev Richard Ray; Treasurer: William French and Secretaries: Rev Theophilus Woolmer & James Barnicott. Each tutor group is linked with a house and houses are run by the Sixth Form House Prefects. All houses compete for The Founders’ Shield by gathering house points, awarded for academic and co-curricular achievements and by partaking in competitions throughout the year such as Sports and House Singing Day. All pupils are encouraged to participate in these. The Founders’ Shield is awarded on Speech Day at the end of the school year.
Safeguarding and Child Protection
All children at Queen’s College should feel safe and empowered to speak up if they have any concerns about themselves or their peers. Safeguarding and positive wellbeing are the most important aspects of what we do at Queen’s College and are embedded in our culture of putting the child at the centre of all of our thinking and our actions. All college staff and children are trained and educated to be vigilant and to raise concerns immediately and we urge parents and visitors to get in touch using the contact details below if they have any concerns.
