13 pastoral questions
“School leadership (and teaching) can be really isolating”.
“We’re all doing our own thing. But someone, somewhere’s already done it.”
“What’s the point of reinventing the wheel?”
Just a few of the things members have said to me on calls this week.
They’re exactly why we do what we do at at We Are In Beta.
This week I’m rounding up a selection of the pastoral questions you’ve been asking inside the community to make working together a little easier.
But using a new format. Read on to learn more.
If you can help out, please do. All advice, links and resources welcome.
If you’re not a in a position to help just yet, but do find something useful, tap the ❤️ button on threads to let people you know appreciate their input.
It is Christmas, after all 🎄.
We - schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we help each other out).
🤔📍13 pastoral questions school leaders are asking.
So what about that new format?
To help you decide:
which conversations you can add the most value to and
which ones you can learn the most from by reading them…
…I’ve divided them into 3 groups:
Help needed, threads available to all (🤝🙏🌐)
Really helpful answers worth reading, threads only available in a private, members only space (💡👀🔐)
Really helpful answers worth reading, threads available to all (but will be moving to private, members only space soon (💡👀🌐🔜🔐 )
I’ve also included some…
Highlights to look out for below:
Behaviour Curriculum document
Behaviour Audit Tool
6th form independent study template
7 point plan to eliminate internal truancy
Before we kick off all things pastoral…
📊 Working on assessment?
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✅ 1. Attendance.
“This showed that with considerable support and meeting regularly I was able to break the mould. I’d be interested to find out more on attendance strategies for disadvantaged students and also to get your thoughts on attendance rewards.”
🤝🙏🌐
🔍 2. Reviewing and implementing sanctions.
“I would appreciate any feedback on reviewing and implementing sanctions such as detentions and rewards”
🤝🙏🌐
😩 3. EBSA Challenges.
“How do you decide whether [support] is EBSA or a larger MH issue, does this change as the EBSA intervention goes on and has less success or engagement than you hoped. Does EBSA sit with your attendance team or your pastoral team or is it fluid and move between the two depending on engagement/success? “
“I have been working on an EBSA plan and contract that I am happy to share with anyone who may wish to see it or use it.”
🤝🙏🌐
🍽️ 4. Lunch time curricular.
“Can I please ask people how long you have for lunch and what lunchtime curricular you offer. Our lunchtime is about to be shortened by 5minutes and I'm trying to find solutions to deliver PE clubs. Is 45 minutes a good amount of time for this?”
🤝🙏🌐
🚀 5. Measuring Personal Development.
“I would be interested in talking anyone who has any research on, or has been able to measure the impact they as a school, have had on students beyond academic results? Specifically interested in the impact of a personal development curriculum.”
🤝🙏🌐
❤️ 6. Building community via mental health in pastoral time.
“Due to some building issues! we are currently operating on different length of day/different timetable/different sites and staff have to commute etc. I would like to put on a much needed afternoon across the school to allow some pastoral time (unable to deliver much currently). We would have a 2 hour slot one afternoon each term, where we will deliver a bespoke timetable (by tutors) depending on their needs. But I envisage we will take this opportunity to deliver something around careers, mental health and some term based activities. My intent is to bring back our sense of community which is currently missing due to logistics and physical separation.
“Has anyone done something similar and they're willing to share ideas/resources? Would much appreciate responses. 😀”
🤝🙏🌐
🛡️7. Lettings policy and safeguarding.
“Dear All, am thinking about our lettings policy and safeguarding. Whilst the policy is cross referenced to KCSIE I am wondering if our process around lettings and safeguarding could be strengthened. Anyone open to discussion and sharing around this? Thank you”
💡👀🔐
❌ 8. Internal truancy of lessons.
“Hi all, having an on-going issue with internal truancy of lessons and students running corridors. Any advice on how you combat this? We have introduced truancy contracts, tried changing lessons, etc. but seems to be continuing.”
💡👀🔐
🧠 9. Poor attendance in conjunction with mental health.
“Looking for some ideas on what schools do pastorally to support students with really poor attendance in conjunction with mental health concerns who are refusing to access much of the help put in place. We have made referrals to external agencies etc but looking for some 'out the box' strategies that anyone else uses? Thanks!”
💡👀🌐🔜🔐
⚒️ 10. Behaviour system audit tool.
“I'm just taking over leadership of behaviour and culture in our school and i'd like to spend some time reviewing what we currently do. Does anyone have an effective behaviour system audit tool that they've found helpful?”
💡👀🌐🔜🔐
Resources shared in this thread are especially helpful 👇
🅿️1️⃣6️⃣ 11. Sixth form: independence, tutorials, student leadership.
“Hi all; I'm a newly appointed Director of Sixth and would be interested in connecting with others with a view to discussing reinvigorating independent learning at KS5, introducing new tutorial programmes and re-introducing Student leadership.”
💡👀🌐🔜🔐
❓12. SENCO Ofsted Questions.
“I wondered if anyone could help with possible Ofsted questions for our SENDCo. Any resources would be greatly appreciated around this.”
💡👀🌐🔜🔐
✅ 13. Attendance in Specialist PRU provision.
“I'm enjoying this work around attendance. As always I am learning loads from you guys. Thank you! Does anyone have any top tips for improving attendance in specialist (PRU) type provision please?”
💡👀🌐🔜🔐
Got a question? Ask the community.
In case you missed the last time I rounded up member questions, the We Are In Beta team invest 30+ hours a week helping you to get answers: keeping an eye on what’s happening, researching, replying, making introductions, signposting resources and updating our databases.
NB: due to the volume of questions asked, we now prioritise members of the Curriculum Thinkers Community and members of the Pastoral Champions Community.
Not a member?
Sent this by a friend?
On a personal note.
Here’s an answer to a question I’ve shared with you before….
The last time I rounded up questions, I shared 5 questions we ask ourselves that help the We Are In Beta team serve you better.
One of them was “How do we celebrate and recognise those who have helped others?”
That’s exactly what I want to do now. By saying thanks. And linking to vacancies at their schools. I would jump at the chance to work with such supportive colleagues.
Jonathan Mounstevens (Deputy Headteacher: Curriculum, Assessment and Quality Assurance at Beaumont School) - has helped more members than any other this year. Work with him here.
Fiona Eddie (Deputy Headteacher/DSL Lead at Bridgemary School) - checks in with others, signposts useful stuff and shares resources. Work with her here.
Charlotte Whelan (Regional Director for School Improvement, Community Schools Trust) - for her practical advice, generosity with her time and numerous introductions to brilliant colleagues. Work with her here.
Andy Lewis (Deputy Headteacher - Catholic Life & Pastoral at St Bonaventure's RC School) - for his humble and practical advice. Work with him here.
Adam Blake (Deputy Head Teacher, Quality of Education at Aldercar High School) - for responding to DMs and sharing incredibly valuable resources. Work with him here.
Mel Pearson (Head of Art , Design & Technology - Graphics at Broadwater School) - helping here and hosting here. Work with her here.
Leann Mills (Senior Assistant Headteacher at Haygrove School) - for always reaching out to the community for help whenever she needs it. Work with her here.
Tom Bellwood (SLE: Behaviour and Attendance, Chiltern Learning Trust) - for going out of his way to email his Behaviour Curriculum after he saw a tweet of mine. Work with him here.
A massive thank you to you all!
This is just a small selection of incredibly helpful members. I know there are many more who prefer to help each other in private via DMs, rather than in public in the feed.
I would love to thank them personally.
So my question for you is: who inside the community has helped you this year?
Hit reply to let me know.
Thanks for reading.
@NiallAlcock and the We Are In Beta team
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