LEAD ARTICLE: “Pastoral Care Across Borders: Recent Insights from South East Asia” by NAPCE NEC Member Charlie Walker

Pastoral Care Across Borders: Recent Insights from Southeast Asia by Charlie Walker

After graduating last July, I had firm plans to relocate to London and begin a master’s degree.

However, just a few weeks before, a fantastic offer came from EqualEd — an education charity I’d helped to set up — and so I decided to postpone the move.

Leading EqualEd’s research and partnership initiatives across Southeast Asia from September to December, I was tasked with visiting schools, charities and community organisations throughout the region, to identify possible partners and collaborators.

EqualEd is harnessing post-pandemic advancements in online learning by connecting volunteer teachers globally with children in low-resource and remote areas.

Serving as a digital platform, we not only offer high- level teaching in subjects like maths and science, but also foster connections with native English-language speakers.

Rather than replacing existing systems, EqualEd aims to add value to learning communities by providing world-class teaching, as well as resources like lesson plans and student activities.

Complementing this, we also run two additional programmes: one delivering free teacher training from Russell Group universities, and another establishing community-based, digitally-connected learning centres for the benefit of broader communities.

Our volunteer base is diverse, from university lecturers and safeguarding specialists in the UK who provide outstanding teacher training, to maths teachers in India and university students in the US who work directly with students.

The fourteen week trip across Southeast Asia — visiting seven countries in total — also offered an opportunity to delve into my own interest in pastoral care and student wellbeing.

It provided real-life exposure to these crucial aspects in an expansive array of educational settings, allowing me to explore and understand the nuances of support and wellbeing in culturally diverse and resource-limited contexts.

Along the way, I identified seven key areas that impacted pastoral care in the these schools.

First and foremost, these are considerations for EqualEd when delivering lessons and support.

However, whilst some are specific to their context, I hope that they may also be useful for teachers and providers in the UK, both in terms of cultural awareness and shared challenges, and also in providing an insight into a global picture of pastoral care.

1. Limited Resources for Staff and Students:

The pervasive challenge of limited resources in many educational settings directly impacted pastoral care, constraining the availability of support mechanisms. Insufficient funding often results in a shortage of support professionals, or even training for teachers, hindering the provision of pastoral care services to students. This was particularly prevalent in government-run schools across Cambodia and Laos, where teachers had received no training whatsoever on pastoral care, and even resources for basic education such as textbooks or notebooks were lacking.

2. Stigma Around Mental Health:

The deeply ingrained stigma surrounding mental health issues posed a significant obstacle to effective pastoral care in multiple settings. The cultural imperative of ‘saving face’ often appeared to discourage students from seeking help or expressing their struggles openly. Many students that I spoke with said that it was simply something not to be discussed at home or in school, and several had never even heard of the concept.

3. Lack of Defined Pastoral Care Terminology:

The absence of well-defined pastoral care terminology creates communication barriers crucial for addressing emotional and psychological wellbeing. Without a shared language, teachers were unable to explain how they might identify, discuss or implement pastoral care effectively. This linguistic gap underscores the need for a precise and universally understood vocabulary within diverse contexts.

4. Impact of Socioeconomic Disparity:

The stark impact of socioeconomic disparities was obvious. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are very likely to face significant challenges in accessing basic necessities like food and decent shelter. One fantastic project that I visited — the Cambodian Children’s Fund — work tirelessly to address this. There is a significant appreciation for the importance of life beyond the classroom, and so the organisation also provides housing and resources to the families of children living in and around the largest landfill site in Phnom Penh.Providing these basic necessities has not only transformed their lives, but also significantly improved attendance at their schools.

5. Traditional Gender Roles and Expectations:

Traditional gender roles and expectations directly influenced the pastoral care landscape by shaping students’ perceptions of available support. Gender stereotypes appeared to limit students’ willingness to seek help, particularly in cultures where certain issues are associated with specific genders. One project that I visited in a remote region of northern Laos had been established by university students in a nearby city, and specifically encouraged girls from the local community to attend special classes after school, all run by volunteers. Whilst pastoral care was not the focus of these classes, it appears to be a stepping stone in appreciating gender-specific challenges.

6. Inadequate Infrastructure:

Inadequate infrastructure may also hinder the implementation of effective pastoral care initiatives. Beyond insufficient training and support, several students and teachers cited a lack of quiet or private spaces, as well as no time built into the school day to have a break or spend time with friends. One pupil explained to me how he arrived at school at 6.30am in the morning, before leaving at lunchtime to work in a job late into the evening. He had no quiet spaces at school or at home, and very little opportunity to socialise with his friends.

7. Cultural Differences and Approaches:

Cultural differences often influenced the effectiveness of support systems, requiring pastoral care initiatives to match cultural perspectives. For instance, in a community where seeking direct help for emotional issues was considered taboo, a student I spoke with explained how she often relied on indirect means of support, such as confiding in peers or participating in spiritual gatherings to relieve stress.

As part of EqualEd’s teacher training programme, we are aiming to address some of these findings by building a free and universally accessible bank of resources for teachers and support providers. This will include videos, reading and case studies — available in a range of languages — that introduce key pillars in pastoral care and an opportunity to engage with best practice and leading thinkers. Our first resource — an introduction to safeguarding delivered by Sara Hedger who, as Global SVP for Safeguarding and Child Protection at GEMS Education, was responsible for the safeguarding structures protecting over 120,000 students — went live with our website launch last month.

Whilst these insights are invaluable for refining EqualEd’s approach to delivering lessons and support, they may also hold significant relevance beyond the Southeast Asian context. The challenges faced in these regions, from limited resources and mental health stigma to cultural differences and inadequate infrastructure, mirror often universal themes in education. By offering a brief glimpse into some of the dynamics of student support in resource-limited and culturally diverse environments, I hope that these observations provide a broad yet useful insight into aspects of the global state of pastoral care.

Charles Walker
NEC Member
NAPCE

EVENT: Details of FREE NAPCE Spring Conference Revealed – NOW BOOKING

Details of FREE NAPCE 2024 Online Spring Conference Announced

Following the huge success of the online Spring Conference events organised by NAPCE in recent years we are pleased to announce plans for the 2024 event.

It will take place on Wednesday 20^th March between 7-00pm and 8-30pm.

The title is ‘Achieving outstanding personal development and pastoral care in 21^st century schools.’

The keynote presentation will be from Shaun McInerney who is the School Leadership and Strategy Lead at the University of Worcester.

Shaun has led five start-up schools across England and India. He was a Senior Leader in a successful, large inner-city school in Liverpool and was the founding Principal (and latterly Executive Principal) of The Studio, Liverpool from its inception in 2013 to 2019.

Ofsted rated the Studio’s personal development as Outstanding and noted their success in turning around the lives of young people. In 2019 Shaun returned to international sixth form college, UWC Atlantic, as Director of Curriculum Innovation, pioneering their Changemaker curriculum.

Shaun continues to work at a system level with the Edge Foundation and international NGO, Ashoka, developing an ecosystem to help schools respond and meet the needs of young people in a rapidly changing world.

He has developed the New Capabilities for a New World Programme which is supporting Principals and system leaders in Greater Manchester to develop their leadership and strategy to enable young people gain fair access to the economic opportunities in their region.

Sean’s address will be followed by a Pastoral Care ‘Question Time’ with an invited panel of educational experts discussing current issues and topics.

Details will be available on the NAPCE Eventbrite page. National Association for Pastoral Care in Education Events | Eventbrite Book your free tickets for this event on NOW.

Remember to book your tickets early as in previous years all available tickets have been reserved several weeks in advance. The link for information and tickets is
https://NAPCESPRINGEVENT24.eventbrite.co.uk

AWARDS: Great Practice from the NAPCE Awards 2023 – Episode 3

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 – Sharing Good Practice – Episode 3

The NAPCE Awards 2023 was an amazing success, bigger than ever with a record number of entries and a sold-out event.

Every year we share a huge number of great examples of excellent practice in pastoral care and we’re proud to share some of these with you in NAPCE News which may help guide and inspire your own work.

For this third episode we’re focussing on the category International Contribution to Pastoral Care.
International Contribution to Pastoral CareThis award is for an international school, organisation outside of the UK or an individual working in research or in an international school outside of the UK, that has promoted or delivered high quality pastoral care.

In 2023 it was sponsored by Global Equality Collective.

The Global Equality Collective (GEC), is a multi-award-winning global community of over 13,000 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) change makers including 300+ DEI subject matter experts, working together to equip, empower and educate. We fuse this knowledge base with groundbreaking technology (the GEC Platform) which enables state-of-the-art analytics and the latest academic research to solve one of the biggest issues in education, which is diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Our aim is simple – to make ordinary classrooms extraordinarily inclusive

The winner of the International Contribution to Pastoral Care for 2023, announced at the grand presentation event in Worcester, in September was Charlene Secondary School Kiryandongo Uganda.
 
Here are some of the comments that were made about the 2023 winner of this award in the nomination.
 
“Charlene Secondary School is located in Kiryandongo District in a remote area of western Uganda. It was built and is being supported through Charlene’s Project, a UK charity inspired by Charlene Barr, a young girl, while battling with her own life-threatening illness pledged to raise funds to build a school in Uganda.  Although she did not live to see the school opening, she died aged 20 in 2010, her legacy lives on as staff and students in Charlene Secondary continue on their exciting journey of education. Supported by the charities’ UK/Ugandan Education Advisory Team and managed by Ugandan Charlene Education Foundation. 
 
The school, recognized from the outset the need to establish a school ethos and culture and the importance of involving the whole school community in developing this. Led by the Director and Head Teacher along with teaching staff, their Year 1 action plan focused on developing policies, procedures, and practices for pastoral care. They discussed topics like ethics, values, and standards before producing a draft statement on the vision and values they had for the school and began the task of enshrining these in policy.   A schedule was drawn up which included a fortnightly workshop involving the whole staff to address a range of pastoral issues which they encountered on a daily basis. Each of the two-hour workshops, facilitated by the Charlene Project Advisory Team outlined best practice in pastoral care and offered staff the opportunity to consider cultural adaptations required for their school. The table below provides an insight into the topics covered. The schedule was not followed slavishly, rather, they spend more time on some areas than others making adaptations and changes as required.
 
As in all schools they find the implementation of new initiatives a struggle therefore implicit in the action plan is the monitoring and evaluation process to be used. This includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches and involves all members of the community including parents.  The workload and energy required to develop policies and procedures for each area is daunting. Teachers embark on the planning every Friday at the end of their working day, many will have travelled many miles to get to the school and will endure the same journey home, often in difficult circumstances. Additionally, they will be back in school the following morning as they have a half day teaching timetable on Saturdays. They recognise this is a huge commitment but that it is the foundation for all follow-up work including teaching and learning. Charlene’s Secondary deserves credit and recognition for their commitment to making their school a centre of excellence in Pastoral Care.” 
 
Here are some of the comments made in the nominations for the other finalists in this category.

International School Ikast-Brande
 
International School Ikast-Brande has a high-quality approach to Pastoral Care.   As one of very few international settings in Denmark, with a focal point on Pastoral Care, International School Ikast-Brande educates, prepares, inspires, and creates learners to be best equipped for their future, not only academically, but personally, socially, emotionally, and mentally.   Learners at the school have the opportunity to develop themselves through.

• The spiral PSHE curriculum. 
•  meeting with their homeroom teachers every morning.
• acquire the skills to support one another and themselves following the SMILES programme.
• develop key knowledge of how to live a healthy life through our PE curriculum.
• learn necessary skills and techniques in mentoring. 

• Participating in the unique Life Skills programme.  

With a dedicated Deputy Head of School leading the pastoral care provision of the school, learners have the opportunity to access support quickly, effectively, and efficiently – be it in school or support from the local community.   The school are lucky to have such an excellent pastoral provision & such an impeccable international team of staff paving the way for each and every student.

University of Malta

Over the past years, the University of Malta, have been to promoting pastoral care in education including the wellbeing, resilience and mental health of students and school staff, at an international level, through participation and contribution to experts’ groups at UNESCO and the European Commission (2022-2023). It has developed  and organised programmes for schools and policy makers such as.

• the ‘Rescur Surfing the Waves Programme’, for Early Years and Primary School (revised in 2022), 
• an international virtual summer school on child protection in war and conflict zone in collaboration with the UN (2022), 
• three international summer schools on resilience, mental health and positive development (summer 2023)
• an evaluation of a mental health curriculum developed through an EU funded project (PROMEHS, Promoting Mental Health in Schools) (2022).
• Developed the first Master Programme in Transdisciplinary Childhood Studies (started first time in October 2020 at the University of Malta) and of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters in Resilience in Education (starting in October 2023).
• publication of numerous papers, research reports and book chapters on the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of school children, particularly marginalised ones.
• training of school staff in pastoral care such as teachers, support school staff and school administration.
• research projects on children’s wellbeing, mental health, children’s voices and social and emotional learning.

North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Jeju, South Korea

The school aims to create a home where individuals are nurtured and the whole personality can grow. They foster a caring and respectful community characterized by excellent relationships between staff and students regardless of age and background. Pastorally the school has an outstanding approach towards Pastoral Care and was recently awarded Safeguarding School of the Year by the ISC in 2023 in recognition of their work to keep students safe. They have ensured that all students receive digital citizenship training, there are safeguarding posters of adults who can help, meetings have safeguarding as part of the agenda, recently introduced a visitor code of conduct that also includes a safeguarding briefing when visitors come into school and continuous training throughout the year for staff.

One of the school’s goals is to ensure that new students are supported and welcomed into the school. They have introduced a number of new initiatives including using peer mentors to. support students, the Student Council arranging welcoming activities including lunches and a Scavenger Hunt, induction days and support from house committees. From August, all year 7 students (in response to feedback) will be allocated an older brother or sister to offer them support and guidance throughout the first term and help them not only settle in, but also feel a valued member of the school community. 

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

At Bromsgrove International School, is a school that has pastoral care, personal-social education, and the welfare of students at its very heart.  They strive to find innovative ways to support and develop students’ wellbeing. A recent tool has been the introduction of the ‘Well-Being Passport’, a document created with the child, for the child and which is editable and designed to progress through school with each individual.     Each of the 120 boarders have an initial meeting with a member of boarding staff in order to receive a dedicated time slot to understand, create and ask any questions in order to promote the intrinsic value of the passport initiative. Written in the students own words, the ‘Well-Being Passport’ identifies things that are important to them and what areas in which they feel they need support as well as helping students feel they are each known and valued as an individual in her or his own right, and that school life has a meaning and purpose for them. It has proven to be a useful reflective tool with some students, empowering them in choosing to meet and discuss their wellbeing passport in order to adjust their short- and long-term goals or review what support they feel they may need in order to achieve this.

Congratulations for everybody nominated for Pastoral Member of year in 2023. The nominations for the 2024 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education are now open. All the details are available on the NAPCE website www.napce.org.uk. Follow the link to make a nomination to recognise and value contributions to good practice in pastoral care in education.

Making a nomination for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2024 organised by NAPCE.

It is easy to make a nomination for the Awards to recognise good practice in the eight categories and it only takes a few minutes.

Here is some guidance on how to make your nomination.

• Visit our nomination page here https://napceawards.wufoo.com/forms/napce-awards-2024-entry-form/
• Or go to www.napce.org.uk and click on the link for the awards.
• This takes you to the page where you can make your nomination.
• Read the information about the criteria for each category.
• Provide your contact details as the nominee and the name of the person or organisation you are nominating with their email contact details on the form provided.
• Click on the button to select the appropriate category for your nomination.
• In the box provided provide information and any evidence to support you nomination.

You can make a nomination for another person or organisation, or self-nominations are also welcome.

You have 750 word available to describe the reasons for your nomination to the judges.

You do not have to use all 750 words and the best nominations are concise and clear.

Explain what makes your nomination an example of good practice.

Describe how it makes a difference in the learning experience of children and young people.

Give examples of actions that have been taken and outcomes that have been achieved.

Explain why you are proud of this nomination.

Make your nomination now to recognise good practice and achievements in pastoral care in education.

EVENTS: Important NAPCE 2024 Dates Announced 

NAPCE – Key 2024 Dates for the diary

We’re very proud to confirm that the NAPCE National Conference 2024 will take place in person on 25^th May 2024.

The theme will be ‘Sharing Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’.

The event is planned to take place in the London area and will include.

• A Keynote speaker presentation.
• Presentations sharing good practice form previous finalists in the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education,
• An audience discussion about the new pastoral book edited by NAPCE ‘Pastoral Care in Education. New directions for new times.’

Details and tickets will be available soon on the NAPCE Eventbrite page and more information will be shared in future newsletters.

EVENT: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones to Speak at ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024 – LAST CHANCE TO BOOK

We are partnering with ASCL again for the ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024, which is taking place on January 29th.

Tickets are available now.

NAPCE Chair Phil Jones is amongst the panel of expert speakers joining the event at The Birmingham Conference and Events Centre (BCEC).

The theme for this year is “Taking a proactive approach to pastoral leadership”

At the ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024, they will be looking at how pastoral leaders, DSLs, Inclusion leads in schools and across trusts deal with constantly changing priorities.

This event will support leaders to strengthen systems and processes and enable improvement, adopting a proactive rather than reactive response to competing educational demands.

It is a fantastic opportunity to focus on current whole school priorities of attendance, behaviour and inclusion and how they relate to rising SEND, mental health & wellbeing and disadvantage gaps.

This Conference will enable Pastoral Leaders to strengthen school provision and practice.

Meet the Speakers
Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at UCL, who will be identifying the escalating challenges, despite an online safety act, of online misogyny and what schools can be doing to respond effectively.
Victoria Raynor, Safeguarding Consultant will be exploring the practical approaches that schools must adopt to safeguarding and strengthen wellbeing.
ASCL Specialist, Tom Middlehurst will review pastoral priorities for Ofsted inspections. There will also be contributions from Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist, Alessandro Capozzi, Executive Headteacher, Academy2, Marc Rowland, Pupil Premium and Vulnerable Learners Adviser, Unity Schools Partnership, Amelie Thompson, Assistant Director of Education: SEND, Greenshaw Learning Trust, Dr Caitlin Shaughnessy, Research associate, Nicola Shaughnessy, Professor of Performance at the University of Kent, Hamira Shah, Deputy Headteacher, North Huddersfield Trust School and Andy McGowan, Policy and Practice Manager, Carers Trust.

Panel experts will include Phil Jones NAPCE and ASCL Council leaders.

For more information and tickets follow this link: https://www.ascl.org.uk/Pastoral2024

LEAD ARTICLE: “Working Together with Children to Support their Pastoral Care by NAPCE’s Luke Ramsden

Working Together with Children to Support their Pastoral Care – by Luke Ramsden

Very often any writing about school pastoral care can focus on what teachers can do for children in a way which makes the child appear very much as a passive recipient of care – waiting to be rescued from whatever difficult situation they find themselves in.

Yet with pastoral concerns for young people remaining stubbornly high in a post-covid world, and with resources ever-more stretched in schools, the key to effective pastoral care in schools must lie in helping students to help themselves.

What then should pastoral leaders in schools be looking to do help build resilience and pastoral understanding in their students as we start this new calendar year?

1) Safeguarding and pastoral education

Knowing what happens when a safeguarding referral is made can empower children and, crucially, make them much more confident in making a disclosure to a member of staff.

Understanding the process demystifies what can often seem confusing and secretive. When children understand the steps that are taken, and the purpose behind interventions, it gives them a greater sense of control if they make a disclosure.

More specifically outlining which agencies are notified depending upon the concern raised, what information gets shared and what follow-up might occur all helps to minimize fears that children might naturally have.  Most importantly, explaining the referral process emphasises that the purpose is to protect children and not to punish or blame them.

Removing the stigma around making a referral and reassuring children that they can trust external agencies that might be working with them are vital to facilitate disclosures of safeguarding concerns.

In the same way it is also invaluable to explain a school’s own internal processes.

All too often when there is an issue in terms of behaviour or bullying it is not possible for teachers to explain in detail what has actually happened because of the need to respect the privacy of all the children involved.

Explaining why this information cannot be shared at least reassures children why this system is not as open as they might like. In addition, broader information about what is happening in the school can be explained to the children very helpfully.

So, for instance, a regular misconception of school children is that whenever bullying concerns are raised they will instantly be dealt with as a serious disciplinary incident and a school will give out disproportionate sanctions and make the situation worse.

Letting children know broadly the number of bullying incidents that are actually dealt with without resort to disciplinary proceedings will help reassure children that teachers will be thoughtful in their response to concerns.

2) Ensure that student’s PSHE education is relevant and supports them in facing real-life problems

As well as helping students feel more confident in disclosing their problems to school, it is important to give children the tools to be able to build their resilience to the pastoral challenges that they will inevitably face in their time at school (and beyond).

A particularly important skill that schools are more frequently including in their PSHE is teaching mental health literacy.

Strategies like active listening, reassurance, crisis di-escalation and guiding others to professional help, gives young people invaluable skills to help struggling friends or family, and themselves.

In particular it can give them the confidence to have tough conversations or to make interventions that could be so important in supporting others in the school community.

Likewise comprehensive, judgement-free relationship and sex education exploring healthy relationships, consent, LGBTQ+ identities, contraceptives and so on enables young people to make safe and informed choices about their sexual health.

Other PSHE topics like finance literacy, media literacy, drug and alcohol awareness and time management techniques also give young people strategies to support themselves, and each other, in their time at school.

Learning to self-regulate and manage the complex challenges that life can pose is invaluable for schools to be able to set alongside the direct help that they can provide to students.

3) Provide Student mentors

Another way in which schools can build resilience for the students is to have a mentoring system where older children offer mentoring support to those in younger year groups.

For the younger child, having an older role model gives them someone to look up to who is closer in age and more relatable than an adult authority figure.

The mentor can help a younger student navigate social situations, understand school rules and expectations better as well having someone to talk to if they have particular problems.

Knowing they have a mentor to turn to builds confidents in the younger child and helps them feel cared for an supported.

At the same time, serving as a mentor builds leadership abilities in the older pupil, and reinforces lessons on compassion and responsibility.

With training provided by the school on listening skills and when to report concerns that might be safeguarding issues, this experience of mentoring steers the older pupil towards modelling good behaviours for impressionable younger children.

In addition the very act of mentoring reinforces lessons for older students as they must explain rules, expectations and good habits to their mentees.

Of course over time a mentoring programme also develops the sense of a community among the students of the schools, with the younger children growing up with an expectation that they in turn will become mentors for the new generation of pupils.

4) Use technology thoughtfully to help support, and engage with young people

With AI and other forms of technology a source of excitement as much as anxiety for leaders in education, going into a new year there are many positive ways that technology can be used to support student mental health and pastoral care in schools.

There are a number of online reporting platforms that allow students to ‘check in’ with their teachers to report safeguarding, wellbeing or bullying concerns.

These can be invaluable for students who do not feel comfortable talking to a member of staff in person during the school day.

In addition there is often an opportunity to allow for anonymous reporting which can further encourage students to make a report of a concern if they would not be confident enough to do so if they could be identified.

A particular benefit using these sorts of platforms in conjunction with schools is that student use of these platforms across the school and over the course of time can be analysed and patterns and trends of wellbeing can be noted and reacted to by the school.

So, for instance, if a number of students are noting lack of sleep as a particular problem then school might run some extra PSHE sessions on this and talk to parents about looking to support their children in improving bedtime routines.

In terms of developing resilience there are also a growing number of mental health apps which can offer many different forms of support, from helping students to have relaxation times with deep breathing and relaxing music to giving them coping strategies for anxiety/depression to helping them access information and resources and also accessing support directly via these apps.

These apps can also help students to assess their own mental health, giving them the opportunity to think about their own ‘zones of regulation’ and prompt them to understand when it would be wise for them to seek external support.

One such app, Kooth, works with the NSH and is freely available to any school student in the UK.

These apps can be particularly vital as crisis response tools as they ensure that young people always have the correct emergency contact information for suicide/self-harm prevention hotlines as well as other emergency service information.

In all of these ways school leaders can look to ensure that young people are developing their own sense of resilience in a way that not only enhances their own sense of wellbeing but that will also help to reduce pressure on the increasingly stretched resources that schools have to support the wellbeing and pastoral support of their pupils.

Luke Ramsden
NEC Member
NAPCE

ARTICLE: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones  on “2023 – A Busy Year Supporting Pastoral Care”

A Busy Year in 2023 Supporting Pastoral Care – Christmas Message from NAPCE Chair Phil Jones

As we approach Christmas and a new year it is an opportunity to reflect on the activities of the Association in 2023.

NAPCE has continued to engage with professionals in education and to raise awareness about the important contribution pastoral care and support makes to children and young people’s learning experience.

NAPCE was once again a partner with the Association of School and College Leaders in the planning and delivery of the Conference for Pastoral Leaders in Manchester in January.

I was pleased to be invited as a speaker and to share ideas with other speakers and delegates about the challenges being faced by staff in pastoral roles in schools.

It was brilliant to have pastoral leaders in large numbers in the same room all with the same determination to provide the best possible learning experience for children and young people.

NAPCE once again supported the 2023 Safer Internet Day by contributing to planning meetings and I represented the Association at the online events on the day.

It was great to see past and present members of NAPCE at the Anniversary Dinner in March to celebrate the 40 years that NAPCE has been actively engaged in encouraging approaches to education that support the welfare, well -being, achievement and personal development of children and young people.

The NAPCE conference in March brought together professionals to share ideas about pastoral care and to listen to guest speakers that included an HMI and psychologist that stimulated discussions about current issues.

The online conference had the title ‘Pastoral Care that Makes a Difference’.

Delegates who attended came from across the United Kingdom and from overseas and listened to speakers sharing their expert knowledge about a wide range of educational issues.

It was brilliant to attend the symposium in Belfast organised by NAPCE  in June in partnership with Stranmillis University College and to meet so many educational professionals who, through their care and support for learners, wanted to make a difference in their achievement and future life chances.

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 were a huge success with a record number of nominations received.

The presentation event was a memorable evening where judges, sponsors, members and finalists gathered to recognise and celebrate the good practice highlighted.

In October it was a proud moment for the Association when the book ‘Pastoral Care in Education. New Directions for New Times’, edited by NAPCE members was published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

This book will be an important starting point for debate in the future about the importance of pastoral care in education for researchers, writers, policy makers and practitioners.

The National Executive Committee have continued to volunteer their time and expertise to share ideas and plans for the Association.

Other members of the Association have contributed their time and expertise to the Editorial Board to ensure that the international reputation of the journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ continues to grow.

With so much to be positive about it must also be recognised that there are growing concerns about education in the United Kingdom and in other countries in the world.

As a National Association it is important that we continue to contribute our experience and expertise to discussions about the future of education in the best interest of all children and young people.

The concerns include.

• Children and young people not attending school.
• Parents choosing alternatives to mainstream education for their children.
• Teacher shortages.
• The gap between disadvantaged learners and their peers.
• Severe funding pressures.
• Well-being and mental health.

The results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey were reported in the TES magazine on 6^th December.

This survey completed every three years and organised by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compares student outcomes between high and middle-income countries.

The report showed that although international rankings have improved in Maths and reading since 2018, scores fell for the test taken in 2022 by 15-year-old students in the United Kingdom.

Concern for pastoral care in schools was that the UK was worse than average for well-being. A quarter of UK students (25 per cent) said that they were not satisfied with their lives compared with the OECD average of 18 per cent.

It was interesting that the survey found in the UK that there was more performance variation within schools than between them.

This raises questions about whether comparing the performance of schools is exploring the reasons why some learners perform better than others.

The Times newspaper reported in December that secondary school teaching recruits have hit a record shortfall.

Only half as many secondary school trainee teachers have been recruited as are needed in England this year.

The figures from the Department for Education showed that the figures for primary trainee teachers are better but there is still a shortage.

The problem is that producing the figures does not help schools or the learners in their care and what is needed is for somebody to ask why, and by understanding the causes find solutions that work.

At the same time the media was reporting on the Pisa survey, BBC news also reported that an Ofsted inspection was likely to have contributed to the death of a headteacher who took her own life after a negative inspection experience.

The Coroner commented after the hearing that the inspection “lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity” and was at times “rude and intimidating”.

Accountability is positive if it leads to improvements for the benefit of learners.

It can be argued that what is needed is what I would call ‘intelligent accountability’ which recognises strengths and weaknesses and provides the motivation and inspiration for developments in the future for the benefit of learners.

Clearly something is not right in education in the United Kingdom currently and in other countries in the world.

The situation cannot be blamed entirely on the pandemic, the wars in Ukraine and Palestine or the energy price crisis.

There is a need to reflect on whether the current approach of blaming individual schools for poor performance encourages improvements.

Is it time to consider whether it is the current system and in particular the values and beliefs in the system that are having a negative impact on the learning experience for children and young people.

Is it time for an educational system that values creativity and innovation and believes that this is more important than achieving conformity through fear and punitive approaches.

Effective pastoral care in schools provides the foundation for a learning experience that is focused on developing people as human beings.

A more humane approach to education which focuses on the needs of children and young people is more likely to be relevant to their current and future lives and inspire and motivate them to achieve their full potential.

Research is needed into the skills and attributes that learners need to achieve success in the modern world.

Practitioners need to be brave and challenge punitive approaches that have a negative impact on learners’ motivation at school.

Parents need to ensure that their children are not just numbers in a system, but are having their needs met in preparation for their future lives in modern society.

This raises many questions about what should be the values and beliefs of an educational system that is relevant to children and young people in the 21^st century.

Pastoral care has an important role in developing a culture in schools that supports learners in being able to thrive and succeed.

I hope you will contribute to this important educational debate as a member of NAPCE.

The new membership year starts in January and as an institution, school, or individual member of the Association you can support its work to provide future generations with a relevant learning experience.

Events planned for 2024 include an online event with speakers and invited experts in pastoral care discussing pastoral care issues and sharing ideas.

A conference will bring together people who share an interest in pastoral care in education to share good practice and discuss current challenges.

Later in the year we can once again look forward to the Presentation Event for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2024 to recognise and celebrate the difference that effective pastoral care makes in the learning experience and future lives of children and young people.

For more information about membership of NAPCE please go to www.napce.org.uk or email admin@napce.org.uk

Finally on behalf of NAPCE I would like to thank you for your interest and contribution to pastoral care in education and wish you a very enjoyable Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Phil Jones
National Chair
The National Association for Pastoral Care in Education

References
BBC News online, (2023). ‘Ruth Perrry. ‘Ofsted Inspection ‘contributed’ to head teacher’s death’, at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-67639942
Norden. Jasmine. (2023). ‘UK’s Pisa scores fall   in maths, science and reading. TES Magazine December 5^th 2023
Woolcock. Nicola, (2023) ‘Secondary school teaching recruits hit record shortfall’. Times newspaper December 8^th 2023.

AWARDS: Great Practice from the NAPCE Awards 2023 – Episode 2

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 – Sharing Good Practice 

The NAPCE Awards 2023 was an amazing success, bigger than ever with a record number of entries and a sold-out event.

Every year we share a huge number of great examples of excellent practice in pastoral care and we’re proud to share some of these with you in NAPCE News which may help guide and inspire your own work.

For this second episode we’re focussing on the category Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care.
Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral CareThis award is for A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference in pastoral care, for the benefit of young people.

In 2023 it was sponsored by Sponsored by Eileen Donnelly Educational Development Limited.

Based in Northern Ireland Eileen Donnelly educational development limited Supports Teachers’ and students’ personal, social, and emotional development to help them achieve success. It provides programmes on health and wellbeing, self – care strategies and personal effectiveness.

The winner for 2023, announced at the grand presentation event in Worcester, in September was Mohammed Adam from Manchester Academy, which you may find useful.

Here are some of the comments that were made about the 2023 winner of this award in the nomination.

Mohammed Adam is Manchester Academy’s School Family Liaison Officer and provides a direct link between Parents/Carers whose first language is not English. He speaks fluent Somali and Arabic and is available in school daily to bridge that gap in communication. There are more than 80% EAL students in school at Manchester Academy, and approximately seventy languages are spoken. He has also helped out on numerous occasions with translating documents for our website, so they are more accessible to our Parents/Carers, including assisting with translations for our latest prospectus. During the period of the two national lockdowns, Mohammed Adam’s work across our local community was of huge importance in terms of supporting families with food parcels, contact with other agencies and supporting the wider Safeguarding effort to ensure that students working remotely were engaging and remaining safe online.

Last year, Mohammed spent some time in Somalia visiting family. During this visit to Somalia, Mohammed has helped to establish a school in his ancestral village which caters for approximately 150 pupils per day. These youngsters had previously gathered under the shade of trees to access learning opportunities, but now, thanks to Mohammed and others he has worked with to secure the success of this project, students now have a building to attend every day. 

Here are some of the comments made in the nominations for the other finalists in this category.

Lads Like Us

Lads Like Us are inspirational because they talk from personal experience.
Their message is challenging because it highlights how they as young men had been let down by the system. They raise awareness about the important role that pastoral care has in schools to support the personal development of young people and to keep them safe.

They communicate a powerful message for professionals working in schools, that ‘nobody asked why’. This is not meant as a criticism of hard-working staff but of a system that sees negative behaviour as a problem and not as a symptom of the life experiences of a young person. They use the concept of ‘professional curiosity’ which is helpful for understanding how staff is schools can support young people. It challenges the view that some staff may have that they are not ‘social workers’ but encourages the view that what is needed, are pastoral systems that take an interest in the young people in the care of schools. By raising awareness of the reality of the daily lives of young people, Lads Like Us are making a difference in improving the life chances of young people. 

Sacred Heart PS, Derry

Sacred Heart PS is a large Primary School in the Waterside area of Derry City. Over 35% of pupils are in receipt of free school meals and the area is classed as one with high levels of social deprivation.  In recent times, and especially following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the school identified a need for the pastoral care team to focus on day-to-day neglect issues that teachers and families were facing. These issues did not necessarily meet the threshold for ‘Child Protection,’ but they were enough to concern teachers and our wider school community. Issues that teachers were facing regularly included children coming to school having had no breakfast, children coming to school not adequately prepared for the school day with no homework completed and no snack for breaktime, children whose uniforms needed washed, children whose personal hygiene was being neglected etc.

Initiatives to date include:  

• Toast Time: whereby every child in the school receives free breakfast three times per week. Funding was provided by local businesses.
• A winter clothing drive in November 2022. Parents and friends of the school donated winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves that they no longer used, and the school used these items to create the school’s very first free pop-up shop. 
• A well-being day for all children in the school in February 2023. This day consisted of yoga, mindfulness, Zumba, sporting activities, gymnastics. The feedback from pupils was extremely positive. – 
• Extra break items to give to children daily. – We attracted the attention of ‘The Irish Times’ when the Pastoral Care Team set up a 
• ‘First Holy Communion’ Pop up shop. Similar to the winter clothing drive, the idea was that parents donated used First Holy Communion dresses/suits, in order to help those who may not have been able to afford the extra expense, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.

Heather Tuffs, Nidderdale High School

Heather has introduced a local Community Project to Nidderdale High School that gives students in all year groups the opportunity to go out of school and volunteer in the community of Pateley Bridge and the surrounding villages. Students can work 1:1 with Heather or in small groups. Students are invited to participate in the project through the Pastoral Team. Referrals are made to Heather by considering many different aspects of a young person’s school and personal life. The aim of the community project is to give young people the opportunity to experience a sense of self-worth and recognition and to give them time away from school in a completely different environment where they can develop new skills and gain confidence. For some young people who have lost their identity and are questioning the purpose of their lives, this project has been lifesaving and life affirming.

The Community Project gives students opportunities to volunteer with local businesses and also to support elderly and vulnerable people through a wide range of activities. These include the delivery of prescriptions from the local pharmacy and grocery deliveries from a local store. Through the voluntary work, the young people get to know the residents, and this has enabled students to develop further volunteering opportunities. Some students have been able to offer to take residents who are housebound out of their homes for short walks. The Community Project can give a young person a different focus and help them to see that they can make a huge difference in the life of another person. For students, the Community Project is a way to gain experience in teamwork and communication. It may be that there have been difficulties between students socially or through social media and the project offers students time away from school to address any issues that are preventing them from working or socialising well.

B6        Girls on Board

Girls on Board originated at Thorpe Hall School in 2017 and is an approach which helps girls, their parents, and their teachers to understand the complexities and dynamics of girl friendships. The language, methods and ideas empower girls to solve their own friendship problems and recognises that they are usually the only ones who can. By empowering girls to find their own solutions, parents need worry less, schools can focus more on the curriculum and the girls learn more effectively – because they are happier. Girls on Board is delivered through empathy-evoking sessions which, first and foremost, acknowledge that the quest for trusting and reliable friendships is of paramount importance to girls in school. It also acknowledges that often, when teachers get involved in friendship turbulence, it can make it worse, not better for the girls. At least, that is what the girls have told us time and time again!

Congratulations for everybody nominated for Pastoral Member of year in 2023. The nominations for the 2024 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education are now open. All the details are available on the NAPCE website www.napce.org.uk. Follow the link to make a nomination to recognise and value contributions to good practice in pastoral care in education.

Making a nomination for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2024 organised by NAPCE.

It is easy to make a nomination for the Awards to recognise good practice in the eight categories and it only takes a few minutes.
Here is some guidance on how to make your nomination.

• Go to www.napce.org.uk and click on the link for the awards.
• This takes you to the page where you can make your nomination.
• Read the information about the criteria for each category.
• Provide your contact details as the nominee and the name of the person or organisation you are nominating with their email contact details on the form provided.
• Click on the button to select the appropriate category for your nomination.
• In the box provided provide information and any evidence to support you nomination.

You can make a nomination for another person or organisation, or self-nominations are also welcome.

You have 750 word available to describe the reasons for your nomination to the judges.

You do not have to use all 750 words and the best nominations are concise and clear.

Explain what makes your nomination an example of good practice.

Describe how it makes a difference in the learning experience of children and young people.

Give examples of actions that have been taken and outcomes that have been achieved.

Explain why you are proud of this nomination.

Make your nomination now to recognise good practice and achievements in pastoral care in education.

AWARDS: Meet the NAPCE Awards 2024 Judges 

NAPCE Awards 2024 – Meet the Judges

It happens on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ so why should pastoral care be any different.

It is time to meet the judges for the 2024 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education.

When the nominations close on 19^th April 2024 the judges will be sent all the nominations, and they will mark them independently.

The scores will then be collated, and the finalists will be announced later in the year ahead of a glitzy presentation ceremony in the autumn.

Jill Robson

National Secretary for the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education. Retired Secondary School Headteacher.

Professor Noel Purdy

Director of Research and Scholarship, Director of Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement at Stranmillis University College, Belfast.

Margaret Mulholland

ASCL specialist in special educational needs and inclusion for the Association of School and College Leaders.

Dr Julianne Brown

NAPCE National Executive member. Worked in International Schools in Switzerland as the Well-being and pastoral care co-ordinator.

Professor Anne Emerson

Associate Professor, University of Nottingham. researching in the areas of special educational needs, disabilities, and inclusion.

Dr Caron Carter

Senior Lecturer in Childhood & Early Childhood Education & Postgraduate Research Tutor in Education at Sheffield Hallam University.

EVENT: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones to Speak at ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024

We are delighted to be partnering with ASCL again for the ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024.

NAPCE Chair Phil Jones is amongst the panel of expert speakers joining the event at The Birmingham Conference and Events Centre (BCEC) on 29th January, 2024.

The theme for. the new year conference us “Taking a proactive approach to pastoral leadership”

At the ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024, they will be looking at how pastoral leaders, DSLs, Inclusion leads in schools and across trusts deal with constantly changing priorities.

This event will support leaders to strengthen systems and processes and enable improvement, adopting a proactive rather than reactive response to competing educational demands.

It is a fantastic opportunity to focus on current whole school priorities of attendance, behaviour and inclusion and how they relate to rising SEND, mental health & wellbeing and disadvantage gaps.

This Conference will enable Pastoral Leaders to strengthen school provision and practice.

Meet the Speakers
Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at UCL, who will be identifying the escalating challenges, despite an online safety act, of online misogyny and what schools can be doing to respond effectively.
Victoria Raynor, Safeguarding Consultant will be exploring the practical approaches that schools must adopt to safeguarding and strengthen wellbeing.
ASCL Specialist, Tom Middlehurst will review pastoral priorities for Ofsted inspections.
Panel experts will include Phil Jones NAPCE and ASCL Council leaders.

For more information and tickets follow this link: https://www.ascl.org.uk/professional-development/Events/Conference-for-Pastoral-Leaders-2024

LEAD ARTICLE: “Is Care Being Taken Out of Education. An article by NAPCE Chair Phil Jones 

Is Care Being Taken Out of Education by Phil Jones

An advert recently appeared on television in the United Kingdom featuring school children calling for people to talk about their mental health.

The advert can be found on YouTube and the school children talk about a world of crisis after crisis with climate change and the cost of living given as examples and their need to talk about these issues for their well-being and mental health.

The advert points out that it is not school subjects that they find the hardest but their own thoughts and concerns.

The children in the video call for people to ask them what is on their mind, to reduce stress and anxiety.

At the end of the film the subtitles point out that mental health has declined by 40 per cent in young people.

In September, at the presentation event for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education, I had the pleasure of meeting once again the charity ‘Lads Like Us’.

They do a brilliant job raising awareness about the care and support that children and young people need based on their own experiences of growing up in care.

They challenge the role that teachers and other adults have in school and are clear that they are not expecting education professionals to be social workers but encourage them to care about children and young people by asking why they are behaving in negative ways.

They use the term professional curiosity to explain why they believe professionals in schools have a responsibility and opportunity to care and support children and young people.

In recent months there have also been stories in the media of approaches to behaviour management increasing anxiety for children and young people.

The context for this is that schools have faced the challenge of addressing negative behaviour of some learners, possibly brought on by a lack of socialisation during the pandemic.

There have been stories of parents complaining about ‘draconian’ behaviour policies having a negative impact on children wanting to go to school and on their well-being.

Parents have complained about school rules which expect children to walk in school corridors in silence and argue that these rules are breaching human rights.

This emotional response is understandable because parents are going to be concerned about the personal development of their children when they send them to school.

The media has also reported on the view that stricter schools achieve better results.

The Times newspaper on 21^st October 2023 reported that schools with traditional education methods dominated the top of the school league tables.

It was implied that schools with rigorous approaches to behaviour management achieve the best outcomes for learners.

However, this depends on what evidence is being made to make these judgements.

Is the definition of a good school one with good examination results or does society have other expectations about the purpose of education.

Does education have a role in developing the human beings of the next generation? Is part of the purpose of education to prepare children and young people to make a positive contribution in the future to the workplace and society?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then any judgements about what a good school is, needs to consider how they care for the needs of the children and young people, in preparing them for life in a rapidly changing technological world of the 21^st century.

A study published in the International Journal of Educational Management argued that classrooms return to the stricter disciplined approach that was pushed out by permissive education in the 1970s.

The pastoral systems of a school implement and reinforce the clear boundaries and consistent routines that provide children and young people with a positive and safe learning environment.

Recent research suggests that stricter learning environments can help young people to thrive in the classroom.

Findings published in an online toolkit by the Australian organisation ‘Evidence for Learning’ shows that students perform in better examinations when teachers implement strict guidelines and argues that there is a link between student behaviour, classroom discipline and academic outcomes.

It is reasonable to assume that better examination results could be achieved if pastoral systems in schools prioritise developing complacent, conforming learners who are not distracted by actions to support their well being and socialisation.

If this is the priority, then the question must be asked; what is the cost to their personal development and preparation for their future lives?

Is there a risk that we are going back to approaches to education based on Victorian beliefs that children should be ‘seen and not heard?’.

Is the priority for the modern workplace people who can be compliant and conforming or people who can challenge, question, and suggest innovative and creative answers to difficult problems?

Is the priority for society to have human beings who can discuss concerns, share ideas, empathise with other people, and develop positive relationships?

If the answer to these questions is “yes” then pastoral structures and systems in school a have an important role in supporting children and young people in schools to understand the world they live in and to develop the skills and attitudes needed to be successful in the modern world.

Dr Anna Sullivan, a senior lecturer in Education at the University of South Australia commented in the ‘Educator Australia Journal’ that “rather than having a heavy-handed approach, schools should focus on relational aspects and have a more educational – rather than managerial approach to discipline in the classroom”.

There is a need for more research into the importance of supporting the socialisation of children and young people as part of their educational experience.

Otherwise, we are at risk of ‘experts’ or Multi Academy Trust leaders deciding on important questions about the purpose of education in the 21^st century without considering the well-being and personal development of learners.

This could lead to approaches being implemented that prioritise certain goals at the expense of others and are justified with evidence based on examination results and not on evidence that demonstrates how education is meeting the needs of children and young people in the modern world.

At a time when schools are facing challenges such as:

• Concerns about the mental health of children and young people.
• Growing concerns about absence form school since the pandemic.
• An educational funding crisis.
• Many school buildings not being fit for purpose.
• An increasing number of parents considering educating their children at home.
• Concerns from young people that their educational experience is not relevant to their needs in the modern world.

There has been little response from policy makers to these important issues.

Thinking has focused on school structures and whether academies and free schools provide a better learning experience.

What is needed, is a response that focuses on the role and purpose of schools in the modern world in meeting the needs of children and young people.

The call for stricter schools is in many ways a distraction from the real challenge of making school relevant for meeting the educational priorities of children and young people.

One recent response from policy makers has been the suggestion of a national ban of mobile phones in schools.

Any educational professional with a pastoral role will be able to tell you how technological advances with mobile phones has presented challenges for schools.

However, we have to accept whether we like it or not, that smart mobile phones with access to the world wide web are a reality in modern life and despite the difficulties they can cause they are an essential tool in the workplace and in everyday life.

Is it not more sensible for pastoral systems in schools to have a vital role in supporting children and young people to understand the appropriate use of new technology than to simply ban them.

This is just one example of how schools need to address the issues that are important to children and young people as part of their learning experience if school is going to continue to be relevant to their lives in the modern world.

Schools should not become the luddites of the 21^stcentury to prioritise examination results ahead of developing well adjusted children and young people who can make positive contributions to the rapidly changing technological world of the 21^st century.

NAPCE was formed in 1982 by leading educationalists who were concerned that education was not supporting the welfare and personal development of children and young people.

Since then, the Association has been supporting the view that the care and support provided in schools by pastoral structures and systems encourages academic achievement and personal development.

This concern by the founders of NAPCE is still relevant today and if there is going to be a clear understanding of the purpose of education and how it meets the needs of the economy, society and future generations of children and young people.

Faced with the strong arguments of ‘stricter schools get better results’, it is challenging to be an advocate for education having a broader role of supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential as human beings.

There is a need for parents, employers, educationalists, and young people to debate what does a relevant education look like in the 21^st century.

NAPCE is planning a conference in 2024 to provide an opportunity to discuss the issues that are important in deciding how pastoral care in schools is relevant to meeting the needs of children and young people in the modern world.

You can become an advocate of effective pastoral care and support in being an important part of children and young people’s learning experience by becoming a member of NAPCE and joining the discussion.

Phil Jones
National Chair
The National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE)
Any comments or views please respond to
admin@napce.org.uk

References
Bauman, Chris. Krskova, Hana. (2016.) ‘School Discipline, school uniforms, and academic performance’. International Journal of Educational Management. Vol 30, no6, pp1003-1029
The Educator Australia Online. (2018). ‘Do stricter rules help students?’. Found at https://www.theeducatoronline.com/K12news/do-stricter-schools-help-students/250432#:~:text=Do%20stricter%20learning%20help-classroom%20guidelines%20of%past.
Link Do stricter school rules help students? | The Educator K/12 (theeducatoronline.com)
Times Newspaper. (2023). Sit Down and Pay Attention! The evidence is clear – stricter schools get better results, October 21^st 2023.
U Tube (2023) ‘Britain get talking. The hardest subject’. found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7401lp4a7A

AWARDS: Great Practice from the NAPCE Awards 2023

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 – Sharing Good Practice 

The NAPCE Awards 2023 was an amazing success, bigger than ever with a record number of entries and a sold-out event.

Every year we should a huge number of great examples of excellent practice in pastoral care and we’re proud to share some of these with you on NAPCE News which may help guide and inspire your own work.

For this first episode we’re focussing on the category Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year.

Pastoral Member of Staff of the YearThis award is for a member of staff who works in pastoral care and who always makes the extra effort to support young people to enable them to become effective learners and achieve success.

In 2023 it was sponsored by North London Collegiate School, Jeju, South Korea.

This school is situated on the UNESCO World heritage Island of Jeju, in South Korea.

Their proud history began in North London over 170 years ago at NLCS UK. Students combine academic excellence and a deep love of learning with a wealth of co-curricular opportunities to develop into exceptional individuals, who believe that anything is possible.

The winner for 2023, announced at the grand presentation event in Worcester, in September was Liz Tzouliou, from East Barnet School.

Liz was nominated by Nicole Cara who is a member of NAPCE’s National Executive Committee.

Theses were some of the comments that were made about the 2023 winner of this award in her nomination.

“Liz is a whirlwind, a dervish and passionate advocate for all our students with SEMH and importantly those neurodiverse students who struggle to be understood and heard.”

“She continues to go above and beyond the call of duty for our students and makes a real difference to their lives.”

“Liz has created a sensory space in an abandoned office, upcycling rope, old tiles and materials discarded in a skip.”

“Liz encouraged a better use of the space for the pastoral needs of the children.   She has welcomed the school puppy into the space, despite, not liking dogs, because she will always prioritise the children over her own needs.”

“Liz cleans out the school rabbits on a weekly basis in our SEMH hub and  has stood knee deep in horse manure, whilst encouraging students on equine therapy, putting aside her own phobias around germs and dirt.”

“Liz has developed the art of the ‘social story’ winding back time to appreciate where the situation went wrong and what could have been done to not end up in anger, emotional turmoil, or distress, making huge difference to the social and emotional needs of the children.”

“She has perfected the art of allowing a student struggling with sensory overload, to regulate in the safe space she has created.

“She stands guard over those whose needs have led to a ‘melt-down’ in a public space – allowing time to sooth and calm.  Never thinking twice of challenging or educating those who fear the students.

“Liz has gone above and beyond providing clothes, shoes or equipment for students who are not able to have this provided for them by their families, thinking nothing of giving her own families clothes that are no longer needed to those in need.

“She feeds those who are hungry and those who are not hungry, not thinking twice about giving away her own lunch. She uses food to encourage everyone to rest, relax and to practice and model socialising and emotional co-regulation.”

“Liz runs a student voice group for up to 40 neurodiverse children where they celebrate their diversity and facilitates them to learn to embrace themselves and learn ways to manage that work for them.”

“Liz welcomes senior staff to these sessions as CPD, so they listen and understand the children’s needs, providing a reflective space for learning after the session. This is a whole school approach, and she even invites the canteen manager to come and hear their stories of sensory issues around food.”

“She affords them time to listen and time to talk, juggling that with writing lesson plans, support plans, filling in the interminable CAMHs forms, ados and other clinical forms, paperwork, emails, and record keeping.”

“Liz does all of this with the goal of making these students feel safe, safe enough to want to learn and to do the right thing, and she does so with an infectious smile.”

“Good practice was highlighted by the other nominations in this category. The comments that were made in these nominations demonstrate the positive impact being made by staff in pastoral roles.”

Mr Matt Pont, Beck Primary School 
Mr Matt Pont is an absolute inspiration. He has been at Beck Primary School for over 20 years as a Pastoral Manager, nothing is ever too much trouble for him, he is so popular with both past and present pupils, parents, and staff. He has all the time in the world for anyone, he has unique ways of getting kids to open up and the amount of trust they have in him is incredible. The nomination came from a parent who commented.
“I am a single dad and was at breaking point, I can honestly say if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here, I had lack of support from the mental health team and this is where he stepped in to help, even though he was there to support my son, he has brought my mental health on so much, simply  by having a cuppa and a chat with me every week. He has kept me going through dark and difficult times, as well as keeping my son going and lots of other families. He is always on the school gates welcoming children in every morning, always there with a hug and a smile come rain, sun or snow, it’s about time this amazing man was recognised for his achievements in over 20 years of doing pastoral stuff”.

Raymond Kelly, St Patrick’s College Dungiven
Raymond is an exceptional and talented teacher. He inspires staff and students alike as he leads the year 10 and 11 pastoral team and leads Music and Drama department at St Patricks Dungiven. Raymond’s infectious dedication and energy have impacted positively on students’ attainment and progress over the last few years. Students at St Patricks have a lower-than-average ability on entry, a higher-than-average SEN need and over 40 % of students attending are in receipt of FSM. There are a significant number of students who are vulnerable. Their life chances, aspirations and self-belief have increased due to the work of Raymond impacting not only on these individuals but families within the local community. Raymond does whatever is needed to ensure his students achieve their potential, weekly twilights, weekend rehearsals sessions nothing is too much. Raymond has also inspired and motivated students by facilitating experiences such as exposure to inspirational role models, trips and school productions. Raymond’s support of our young people is beyond the call of duty.   In his role as head of year 10 and 11 and Deputy designated safeguarding officer he has been an advocate for vulnerable young people including children in care. Raymond selflessly gives up his own time. Endless hours of contact and follow up before, during and after school with parents, pupils and outside agencies.     Raymond has prioritized pastoral care alongside academic achievement.  He is passionate about the mental health and well-being of the students in his groups. Raymond is an exceptional role model and continues to impact on the lives of many children both directly and indirectly through his leadership and support of other professionals.

Thomas Carter Stead, NLCS Jeju 
The school pastoral team is applying a whole school, ‘Positive Psychology’ approach to student wellbeing; identifying and celebrating character strengths, kindness, gratitude and positive emotions through tutor and PSD programmes which are delivered weekly. Thom has worked incredibly hard in ensuring our Personal Social Development programme is centred around NLCS Jeju’s approach to Wellbeing and has ensured that our curriculum gives students the knowledge and skills required to live healthy and independent lives.  Over the last few years, he has overseen several campaigns, including ‘Bullying Awareness Week’, which, in collaboration with students and Pastoral Leaders, promoted bullying awareness in our community. Thom ensured that he worked with both the Student Welfare Awareness Group and the Student Council, and all students were asked to make a pledge to stamp out bullying in our school. In the past he has worked with a professional writer to create a bespoke interactive online story game in which students play the character of a robot visiting their school in the future and learn about the impact of bullying behaviour. He has also coordinated a social exclusion experiment, which simulated an experience of exclusion for a few robust student volunteers.

In addition to this, Thom was at the forefront of supporting and overseeing other campaigns in school including Healthy February and a campaign on Mental Health Awareness, which will focus on promoting the importance of self-care, strategies to help with. These campaigns that are anchored around the school PEEC themes of positive relationships, positive emotions, positive health, positive engagement, positive accomplishment, positive purpose and sense of belonging. Thom has also worked with parents to raise awareness of pastoral issues that their children may be facing and has helped support parents in working with their children on these issues. For example, earlier this year he led a ‘Parents as Partners’ workshop on the topic of positive body image, and a workshop that tackled the difficult issue of E-safety and the effect of social media influencers.

Mrs Aine Deane, Sacred Heart Primary School Derry
Sacred Heart PS is a large Primary School in the Waterside area of Derry City. Over 35% of pupils are in receipt of free school meals and the area is classed as one with high levels of social deprivation. In recent times, and especially following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the school identified a need for the pastoral care team to focus on day-to-day neglect issues that teachers and families were facing. These issues didn’t necessarily meet the threshold for ‘Child Protection’ but they were enough to concern teachers and our wider school community.   Issues that teachers were facing regularly included children coming to school having had no breakfast, children coming to school not adequately prepared for the school day with no homework completed and/or no snack for breaktime, children whose uniforms needed washed, children whose personal hygiene was being neglected etc.

In response to these challenges, Mrs Deane worked closely with colleagues to establish the school’s first ever ‘Pastoral Care Team’ in September 2022. The Pastoral Care Team consists of teachers and classroom assistants from every key stage, and they meet half-termly to discuss new initiatives and ideas to ease the pressures faced by many families, and also to make school a safe haven for our young people.Mrs Deane has worked tirelessly with to make her action plan for pastoral care work in Sacred Heart PS.  Initiatives to date include:

• Toast Time: whereby every child in the school receives free breakfast 3 times per week.
• a winter clothing drive in November 2022. Parents and friends of the school donated winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves that they no longer used or needed and used these items to create the school’s very first free pop-up shop.
• well-being day for all children in the school in February 2023. This day was organised by Mrs Deane and consisted of yoga, mindfulness, Zumba, sporting activities, gymnastics.

Congratulations to everybody nominated for Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year in 2023.

The nominations for the 2024 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education are now open.

All the details are available here https://napceawards.wufoo.com/forms/napce-awards-2024-entry-form/

Follow the link to make a nomination to recognise and value contributions to good practice in Pastoral care in education.

PODCAST: New Chat Channel Launched Named Children’s Friendships Matter  

New Podcast “Children’s Friendships Matter” Launched 

A new podcast has been created by Dr Caron Carter, a researcher and senior lecturer in Early Childhood and Childhood Education is available now.

There are currently six episodes of Children’s Friends Matter which feature discussions with a range of experts and include the themes “Children’s Friendships Through the Lens of Slow Pedagogy” and “The Importance of Children’s Friendships in Early Childhood Education”.

It is particularly useful for academics, teachers, early educators and parents and would also be a good teaching resource on some courses.
 
All episodes are available for free now on Spotify and you can also find out more information and listen here https://research.shu.ac.uk/friends/podcasts/

CAMPAIGN: An Important Call-To-Action from Anti-Bullying Week This Month

ANTI-BULLYING WEEK 2023

NAPCE is proud to support Anti-Bullying Week 2023, an initiative which took place earlier in November to encourage discussions around bullying.

The 2023 theme was “Make A Noise About Bullying” and took place on November 13th-17th around schools and other places.

Anti-Bullying Week is organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and included Odd-Socks Day on the Monday, a symbolic activity to encourage discourse about the subject.

Amongst the information made available by the charity to the education sector by the charity are downloadable teaching resources and themed assemblies.

Friends of NAPCE VotesForSchools joined forces with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the Co-op and The Peer Action Collective this year to get children’s voices heard on the issue of bullying and schools’ response to it.

There shared a set of free resources, to encourage an informed, balanced debate, and access to their voting platform where any school could join the 60,000 VotesforSchools’ voices expected to take part.

VotesForSchools are also running a free CPD early next year to support schools with the findings that may come up from such a conversation with their children.

Here below is some further important information about the event shared on anti-bullying alliance.org.uk

How can you Make A Noise About Bullying?

As usual, schools can download free teaching resources and themed assemblies. These focus on the activities we can take to encourage young people to consider what bullying means to us, how banter can turn into something more hurtful, and what we can do to stop bullying.

Anti-Bullying Alliance patron, CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day led celebrity support for the campaign, with his band Andy and the Odd Socks. The band recorded and released a toe-tapping song to mark Odd Socks Day on the first day of Anti-Bullying Week. There’s a serious message behind the fun: let’s pull on odd socks to show we’re ALL unique and different, and let’s be kind to each other and respect each other’s individuality.

For older children, the buzz on social media is an important part of Anti-Bullying Week, and a great opportunity for schools to share how they’ve embraced the anti-bullying message. It’s easy to get involved via #AntiBullyingWeek and #MakeANoise on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter.

Please also join us in making a noise to decision makers about our calls to action:

• Schools should be required to have an anti-bullying lead responsible for coordinating an anti-bullying strategy.
• Initial teacher training should include anti-bullying training: Currently, teachers are not required to even know what bullying is as part of their initial teacher training.
• There should be a duty to record bullying in schools in England as there currently is for schools in Northern Ireland.

How you can get involved!

• Access our free primary and secondary school packs
• Get involved in Odd Socks Day at school, work, or at home 
• Nominate a member of staff for our School Staff Award! (NOMINATIONS NOW CLOSED)
• Pledge your support for Anti-Bullying Week 
• Get involved on social media! 
• Register to our planned events
• Keep up with our members activity
• Review our tool for parents and carers
• Contact your MP
• Purchase merchandise

You can keep informed and support the Anti-Bullying Week 2024 by signing up to our mailing list or becoming a member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
And follow us on Twitter via @ABAonline #AntiBullyingWeek

EVENT: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones to Speak at ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024

We are delighted to be partnering with ASCL again for the ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024.

NAPCE Chair Phil Jones is amongst the panel of expert speakers joining the event at The Birmingham Conference and Events Centre (BCEC) on 29th January, 2024.

The theme for. the new year conference us “Taking a proactive approach to pastoral leadership”

At the ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders 2024, they will be looking at how pastoral leaders, DSLs, Inclusion leads in schools and across trusts deal with constantly changing priorities.

This event will support leaders to strengthen systems and processes and enable improvement, adopting a proactive rather than reactive response to competing educational demands.

It is a fantastic opportunity to focus on current whole school priorities of attendance, behaviour and inclusion and how they relate to rising SEND, mental health & wellbeing and disadvantage gaps.

This Conference will enable Pastoral Leaders to strengthen school provision and practice.

Meet the Speakers
Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at UCL, who will be identifying the escalating challenges, despite an online safety act, of online misogyny and what schools can be doing to respond effectively.
Victoria Raynor, Safeguarding Consultant will be exploring the practical approaches that schools must adopt to safeguarding and strengthen wellbeing.
ASCL Specialist, Tom Middlehurst will review pastoral priorities for Ofsted inspections.
Panel experts will include Phil Jones NAPCE and ASCL Council leaders.

For more information and tickets follow this link: https://www.ascl.org.uk/professional-development/Events/Conference-for-Pastoral-Leaders-2024

LEAD ARTICLE: “NAPCE’s Georgina Saralis Discusses the Value of Recognition and Awards in Pastoral Care”

The Value of Recognition and Awards in Pastoral Care by Georgina Saralis

For those who were present at the NAPCE National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 evening, on 29th September at the Graeme Hick Pavilion, Worcestershire County Cricket Club, it was an opportunity to celebrate the hard work of the deserving finalists and to recognise the outstanding achievements of the eight winners.

To be able to shine a light on the great practice that is happening day in and day out and to hear accounts of how individuals and teams are dedicated to supporting children and young people in their learning made this a special evening, especially for those who acknowledge the imperative of excellence in frontline pastoral care in any educational institution.

This is the fourth year of these awards and there is no doubt they boost the morale of the educators and support staff involved and encourages them to continue their good work.

They promote, too, the sharing and implementation of effective approaches across the education sector and are setting a benchmark for other schools to strive for.

The National Teaching Awards have been running since 1998 and as yet have not evolved to include a discrete pastoral care category; it makes the NAPCE Awards all the more significant in highlighting the importance of holistic development in education, sending a clear message that academic achievement is not the only focus, that the overall development of the child is equally important.

Recognition in this way can raise awareness among parents, educators, and the wider community about the crucial role of pastoral care.

It can give an insight into the efforts being made to help address the social, emotional and mental health needs of students, at a time when the charity YoungMinds report on their website an increase in referrals to CAMHS by 53% since 2019 suggesting ‘that more children and young people than ever before are struggling with their mental health’ (June 2023).

The Pastoral School of the Year was awarded to the Richard Cloudesley School and collected by headteacher Mr Francis Gonzalez, who is clearly very proud of his staff who, he says, work tirelessly to get the best outcomes for every single child and their family.

This respect for the efforts of his colleagues to support the 80 students who attend this school, who have profound learning difficulties, physical disabilities and complex medical needs, is rooted in his commitment to their right to access learning and to the life that learning makes possible.

This is underpinned by a determination to ensure every student has an opportunity to express an authentic voice and the school invests in a range of communication systems and training for all of its staff members to make this possible.

Having a voice raises self-esteem and confidence and may engender in a young person a feeling of social inclusion and having agency in their own life, which are key social and cultural components of mental wellbeing (Mahmud and Satchell, 2022).

Working at Richard Cloudesley can be both rewarding and challenging; sadly, the fragility of the students means they may succumb to their health condition.

The essential features of proactive pastoral care focus ‘on creating, embedding and nurturing a community’s wellbeing culture’ (O’Neill, 2021) and the staff’s mental health is included in this and is taken very seriously.

There is a well developed coaching culture to encourage reflective practice, along with wellbeing champions and, more recently, mental health first aiders and a staff social events group.

Physical development is an important aspect of a student’s overall well-being and the school’s July newsletter gives an account of how they have been carrying out pioneering research on Innowalk, having raised £60,000 to do so, to explore whether the use of a robotic rehabilitation trainer could influence the quality of life of their students with severe cerebral palsy.

They are working also with The Department for Health on their cross party research into acquired brain injury.

Striving to create a learning environment where everyone feels valued, respected and supported is at the heart of this school community. At Richard Cloudesley, as Francis Gonzalez says, no child is too anything to learn.

The equity, diversity and inclusivity that underpin this example of best practice requires the collective effort of all stakeholders, which makes the Award for Pastoral Team of the Year an essential celebration of the teamwork and collaboration involved in this shared responsibility.

This year it was won by Stockport Academy and Assistant Principal Katherine Appleby fully believes that they nurture community that is within and outside school contributing to positive family lives and the happiness and success of all as a result.

The context of the school reveals it sits within an area of socio-economic disadvantage with many children from some of the most income-deprived households. In addition 24 per cent students at the Academy have an identified SEN need and 41 per cent students are pupil premium with 37 per cent entitled to FSM.

Partnership working is an essential part of supporting vulnerable students and in addition to an extensive pastoral team of five heads of year, five pastoral managers, a positive behaviour mentor and full time counsellor there is also an Early Help Assessment coordinator, a home liaison officer, attendance support team, young carers lead, a mental health lead and a safeguarding team who have been recognised for their exceptional proactive approach.

In particular, alongside the home liaison officer and attendance lead who visit homes of many families to remove barriers such as providing uniform or transport, the safeguarding team provide early help interventions for students that include their families.

The outcomes achieved are reduced exclusions and improved attendance and engagement; the work Stocktport Academy is doing gives evidence of when a school encourages increased parental engagement with their children’s learning ‘overall children’s achievement tends to improve’ (Goodall & Montgomery, 2014). Furthermore, when considering a students ’s overall wellbeing’ family and social relationships are a crucial element.

Kate Appleby speaks with passion about how the pastoral team ensure that all students are supported to be successful in school, to access opportunities and positively impact the lives of others around them and generations of their own families.

The pastoral team she explains, see this as their responsibility and their privilege. The outcome – students are unanimous in their feelings of being safe and happy at their school.

Pastoral care matters: how we make young people feel on a daily basis in school shapes their personal and social development.

Every child deserves to be in an environment where they feel safe, cared for, and supported and NAPCE national awards for pastoral care in schools promote this ideal.

Georgina Saralis
National Executive Committee
NAPCE

The photograph was sent by Francis Gonzales of Richard Cloudesley School and shows a student presenting him the Pastoral School of the Year Award from the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023.

References 

Goodall, J. & Montgomery, C. (2014). Parental involvement to parental engagement: a continuum. Educational Review, 66(4), 399-410.

Mahmud, A., & Satchell, L. (Eds.). (2022). Mental Wellbeing in Schools: What Teachers Need to Know to Support Pupils from Diverse Backgrounds (1st ed.). Routledge.

O’Neill, M. (2021) Proactive Pastoral Care: Nurturing happy, healthy and successful learners. Bloomsbury.

YoungMinds Press Release (June 2023). Accessed 4 October 2023: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/yearly-referrals-to-young-people-s-mental-health-services-have-risen-by-53-since-2019/

AWARDS: “What a Wonderful Evening” – National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education Awards 2023 – WINNERS ANNOUNCED

NATIONAL AWARDS FOR PASTORAL CARE IN EDUCATION 2023 – “A  WONDERFUL EVENING”                                                                                                                                                 

The nominations for the 2023 awards closed in April and the judges then spent the next month reading through the high-quality examples of good practice in pastoral care in education.

The finalists were announced by NAPCE in June and the preparations started for the Presentation Event in Worcester on the 29^th September to celebrate and recognise the achievements of all the finalists and to announce the winners.

The venue for the Presentation event was the Graeme Hick Pavilion, at the Worcestershire County Cricket Ground in Worcester with the amazing views across the cricket pitch towards the River Severn with the Cathedral in the background.

The event was sponsored by Majesticare, who have been providing award-winning, outstanding care for older people for over 20 years.

On the Friday morning the venue staff arranged the tables and the yellow and blue balloons in NAPCE colours and other decorations were placed on each table.

In the afternoon there was time to prepare the prosecco and refreshments ready to welcome the guests.

The photographer arrived and set up on the red carpet at the entrance to the pavilion to capture the special moment as the guests arrived.

The guests included sponsors, judges, NAPCE members and of course the finalists all dressed to impress for the evening.

When Phil Jones, the national Chair of NAPCE, stood up to welcome everybody to the presentation the room was full, and many others joined the event through the live streaming including guests from Malta, Denmark and Switzerland.

It was brilliant to have so many people at the event with an interest in supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential from their education.

The guest speaker was Ron Skelton the Headteacher and CEO of Broadway School in Birmingham.  He gave an excellent presentation, sharing his experiences of building the values and culture of a school and the important contribution that pastoral care makes.

The entertainment on the evening was provided by performers from Alderbrook School in Solihull, Chipping Campden School in Gloucestershire, and McCarthy Felton School of Irish Dancing in Bidford on Avon in Warwickshire.

The finalists were introduced in each category and the winners announced to collect their plaques and prizes.

The winners of Awards were:

International Contribution to Pastoral Care 
Sponsored by Global Equality Collective
Presented by Chloe English, World Irish Dancing Champion

• Charlene Secondary School Kiryandongo Uganda

Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care Finalists
Sponsored by The Association of School and College Leaders
Presented by Margaret Mulholland from ASCL

• Ellie Costello, Team Square Peg

Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care 
Sponsored by Eileen Donnelly Educational Development Limited
Presented by Eileen Donnelly, Member of NAPCE National Executive Committee

• Mohammed Adam, Manchester Academy

Pastoral Development of the Year – 
Sponsored by Crown House Publishing
Presented by Ron Skelton Headteacher and CEO, Broadway Academy, Birmingham.

• Raymond Herron, St. Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School

Pastoral Leader of the Year
Sponsored by Taylor and Francis
Presented by Mel and Ellie from Majesticare

• Mrs Aine Deane, Sacred Heart Primary School, Derry

Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year 
Sponsored by North London Collegiate School, Jeju, South Korea
Presented by Jill Robson, NAPCE National Secretary

• Liz Tzouliou, East Barnet School

Pastoral Team of the Year
Sponsored by Connect to Purpose
Presented by Georgina Saralis Founder and CEO, Connect to Purpose

• Pastoral Team, Stockport Academy

Pastoral School of the Year
Presented by Luke Ramsden, NAPCE National Executive and previous winner in the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education.

• Richard Cloudesley School

The Headteacher of the School of the Year Award winner made the following comments after their victory was announced.

“My name is Francis Gonzalez and I am the Headteacher at Richard Cloudesley special needs school in Islington, London.
This award means a lot because at Richard Cloudesley School supporting pupils with the social and emotional aspects of learning, their pastoral needs, underpins everything we do.

“We are a school for children with complex physical and medical needs and many of the children we teach would but have even made it to school not so long so.

“Our pupils are vulnerable in many ways so pastoral work to build emotional and physical resilience, and to promote wellbeing, is vital and something we work really hard to get right. Our children have many struggles.  But we don’t just aim for our children to cope in the big wide world. We want them to the contribute, to particulate, and most of all to thrive.

“So to have this work recognised makes me and everyone at the school so proud. Getting to work with our children is a gift, getting to work with my staff is humbling, and receiving this award is an as an absolute honour.

“On behalf of my staff, the families and most of all the pupils of Richard Cloudesley School…Thank you.”

After the winners in each category had been announced there was time to meet other guests and celebrate the good practice that had been highlighted by the awards.

The guests had travelled from all parts of the United Kingdom to attend the Presentation for the 2023 awards and this is illustrated by the chart below.

Theses are some of the comments that were made about the Presentation Event for the 2023 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education.

• “Many thanks for a wonderful occasion and for making me feel welcome”.
• “What a wonderful evening arranged”.
• “Well done to the organisers of this touching event. It reaches many hearts”.
• “I had an enjoyable time at the event and got the chance to speak with some interesting people”.
• “We had a lovely night and were proud to be in the final 5 for Pastoral School of the Year Award. Thanks so much for a lovely evening”.
• “To have this work recognised makes me and everyone at the school so proud”.
• “Thank you so much for the wonderful NAPCE Awards Presentation in Worcester. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it was wonderful hearing about all the amazing thigs being done in education”.
• “The event, the venue and the organisers were all exceptional”.

Future editions of the newsletter will share good practice highlighted by the nominations for the 2023 awards.

The nominations opened on October 1^st for the
National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2024.

Nominations can be made by following the link NAPCE Awards 2024 – Entry Form (wufoo.com)

Follow the awards on X (was Twitter) (@napce1) using #napce24.

The Presentation Event for the 2024 Awards will take place in Worcester on Friday 11^th October 2024.

More information about the 2024 National Awards and the Presentation event will be shared in future editions of the Newsletter.

Autumn Meetings

The autumn meetings of the NAPCE National Executive Committee and the Editorial Board for the journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education took place in London on Saturday 14th October.

The meeting was an opportunity for members of the committees to meet face to face to discuss recent events and issues and to plan actions and activities on behalf of NAPCE members and subscribers to the journal in the future. The National Executive Committee meeting included a discussion of members actions on behalf of NAPCE in recent months a report on conferences, events including the 2023 national awards and updates about publicity, marketing, administration finance and membership.

Ideas were shared and plans made for NAPCE activities in 2024 including an online event and a conference to explore current issues in pastoral care in education. the Editorial Board were given positive reports about the journal and discussed plans for future special editions.

More information about NAPCE activities planned for 2024 will be included in future editions of the newsletter.

SAFER INTERNET DAY 2024

NAPCE is once again pleased to be a partner organisation for Safer Internet Day. Phil Jones, the Associations’ National Chair attended the online planning meeting for Safer Internet Day on Thursday 28^th September. This annual event raises awareness about how children and young people can use the internet safely. Safer Internet Day 2024 takes place on Tuesday 6^th February. The theme for 2024 is “Inspiring change, making a difference managing influence and navigating change online”. Please visit www.saferinternet.org.uk for information about the plans for the event. NAPCE will be represented at the next planning meeting in November and further details about the plans for the day will be shared in the NAPCE newsletter.

ASCL 2024 Conference for Pastoral Leaders

In recent years the annual conference for pastoral leaders has become an important event on the educational calendar. The 2023 conference took place in Manchester and NAPCE partnered ASCL in organising the event.  As in previous years it was an important opportunity for pastoral leaders and staff in pastoral roles to meet and discuss the current issues and challenges they face. Once again NAPCE will be supporting ASCL with the planning of the 2024 conference and National Chair, Phil Jones has attended planning meetings. More information about the conference will be available on the ASCL website and shared in future editions of the NAPCE newsletter.

BOOK: New NAPCE Book Published

NEW NAPCE BOOK PUBLISHED

The new pastoral care book edited by NAPCE will be published in hard back by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. It is available to pre order now from Cambridge Scholars Publishing website, on Amazon and in Bookshops. Follow the link https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pastoral-Care-Education-Directions-Times/dp/1527532461/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TQNI0B2YYBG1&keywords=pastoral+care+in+education&qid=1697478774&sprefix=pastoral+care+in+education+%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-2

The Book edited by Dave Trotman, Phil Jones, Noel Purdy and Stan Tucker with contributions from NAPCE members is called Pastoral Care in Education. New Directions for New Times.

This book is both a celebration of 40 years of the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE) and a forward-thinking volume examining the key pastoral issues of our time. Bringing together a range of expert contributors from a variety of educational settings, the book offers fresh insights and evidence-based strategies which will be of immediate relevance for all educators.

This unique volume considers a wide range of themes, from charting the early days of pastoral care in education in the UK and the establishment of NAPCE through to the discussion of contemporary pastoral challenges facing children and young people around the world. This timely volume makes the case for the centrality of pastoral care in education and offers new directions for pastoral education, research, policy and practice.

AWARDS: NAPCE AWARDS 2023 Photo Gallery now LIVE

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 was a tremendous success.

It took place at the Graeme Hick Pavilion, Worcestershire County Cricket Club on September 29th, 2023 and was sold out.

Winners were crowned from eight categories and the deserving finalists were also celebrated on a special night for people who work in pastoral care roles in education settings.

We are delighted to now share a full photo gallery from the event.

You can view the full gallery and choose which photos you would like to download right here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VbVapRpjSEqN5n4M4OXUp3VghhMXDSBK?usp=share_link

MEETING: Free Training Session on November 16th – BOOK NOW 

Ever Considered Becoming a Reviewer for NAPCE’s Journal?

Have you ever considered becoming a reviewer for an academic journal and learning more about what makes a good research article?  Perhaps you already review articles but feel that you need some refresher training?

If so, then please consider registering for a FREE online training session facilitated by Victoria from Taylor & Francis (publisher) and myself as Editor of the journal Pastoral Care in Education.

The session will be held on Thursday November 16, 2023 4:00 PM (UK Time) and will cover all aspects of how to be a peer reviewer, including ethical considerations in peer review, responsibilities of a reviewer and how to write a report, as well as example cases.  The session will last around an hour (max 1.5 hours) depending on how long the Q&A lasts.

Most of the content is generic to any discipline, but this training also offers participants the opportunity to learn more about being a reviewer forPastoral Care in Education in particular and thus to gain further experience and build connections in the field.

Whether you are new to reviewing or looking to polish your skills, sign up here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvde-upzwuGd0NvDNMk5oABtge4ojwXhCg
 
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
With best regards,

Professor Noel Purdy
Editor, Pastoral Care in Education

LEAD ARTICLE: “Pastoral Care For All – One Brain at a Time” by NAPCE Officer Eileen Donnelly ?”

My attention was caught recently, by an article in The Pastoral Care for All – One Brain at a Time
 
As we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of NAPCE we reflected on the role it has had in informing our pastoral provision in schools.

Our postponed celebratory dinner – which took place earlier this year – afforded us the opportunity to express gratitude to the many authors and contributors to the journal which over the years had shaped and formed our thinking enabling us to arrive at where we are today.

The pastoral journey spans from the earliest years of providing financial and physical support to small numbers of individual students, through to the development of a topic-based curriculum delivered to the ‘less able’ students, and more laterally a statutory skills based Personal Development programme which supports students to take responsibility for their social, emotional and cognitive development.

Additionally, the literature helped move us away from the historic divide between the ‘pastoral’ and ‘curricular’  aspects of the school. Subject teachers were encouraged to get to know their students and build strong relationships with them. Pastoral care was to be ‘caught’  in addition to ‘taught’ 
 
More laterally, the field of neuroscience had added even more grist for the mill giving Teachers an insight into the uniqueness of each student’s brain, the behavioral impact of underdevelopment and the need for support to compensate.

We are learning that the adolescent brain is  very much ‘under construction’. Many of the regions including the frontal lobe (top front) which is concerned with executive function, judgement, and impulse control will not be fully developed until early adulthood, long after they have finished their formal school education.

Normal growth appears to occur between the ages of six and ten (KS2) and again in early twenties leaving the years between ten and eighteen (KS3 & 4) void of improvement.

Might this go some way to explain students’ lack of focus, poor organization, time management skills, and inability to register tasks and follow through with them until completion. Might our expectations of some students be just too high? Might this bring a new focus to the kind of care we need to provide for them? 
 
When they appear tired and lazy, we may be right in thinking they have had late night ‘screen time’ however it may indeed be because their brain has been busy ‘pruning’.  The process of cutting back old unused neuron connections to reshape new brain connections and allow for more growth happens mostly at night and requires energy.

Similarly, melatonin levels in adolescents naturally rise later at night and fall later in the morning . This may explain why many teens stay up late and struggle with getting up in the morning.

They frequently need more sleep than children. This sleep interruption can explain lethargy, lack of concentration, poor engagement with learning,  increased impulsivity,  irritability and depression. Until we create a greater awareness of this, student’s health and wellbeing may not be addressed appropriately.
 
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain associated with producing intense feelings of pleasure and reward. During adolescence, levels in the limbic system can increase dramatically.

Serotonin, known as the calming chemical, on the other hand, eases tension and stress and can counteract the excitement and recklessness that dopamine can produce.

If there is a defect in serotonin processing in the brain, there can be vulnerability to boredom, increased risk taking and impulsiveness manifesting in behaviours which can have lasting negative consequences.

Neuroscientists have also alerted educators to what they describe as  ‘temporal discounting preference,’ and ‘underdeveloped brain organization.’

The impact of this is seen in students’ impetuous behaviour and making choices which offer short-term rewards.

Despite this, our expectations of students is that they become self-motivated, make responsible career choices, set personal and academic targets, and strive to achieve them. We need to rethink how best to achieve this, considering these findings.

The prefrontal cortex which essentially manages emotions and impulse control has developmental delays years behind the limbic system. Until it catches up with the rest of the brain our students will rely on the amygdala to steer them through very difficult situations. For many, this will prove an unreliable source of support as it is not a thinking organ, rather, it works on instinct rather than logic.

This turmoil often explains why the period of adolescence is when many mental disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and eating disorders emerge. Early intervention strategies that create an awareness of this and train the amygdala to make better decisions are essential.
 
Perhaps most interestingly, research into neuroplasticity offers teachers the most hope by dispelling the notion of fixed intelligence.

We have always known that neurons and synapses, changing and strengthening connections, are at the root of all learning in the brain.

However, we believed that neurons were predetermined at birth by biology and genetics. Using a carbon dating technique scientists can prove that neurons can grow in the hippocampus region of the brain which is known to play a crucial role in  memory and learning.

Teachers have to accept that students can get ‘smarter’ and figure out how best to achieve and capitalise on it.
 
Neuroscience has lots to offer Teachers, but does it pose more questions than answers?

• Should research developments feature more on Teachers CPD?
• Might it revolutionize the care and support we give Students during their most vulnerable years?

• Without the luxury of magnetic resonance imaging scans how will we know who to target for support?

And the students:

• Can they really blame it all on their brain?
• Can we afford to ignore it?
• Can we even begin to measure the destructive impact this can have on their lives?

• Will they be receptive to intervention strategies until their brain ‘grows up’?

The GL PASS Psychometric test provides insightful information on the mindset of students, how they will respond in certain situations and the impact it will have on their behaviour and learning. Schools are using it to identify students in need of immediate support. In response, we have developed a range of brain-based intervention strategies informed by research from the fields of Neuroscience and behavioural change techniques.

The  ‘PASS – Mentoring Intervention Programme’ introduces pupils to a basic understanding of their brain and uses videos to demonstrate the skills driven behavioural change strategies, which, with persistent practice, will change their behaviour enabling them to be more in control of their lives.

Our approach works, schools report an average 25 per cent increase in student PASS scores when reassessed after programme completion. The outcomes for students can be  life changing.

If you would like to feedback on the contents of  this paper or find out more about the
PASS – Mentoring Intervention Programme please email me
eileen@eileendonnelly.co.uk

Eileen Donnelly
NEC Member
NAPCE

ARTICLE: Introducing “World Kindness Day” a event to be celebrated with Liz Bates

Did you know it is World Kindness Day on November 13^th ? Asks Liz Bates                                                                                                                                                      

And of course November 13^th is also the start of Anti-bullying Week.

With ‘Make a noise about bullying’ being this year’s slogan perhaps it is also time to ‘make a noise about kindness’.

There is no escaping the rise of unkindness in its most evident, explicit and toxic form.

The internet has allowed anonymity to enable a ‘no rules’ onslaught of unkindness which is almost impossible to challenge.

Then at the other end of the scale are the minute by minute, everyday choices that are made, to be unkind.  And that is the root of conversations we can have with children – that unkindness is a choice and, crucially, so is kindness.

Scientific studies have shown that kindness has a great number of physical and emotional benefits and that children require a healthy dose of good, positive feelings in order to flourish as healthy, happy, well-rounded individuals.

Kindness can change our brains by simply experiencing it. We can think and talk about kindness but that is not enough.

Experiencing kindness is the best way to learn about it.

Kindness can….

• increase positive behaviour and help to create warm, inclusive environments where children can feel safe, secure, noticed and listened to, where children can belong

• increase the likelihood of forming relationships, children are more likely to be accepted if they are well-liked – kindness is a pro-social skill
• change a viewpoint when helping others less fortunate
• produce endorphins activating parts of the brain that are associated with pleasure – this can lead to good feelings
• lead to a release of oxytocin – this can increase individual levels of happiness
• result in ‘helper’s high’ increasing a sense of self-worth
• increase levels of serotonin which can affect mood and other aspects of health

and all of these can lead to better mental health.

Giving and receiving kindness are equally important. Being kind to others feels good, as does someone being kind to you. And not to be forgotten is being kind to ourselves, which I will come to shortly.

Remember ‘kindness can be catching’.

The more children see and hear adults and other children ‘modelling’ kindness the more normalised those behaviours become. I am more likely to be kind to someone else if someone has been kind to me (replace kind with unkind and that too is true).

What we do and what we say are our choices, so we can talk with children about this, asking, “Why would someone choose to be unkind if we have a choice to be kind?”

Because 99 times out of 100 there is a choice.

We can interrogate the reasons that someone might have for choosing to be unkind. We can look at kindness as an active choice, not a passive act. ‘I am choosing to do this…I want to say this….why would I do or say something else instead?’ Let’s see kindness as a superpower which we all have.

There is plenty more on this in Cool to be Kind: A Storybook and Practical Resource for Negotiating the World of Friendships and Relationships such as exploring the language of kindness and I will say a little more here about that, the words we choose to say.

Language is a very powerful instrument. The words we choose to say can be helpful or harmful.

We can speak words of encouragement, praise, inspiration and enthusiasm. We can also speak words of threat, hatefulness, put downs and criticism.

And once unkind words have been said they are hard to take back.

They can sometimes leave a mess that is very hard to clean up – imagine that words are like eggs.  We have to treat them carefully – if we don’t they can leave a horrible mess.

We also have to own the words that we say – they belong to us, no-one else.

If we make a bad joke or say an unkind thing we cannot then blame the other person for not getting the joke or being upset, the unfeasible “can’t you take a joke?” ‘defence’. They are our words and we have to take responsibility for them.

So the language of kindness:
Is positive and supportive.
Is clear, with a shared understanding, so it isn’t misunderstood.
Is inclusive and does not deliberately exclude.
Belongs to us – what I say are my words, I choose to say them so they are my responsibility.  I cannot blame anyone else for the words I choose to say.

Kindness isn’t about agreeing with or liking someone else but about accepting them and upholding their right to feel safe. It is about an absence of cruelty, meanness and nastiness.  But if we do get it wrong it is important to forgive ourselves and commit to doing better and getting it right next time.  Just like anything else, the more we practice, the better we get.

We know that nurturing the moral development of children has both positive individual outcomes and also positive outcomes for others, for the group, for their peers, for the classroom, for the school, and kindness is a fundamental building block in that development.

As is our modelling of behaviours, and of language; the thousands of micro-moments we have when interacting with children.  As adults we show children kindness – why wouldn’t we?
As well as talking about what kindness means, try introducing a regular ‘kindness reflection’.

In schools this could be done on a Monday morning and Friday afternoon.

Head on table, eyes closed (if the child/children feel comfortable doing this)
Spend 1 minute thinking about:
The kind people you know
Kind acts that someone has done for you
A kind act that you could do for someone
How do you show kindness?
What more can you do to be kind or show kindness?
What can you do today or this week that is kind?
And on Friday afternoon….
What have you done this week that is kind?
What can you do this weekend that is kind?

Self-kindness

There are some children whose unkind narrative is a repetition of what has been said or done to them by others – both adults and children.  A child who is unkind to others may be repeating the unkindnesses done to them. And may be reinforcing those unkindnesses to themselves. Self-kindness also needs to be cultivated, looked after and, as alluded to earlier, practiced.  It is about being sensitive to our own feelings as well as the feelings of others, particularly negative feelings and negative thoughts.

Some children can be self-critical to the extent that it prevents them from developing, moving forward and achieving.  This self-criticism might be said aloud and heard by others, but it is often hidden in the head of the child.

Their anger, frustration and disappointment is reinforced by their internal voice, thus maintaining the negative emotions and potentially making them worse. Supporting these children will include challenging negative self-talk and helping them to not necessarily believe their thoughts – learning to challenge that voice in their heads, the internal monologue that may be unfair and unrealistic.  Helping them to move towards accepting themselves.

There are activities and strategies we can introduce such as ‘Mean Mate’ and ‘Patient Pal’, all of which are described in detail in Cool to be Kind and the accompanying adult resource.

And finally, as Henry James said, “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”

For much more on raising awareness, activities and lesson plans:

Cool to be Kind: A Storybook and Practical Resource for Negotiating the World of Friendships and Relationships
routledge.com/9780367537807

So have a think about what you can do to raise the profile and make a noise about  kindness in your setting and celebrate World Kindness Day, not just on November 13th,  but every day.
LIZ BATES
lizslamer@gmail.com

ARTICLE: A Guide to Setting Up & Running an Effective School Council from VotesForSchools

A GUIDE TO SETTING UP AND RUNNING AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL COUNCIL with VotesForSchools

NAPCE is very pleased to enjoy a positive collaboration with VotesForSchools.

Once again in this month’s NAPCE News we are delighted to share an insightful article from the organisation, which we hope will inspire you.

Discover the ultimate guide to setting up and running a successful school council, empowering student voices and fostering leadership skills with VotesforSchools’ free resources.

We all know how important pupil voice is – it can bring about positive change in your classrooms, playgrounds, and beyond.

And yet, the prospect of setting up and running your school council can still be daunting, especially in a jam-packed schedule. But I can assure you it’s worth the effort: its success lies in equipping your young people with the skills they need to self-manage and lead with confidence.

What is a school council?

A group of young people who are elected by fellow pupils to represent their school and think of ideas for improving it.

Why is school council important?

Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) states that every child has the right to express their views, feelings, and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.

EMPOWER YOUR SCHOOL COUNCIL:

Let them lead the charge against bullying and amplify their voices for a safer, inclusive school..

Sign up today to receive your free Anti-Bullying Week 2023 lessons straight into your inbox ahead of the week.

Hold an election

At the start of each academic year, invite pupils from each class to create a pitch that highlights their school-wide ambitions for the year ahead. A good place to start is by reminding them of the dos and don’ts when it comes to voting and getting them to think critically about the qualities of a good representative. This not only stops elections from becoming a popularity contest, but also means that they are putting their knowledge of the democratic process into action. Getting creative by using vote slips and ballot boxes is also a great way to introduce your pupils to the voting system.

Provide opportunities for all

In your first school council meeting of the academic year, encourage members to discuss their interests and favourite subjects. This may help them to decide on who is the best fit for each role or responsibility. A good listener? Chairperson! Enjoy working with numbers? Treasurer! A keen writer? Secretary! But, most importantly, make sure that there’s something for each person to take a lead on.

Get organised

A little bit of organisation goes a long way. Having an agenda for each meeting to keep discussions on track and putting a date in the diary for the next meeting means that the councillors’ valuable time will be well spent. These might be things you want to sort out ahead of time, or as you go – decide what works best for you and your school community.

Communication is key

Keeping pupils and colleagues in the loop about upcoming meetings and events helps with the smooth running of a school council. It also makes sure that everyone knows how, when, and where to make their voices heard. Whether these details are shared through emails, posters, or assemblies, involving your school councillors in the wider conversation helps to reduce your workload and enhance their leadership skills.

Shine a spotlight on councillors

Giving your councillors the opportunity to get involved in wider school life by leading an assembly or holding a weekly surgery at break times can help make them identifiable amongst their peers and encourage pupils to share their views with them. These actions can also help to build momentum and generate enthusiasm for the school council in order to make it fully pupil-focused.

Showcase change

Making sure that the ideas raised by the representatives are being enacted in school and in the wider community allows young people to see the difference their actions are making. Small changes such as changing from single-use sauce packets to bottles at lunch, or new equipment in the playground should be celebrated for all to see. You could do this by inviting the Headteacher or your local MP to an upcoming meeting, or by encouraging the councillors to write a proposal that outlines the changes they want to make in future.

Remember, your role as teacher representative is to facilitate, rather than lead. By putting these things in place early in the academic year, it will benefit pupils and help minimise your to-do list in the long-term and inspire further school council ideas.

While working in the profession, Sophie was the teacher representative for her school council and supported students in making positive change in their school and local community. She is passionate about fostering young leaders, inspiring pupil voice and promoting democracy

About VotesForSchools

Each week VotesforSchools creates resources for teachers to have informed discussions with their classes on topical issues. The children then get a chance to vote and comment, and they then publish that data – ensuring that pupil voice goes on to have an impact. Each week around 40,000 children vote.

They want children to be informed, be curious and be heard.

Due to the nature of the debate and voting and the topics covered. VotesforSchools provides a brilliant resource for the whole school to meet British values and Prevent requirements. For more information contact info@votesforschools.com

The website https://www.votesforschools.com

AWARDS: National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 – Programme Revealed

The programme for the National Awards For Pastoral Care In Education 2023 on September 29th has been announced.

The SOLD OUT Presentation Evening at Worcestershire County Cricket Ground, Worcester – which will be busier than ever –  will include a selection of entertainment alongside guest speakers and the glitzy awards ceremony.

Tickets for the NAPCE Awards are FREE and the event includes a fizz reception, guest speaker, entertainment, pay bar and the grand presentation.

The event is SOLD OUT, however feel free to contact Anne at admin@napce.org.uk to join a waiting list for returns.

Now in its fourth year, the NAPCE Awards is a standout event on the education calendar.

The ceremony is open to all people working in pastoral care in education roles.

It offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the work and achievements in pastoral care and is a wonderful networking event.

The NAPCE Awards was launched by  in 2019 and is the first UK-wide scheme to recognise outstanding achievements across pastoral care in education settings.

It was created to highlight excellent practice in pastoral care and to celebrate the people making a real difference in the educational experience of young people.

It also encourages new initiatives and ideas in pastoral care and recognises the contributions being made to developing policy and practice in pastoral support.

MEETING: Next NAPCE NEC Meeting Scheduled for October 14th, 2o23

NAPCE NEC Meeting October 2023
The next meeting of the NAPCE National Executive Committee will take place on October 14th, 2023 in London.

The event will take place for the first time at Mixing Networks, Second Floor, 36 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY and will be chaired by Phil Jones.

It will be followed by a six-monthly meeting of the Pastoral Care in Education Journal Editorial Board.

This event is not open to the general public.

For more information about NAPCE, our NEC and the Journal visit https://www.napce.org.uk