LEAD ARTICLE: “The Importance of Resilience in a School Setting” by NAPCE NEC Member Dr Julianne Brown

The Importance of Resilience in a School Setting by Dr Julianne Brown

With the increase in mental health concerns amongst young people post-covid, there is a need for a focused approach to strengthen resilience both for individuals and communities.

Resilience is a positive factor for wellbeing and crucial for supporting mental health (Mesman, Vreeker and Hillegers, 2021).

This newsletter article explores what is meant by resilience, the determining factors and proposed strategies for strengthening resilience, particularly in the school context.

I  discuss the need for a support person, a ‘Champion in our Corner’. Finally, I call for a reinforcement of our collaborative resilience net, in order to nurture the resilience in us all, one that, not only cushions us from the falls, but guides us further towards different ways of being and growing together.

The above definitions suggest resilience as the individuals ability to bounce back or recover from adversity, returning, as a minimum, to the previous level of functioning. For the purposes of this article, I have referred to this as the bounce back model of resilience:

Drawing on current the academic literature on resilience, a more comprehensive interpretation emerges. The findings of the systematic literature search from Mesman, Vreeker and Hilleers (2021:587), refers to resilience as a “multi-systemic dynamic process of successful adaption or recovery in the context of risk or a threat” that can change over time and includes the social, cultural and family context. This study corroborates the socio-cultural aspects for resilience from The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. For a brief exploration of the science behind resilience their video series ‘InBrief: The Science of Resilience’ is, as its title suggests, brief but informative. Moving perspective towards the field of positive psychology, Tal Ben-Shahar introduces the concept of resilience as anti fragility, Resilience 2.0 as he named it. The ability not only to bounce back from difficult situations but achieve a post traumatic growth following such episodes of stress and/or trauma.

The possibility of post traumatic growth provides encouragement for a proactive approach to strengthening resilience within the school context.

Resilience – the determining factors

It is important to recognise that not all people react in the same way towards stressful or traumatic events. The capacity for resilience is influenced by past experiences, individual wellbeing and lived context. Whilst adverse childhood experiences are negative factors for the development of adult resiliency, the presence of a trusted adult is a positive factor (Bellis et al 2017, Ashton et al 2021), a role that may or may not be fulfilled by parents depending on their own levels of resilience. Whilst there are calls for a greater understanding of resilience factors over the long term to improve the provision of preventative and early intervention programmes, there is support to developing resilience through individual personal development skills, building supportive relationships and nurturing safe, caring communities. For children and young people, this includes the school setting and resonates strongly with the trauma informed education approaches that are gaining in popularity.

Strategies for strengthening resilience in the school context

Starting with the early identification of childhood impact stressors, through a multidisciplinary approach to student health and welfare, scarce resources should be targeted to reach those most at risk.  Nonetheless, resilience is not purely an individual pursuit. A dynamic perspective of resilience is likely to be realised through a collective approach to wellbeing that acknowledges the interdependence of our individual wellness in direct correlation with our relationship to others. This perspective brings into focus the social, emotional aspects of living and learning within the school community.

So what can we do to strengthen resilience in schools?

Mesman, Vreeker and Hilleers (2021:590) suggest the following factors to support a positive growth in resilience:

“personal skills, social skills, peer support, school environment, contact with peers, parent–child relationship, family problem-solving, parental resilience, parental stress and goal orientation”.

Whilst some of these factors will be outside the specific remit of schools, we can elicit that building resilience over the longterm will require more than stand-alone, individually targeted interventions and that a holistic approach within our learning communities is required. It is useful then, to consider resilience programmes as part of a whole school framework for wellbeing, particularly based on relational wellbeing, building connections through the individual, family, school culture and wider society. In the following table, I offer some suggestions for such a framework in schools using these four dimensions which could be adapted and developed depending on local school context.

A Champion in Our Corner

For children and young people, the continued support of a trusted adult is a crucial element of strengthening resiliency through reducing the impact of adverse childhood experiences (Bellis et al 2017, Ashton et al 2021). We all need a ‘champion in our corner’, someone who will actively listen, be non-judgemental and who can treat our hopes, desires and dreams with care and respect. A trusted adult may be a parent, a relation, friend or professional. Whoever that ‘champion’ is they will also need support and guidance to ensure their wellbeing is not compromised by this sometimes overwhelming responsibility. Within an education setting, the informal role of a ‘trusted adult’ becomes a grey area. To protect both children and adults in the school setting, the ‘trusted adult’ requires clear boundaries around their scope of practice, robust policies that include aspects of confidentiality and effective leadership to support the role. Training, debriefing and networking opportunities are necessary and an awareness that the ‘trusted adult’  may already be experiencing their own trauma or stress, particularly in light of the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic.

In conclusion, I have given a brief overview of the meaning of resilience, not only as a supporting mechanism for the individual to bounce back to their ‘normal state of functioning’ following episodes of trauma or stress, but also as a dynamic model, with the possibility for post traumatic growth in the longer term. I have taken a holistic view of resilience programmes in education    acknowledging resilience as a “complex multi-systemic dynamic process” (Mesman, Vreeker and Hillegers (2021:587) and suggested a tentative framework based on the individual, family, school culture and links to the wider society. Finally, I discussed the identified need for a ‘trusted adult’  that has proved to be such a crucial support for children and young people in their ability to cope with adversity. In education, the role of ‘trusted adult’ requires discussion and ongoing support to protect both the child and adult. A whole school approach to fostering resilience recognises the necessity of our collective efforts to nurture the positive growth suggested in response to stressors so that we can thrive even within the certainty of our own uncertain futures.

Ashton, K., Davies, A.R., Hughes, K. et al. Adult support during childhood: a retrospective study of trusted adult relationships, sources of personal adult support and their association with childhood resilience resources. BMC Psychol 9, 101 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00601-x

Bellis MA, Hardcastle K, Ford K, Hughes K, Ashton K, Quigg Z, Butler N. Does continuous trusted adult support in childhood impart life-course resilience against adverse childhood experiences – a retrospective study on adult health-harming behaviours and mental well-being. BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 23;17(1):110. doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1260-z. Erratum in: BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Apr 13;17 (1):140. PMID: 28335746; PMCID: PMC5364707.

Mesman E, Vreeker A, Hillegers M. Resilience and mental health in children and adolescents: an update of the recent literature and future directions. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2021 Nov 1;34(6):586-592. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000741. PMID: 34433193; PMCID: PMC85003

Dr Julianne Brown
NEC Member
NAPCE

AWARDS: Entry for NAPCE Awards 2024 Closes in Just One Month 

Entry to National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education Closes on April 19th – ENTER/NOMINATE NOW

Entry to the fifth annual National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education closes in just one month.

The NAPCE Awards is the first and only awards scheme dedicated to recognising outstanding achievements in the field of pastoral care in education.The closing date for all categories this year will be Friday, 19th April, 2024, but there’s no reason to delay, get your entries in now.

The Presentation Ceremony will take place at the County Ground, Worcester in October 2024.

Just like in previous years, the finalists of the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education will be selected by an independent judging panel and invited to attend the ceremony to share the experience with peers and find out who wins each Award.

NAPCE is inviting nominations in the following categories;

Pastoral School of the Year
Pastoral Team of the Year
Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year
Pastoral Leader of the Year
Pastoral Development of the Year
Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care
Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care
International Contribution to Pastoral Care

You can enter the NAPCE categories here Enter here

Nominations are encouraged for awards across different categories from schools and educational establishments and you DO NOT need to currently be a member of NAPCE to take part.

NAPCE Awards 2024 is an excellent opportunity to share good practice in pastoral care and through our social media, website and those of our partners, the Awards raises awareness of where pastoral support is making a real difference in the educational experience of young people.

The Awards also encourages new initiatives and ideas in pastoral care and will recognise the contributions being made to developing policy and practice in pastoral support.

This is an excellent opportunity to recognise the impact the work of pastoral staff is having on the development and well-being of young people.

The decisions about prize winners in each category will be made by a panel of invited professionals.

There will be a prize of £100.00 for the school or institution for the winners of each category and individuals will also be recognised for their achievements.

The criteria for the NAPCE awards are;

•Pastoral School of the Year
A school that can demonstrate a commitment to pastoral care and support for learners that makes a real difference in the progress and personal development of young people in the school

•Pastoral Team of the Year
A team that works in pastoral care and can demonstrate a determination to support young people to achieve their full potential and a positive impact on the young people they work with

•Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year
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

•Pastoral Leader of the Year
Has a passion for pastoral care that is shared with colleagues to inspire and motivate them to make a real difference in the lives of the young people they work with

•Pastoral Development of the Year
A pastoral initiative or idea that has achieved positive outcomes and has improved the learning experience and future life chances, for young people

•Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care
An individual, group or organisation who through their actions have raised awareness about pastoral care or pastoral issues and encouraged positive improvements for the benefit of young people

•Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care
A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference for the benefit of young people in the area of pastoral care

•International Contribution to Pastoral CareAn 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.

Nominations for the NAPCE Awards are welcome from member schools and institutions and from schools and institutions that are not currently members of NAPCE.

AWARDS: Great Practice from the NAPCE Awards 2023 – Episode 5

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2023 – Sharing Good Practice – Episode 5

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 fifth episode we’re focussing on the category Pastoral Team of the Year.
Pastoral Team of the YearThis award is for:

A team that works in pastoral care and can demonstrate a determination to support young people to achieve their full potential and a positive impact on the young people they work with.

In 2023 it was sponsored by Connect to Purpose.

Connect to Purpose is a charity on a mission to provide retreats for rest and renewal to support young people who are struggling, working holistically with them and their families.

More information can be found on the charity’s website at https://www.connecttopurpose.co.uk

The winner for 2023, announced at the grand presentation event in Worcester, in September was The Pastoral Team at Stockport Academy.

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

Pastoral Team, Stockport Academy

The pastoral team at Stockport Academy includes 5 heads of year, 5 pastoral managers, a positive behaviour mentor, full time counsellor, EHA coordinator, MUF behaviour mentor, home liaison officer, attendance support team, young carers lead, mental health lead, safeguarding lead/ team.  The school has invested heavily in response to student need, and to ensure that the Academy remains proactive rather than reactive for students and families.  The team works with over 1000 students many of whom are vulnerable.

Each member of the team always put students first working collectively to ensure that not only students, but families also thrive.  The team fully believe 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 impact of their contribution is immeasurable.   Students are unanimous that they feel happy and safe in school; they have access to support and have a number of trusted adults around them.

The attendance team work tirelessly ensuring that students attend school to develop social interactions, knowledge, and aspirations for the future.  Attendance is above national average post pandemic due to a range of interventions. The team are rewards driven, celebrating, and recognising engagement with school with trips to the cinema, pizza lunches, vouchers or family takeaways providing positive experiences for all and engaging families in this priority.   The safeguarding team are relentless in supporting the most vulnerable students. The safeguarding team has been celebrated as exceptional practice with their proactive approach supporting early help and teaching safeguarding, in addition to responding to crisis.  The team, work with all staff in addition to agencies to provide classes for parents regarding issues arising such as self-harm or anxiety.

Heads of Year/Pastoral managers work to meet every possible need for students that may be a barrier to their ultimate success resolving issues as soon as possible and celebrating student effort and achievement alongside values and qualities demonstrated by students such as kindness and teamwork.  Heads of year nurture a sense of community and care of others, working to engage parents on a daily basis in ensuring that students meet high expectations to underpin their aspirations and ambitions for themselves.     The  pastoral team together, ensure that all students are supported in developing firm foundations to have happy and successful lives and be successful at school.

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

Pastoral Team at Shireland Collegiate Academy

Shireland Collegiate Academy is a large, inner city secondary school in Smethwick, Sandwell in the West Midlands.  Shireland sits at the heart of a diverse community.  This diversity in both ethnicity, culture and religion is a core strength of the school that helps to guide our principle of promoting cohesion amongst the student body.  This is enabled in a large part, by the outstanding pastoral team, and the school is very proud of the level of pastoral care that they give to the students.  At Shireland Collegiate Academy, they promote to staff that we are all pastoral leaders.  This is led by an exemplar pastoral team, who guide and support tutors, students, and their families. The aim is to have a school where students are happy and achieve well above their potential and is somewhere that they feel valued and important. Students are encouraged to be ambitious for themselves and others and feel that they can achieve their dreams.

The school has a dedicated mental health webpage, where students are invited to self-reflect on how they are feeling at the end of each week by selecting an emoji of how they are feeling alongside a comment which they will know their form tutors will read.  Tutors and Heads of Year analyse the results which can facilitate conversations with students who have raised a concern.  This ensures that our pastoral team work closely with the student and family to address the concerns or barriers they may feel which could impact on their mental wellbeing and academic success. Heads of Year and Senior Teacher meet on a fortnightly basis with student support agencies within school to discuss interventions and strategies to help support students and their families.

The school has developed a bespoke rewards system for our academy called EPraise. The school has a Student Council made up of form representatives, year representatives and our Head/Deputy senior students.  This forum allows all students to voice their suggestions and opinions on how we continue to keep the learning environment a fun and safe space.
The school organised its first ‘Student Council Culture Day’ in November and included cultural dress, foods from around the World, cultural icons and music, poetry and literature and the day finished with a fabulous fashion show.

SENDi Team Tudor Grange Academy Worcester

The SENDi team (Special Education Needs and Disabilities and Inclusion) have worked tirelessly in the last two years, creating a support network for the school to ensure they are meeting the needs of as many pupils as possible.   The team have successfully completed funding bids in their own time to go towards the pastoral support we can offer. This includes successfully taking part in a local founding forum ‘Dragons Den’, where they applied and pitched to secure funding for a school sensory room. The school sensory room is a low sensory space with sensory equipment, available for staff to use for pupil interventions as well as a regulation space for pupils if they so need it.

The pastoral team secured additional funding for a ‘Zen Den’. They sourced local funding, creating a funding bid, to create a calming garden space which they have named the ‘Zen Den’ for all pupils to use. The pastoral team have provided support for all pupil premium pupils.  Any pupil who has experience trauma has specialist trauma intervention.   In the last two years, the pastoral team have created bespoke pathways to help cater for most pastoral concerns:

• My mind matters,
•  Me myself and I,
• Expect Respect,
• Trauma,
• Worries and Wellbeing.

Every pupil up to year 10 has had access and intervention for mental health support. In year 11 we offer anxiety and stress workshops to help aide them during exams.     A new area we have developed is ‘Response’. Each day a member of staff is timetabled to ‘Respond’ to any needs of the pupils during each and every period. This means they have support to re-regulate, discuss thoughts and feelings, and hopefully feel able to reengage in lessons.   They have arranged parent drop ins to support parents and also provide them with the skills to support their child.   Any child with SEMH or a diagnosed need has also been given a profile. This profile lists their needs and what works for them. Any member of staff can access this to better understand the pupils which increases the pupils confidence in the staff.

Institute of Policing’s Work Based Education Officers team

They currently have 18 dedicated Work Based Education Officers (WBEOs) in Staffordshire University’s Institute of Policing, all of whom go above and beyond the traditional assessor duties expected from a WBEO in similar roles. The WBEOs have developed their roles to deliver critical pastoral care and wellbeing support to over 1900 police apprentices currently studying with the university.     The first cohort of Police apprenticeships only started four years ago when Staffordshire University partnered with Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia, and West Midlands Police in 2019. Since then, their WBEO team has grown with our student officer population.

The WBEOs have adapted to the emerging complex needs and emotional experiences of apprentices who work shifts as operational police officers across the partnered forces while spending 20% off the job with their learning and studying for an accredited qualification.    The Institute of Policing’s WBEOs support student officers by monitoring and assessing the students’ progress, signposting them towards key University support services (including additional learning needs, financial support, equality, and diversity services), and even visit students in employment to provide comprehensive support in their work-based education and/or apprenticeship development.  The WBEOs form a crucial connection between the Institute of Policing and partner police forces.

The team members have developed strong relationships with the student officer with each WBEO knowing their student officers by name. They show great determination to help, support and guide the student officers from always being willing to listen to their concerns and provide encouragement or guidance, to using their skills and experience to identify the specific needs of individual students to ensure each officer reaches their potential and successfully passes onto the next stage of their training.    The WBEOs have a significant positive impact on the students they work with. Their approach to pastoral care has helped to create a positive and supportive culture throughout the Institute of Policing, which has led to a plan of support which can meet the wide range of needs student officers may have while on the programme.
Developing the WBEO pastoral care provision was evidence-based. they worked with police and student course representatives to identify issues and create a multi-agency plan of support that can be adapted and changed to meet the diverse needs of every student officer on programme.  Training to become a police officer has many challenges.  It’s a physical role which requires a good level of fitness, it can be emotionally demanding, and the public view of policing can make it a challenge for any junior police officer starting in the force. Add to this the extra studying which student officers have to undertake and it can be a difficult time for many student officers. The support from the WBEO team is pivotal in helping the  cohorts of student officers to  reach their potential, complete their training and successfully graduate to become full time police officers.

Team of Student Managers, Preston College

Preston college has a team of student managers who offer a holistic approach to pastoral care to support enjoyment, achievement, and progression. On a weekly basis, they encourage positive attendance and behaviour and also share a suite of tutorial subjects which enhance the overall college curriculum. They operate an ’open door ‘policy which enables students to drop in and share any issues or concerns and also to celebrate their successes.  Student Managers build fantastic relationships with parents and carers too, establishing mutually beneficial connections to support a student on their learning journey. Parents are invited into college to meet with the student managers and also have a regular phone line to them should they need support, or queries answered. In addition, the team host welcome events and parents’ evenings to further enhance the college /parent relationship.

The suite of tutorial topics is fast paced and relevant to the cohort of 16–19-year-old learners. The material is regularly updated and adapted to suit the range of levels of learner and any higher needs within the groups. The tutorial time is a special time for students. As well as imparting knowledge on current affairs and topical themes it is also a time to explore new ideas and discuss progression.  The pastoral team create and support themed weeks throughout the year including a Health and Wellbeing week. This is an opportunity to bring in a range of external providers and activities and really offer some alternative sessions to the students.

When a student’s world appears to be falling apart, their student manager can often be the key to finding a solution. The team regularly upskill in how to deal with more difficult situations through CPD in suicide prevention, sexual health, eating disorders and many more.  Working closely with the College safeguarding and counselling team, they are able to support the student to a successful outcome. The team is made up of individuals who will not leave any stone unturned in the quest to support the student and place them back on track.  The team have upskilled in mental health awareness and offer creative solutions to timetables and to ways of working to smooth the process and continue with academic progress.  When it comes to time for students to move on, the team play a key role in encouraging and supporting the chosen student path. This may be through arranging external and internal speakers, supporting apprenticeship applications, arranging careers team appointments, or checking CVs. They also play a pivotal role in checking UCAS applications, making suggestions and also attaching references. The role becomes key to raising aspirations and supporting progression into their desired future, beyond college.

Congratulations to everybody nominated for Pastoral Team of the Year Award 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.

Entry closes April 19th, 2024.

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: NAPCE Annual General Meeting 2024 – Details Announced  

NAPCE AGM 2024 – Details Announced

The Association’s Annual General Meeting will take place at 1-00pm on Saturday 18^th May.

The meeting will be held at Mixing Networks, Second Floor, 36 Spital Square, London E1 6DY, in the heart of Spitalfields Market. All members are invited to attend the meeting.

Please contact events@napce.org.uk to confirm that you will be attending and to ensure that you are sent the agenda and other documents for the meeting.

Please also use the same email to register to attend online to ensure that you are sent the documentation and the link.

The AGM will include reports on the activities of the Association in the last 12 months and reports from the officers.

We hope all members will make every effort to attend to be fully informed about the Association and to share any views or ideas.

Save the Date

The NAPCE Annual Conference will take place on Friday 11^th October from 10-30 am until 3-00pm.

The venue will be the Graeme Hick Pavilion, at Worcestershire County Cricket Club in Worcester.

The title for the conference is ‘Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’.

This will be followed in the evening by the grand presentation event for the 2024 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education at the same venue.

Further details will be available soon on the NAPCE page on Eventbrite and in future editions of the NAPCE Newsletter. 

EVENT: FREE NAPCE Spring Conference – LAST CHANCE TO BOOK

FREE NAPCE 2024 Online Spring Conference – LAST CHANCE TO BOOK

Just a few tickets remain for the FREE NAPCE Online Conference on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024.

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 from 7-00pm-8-30pm and the title is ‘Achieving outstanding personal development and pastoral care in 21st 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 in five start-up schools in 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.

The Schedule
 
7-00pm – Welcome and introduction, Phil Jones, National Chair, NAPCE
 
7-05pm – Presentation, Shaun McInerney, the School Leadership and Strategy Lead at the University of Worcester.
 
7-45pm Pastoral Question Time
Chaired by Phil Jones, National Chair, NAPCE
Panel 
 

• Shaun McInerney, School Leadership and Strategy Lead, University of Worcester
• Professor Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship, Stranmillis University College, Belfast
• Dr Mark Diacopoulos, Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Leadership, Pittsburg State University, USA
• Dr Caron Carter, Senior Lecturer in early childhood/childhood, Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University.
• Maria O’Neill, educationalist, and author of ‘Proactive Pastoral Care. Nurturing happy, healthy, and successful learners.’

• Victoria Raynor, Director Raynor Safeguarding Ltd,

Questions and discussion about current pastoral issues and topics.

Book your free tickets for this event on Eventbrite. Remember to book your tickets early as in previous years all available tickets have been reserved several weeks in advance.

Follow the link to book tickets https://NAPCESPRINGEVENT24.eventbrite.co.uk
Enquiries email admin@napce.org.uk

There are a few tickets still available for this event. Reserve your ticket today to avoid disappointment!

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