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NAPCE News – October 2021

NAPCE News – October 2021

Making a positive difference to young people through pastoral care

FEATURE ARTICLE:  NAPCE NEC Member & Pastoral Care Leader Connor Acton Explores the Importance of Parent/Carer Communication

Parent/carer communication is easy to get right, painful when you get it wrong and downright disastrous if it goes really wrong.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that when we speak to parents, or communicate via other means, that the person on the other end of the line is also a living, breathing human with their own worries and concerns as well as their own day job or personal life to manage.

It’s also easy to forget how you desire to be spoken to when you are ringing a parent, late on a Friday, after a long day at work.

You want to get your point across, tell the parent what their child has done wrong, alongside any sanction, and get out of there as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, in doing so, you set yourself up to fail and the building blocks for a poor parental relationship begin to stack on top of each other.

You’ll soon realise that once the blocks have started to stack, each conversation you have results in them stacking faster, to the point you dread ringing them at all because you know how the conversation will go.

In reality there really aren’t many occasions where a parental phone call should be challenging – a difficult conversation may need to be had but that doesn’t mean that it needs to be one which results in either party leaving it and feeling like they’ve done twelve rounds with Mike Tyson.

As a Pastoral Leader I can’t begin to think of how many phone calls I’ve made during my career, more than some call centres I’m sure, and I certainly can’t begin to imagine all of the many reasons for doing so.

That being said there have been some incredibly difficult conversations to be had; there have been times I have had to recommend we end a conversation and pick it up later; times when the 5-minute phone call becomes 30mins-1hr of trying to resolve a multitude of issues; times when I’ve hung up and had to call social services or the police.

You never know where a phone call home, or a chat on the gate, or any other method of communication might take you.

You should know, however, that there are some really simple things you can do to make sure that parental communication/relationships needn’t be painful.

Parental communication, and by extension co-operation, is one of the biggest keys to your success as a mentor, TA, Teacher, Pastoral Leader etc.

Most parents will want to work with you to ensure their child’s school life is the best it can possibly be – almost all parents will want to ensure their child’s school life is the best it can possibly be but may not want to work with you!

Courtesy and respect go a long way in building strong working relationships with parents – the vast majority of your communications with parents will likely be by phone.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat with a member of staff who starts a phone call to a parent with “Hello, it’s Mr X from school, John was a nightmare in his DT lesson today”.

Those kinds of opening messages get most parent’s backs up straight away. Introduce yourself, start by asking them if they are alright, if they have a couple of minutes to talk and you’ll often find they are much more willing to engage with you.

That’s not always the case but if you’ve taken the time to be respectful at the start of the conversation you will have at least set the table for a polite conversation.

Think about how you feel when the insurance salesman rings at 4pm, after a long day, and asks you if you’ve got some time to talk – I’m certainly not comparing us to cold callers but for some parents the feeling is the same!

Try and ensure that your first communication with a parent isn’t a negative one wherever possible – when we take over a class/group, or first start working with a child, we generally know where we might expect problems.

Get early conversations in with their parents by spotting praise where possible within the first few interactions you have with their child – this will make it easier for you to call later on if you need to ring for less positive reasons.

There are a huge number of parents who dread seeing the school number on their phone – how many times have you had a parent/carer answer with “What’s she done now?”.

For some of our communities the thought of a telling off from school brings back negative memories of their own and this is always something to be cognizant of.

Even if you can’t see any opportunities for praise you can still call and introduce yourself in situations where you feel it may be beneficial – if you take over a class, for example, that you know have been historically poorly behaved there’s no harm in ringing some parents of key students to introduce yourself, acknowledge the issues from the past and then let them know you are going to be working to move things forward.

You may even find that a parent/carer has suggestions/advice to offer that could be valuable for you, having never worked with their child before.

Praise phone calls, postcards, emails etc. will always be a great way to endear yourself to most parents/carers and you should endeavour to do this as much as you reasonably can.

I’ve always been a fan of the ‘Friday Five’ approach – making five positive phonecalls on a Friday – to end the week on a high and make five children’s (and their parent’s) weekends.

Keep any reporting of behaviour as factual and clear as possible and, if you need to, think beforehand about the message you wish to convey.

It can be hard for a parent to hear a statement like “Harry was incredibly rude, and his language was disgusting in the lesson” – you are much better off keeping it to what actually happened “Harry came into the classroom today and when I asked him to take off his coat, he told me to shut up” is harder hitting, much more accurate and also makes it sound less like it’s your opinion.

When you report any sanctions you gave you may also want to link it clearly to the school’s behaviour policy – “I had no choice but to have him removed in line with the school’s behaviour policy and he then lost his breaktime as a result” – this takes away some of the feeling that you are directly responsible for the sanction, and thus the person to direct any negative energy towards.

If the time is right you can then start to talk about how to move forward, what your expectations for the student are and what the next lesson or interaction with them might look like.

That is the ultimate goal – how can you improve the situation moving forward.

Always try to be aware of the time of day and the time your conversation may take – if you know you need to have a long chat with a parent don’t just call and expect them to drop everything for you – there’s nothing wrong with letting them know this could be a longer conversation and asking if there’s a more convenient time for them.

Equally, in reverse, you aren’t obligated to take a call that sucks up all of your precious time and you need to be willing to do the same thing for yourself.

The more you get to know certain parents, the more you will know their working patterns and their ability to talk with you.

Share this information with other staff if you develop it so that they can also benefit from what you’ve found.

Some parents will prefer email communication due to their availability and if this works for you it can be a really powerful way to address concerns that also removes some of the emotion brought by a phonecall – all I would say is to treat it as you would an internal email – keep it professional and respond within your working hours.

It’s also important to make sure that you are aware of who you are calling, and their relationship to the child, and make every effort possible to use the parent/carer’s name.

A pet hate of mine is “Is this Abby’s mum?” – you should be using their title and surname as standard – as part of your introduction confirm who they are, even if it’s the seventeenth time you’ve spoken to them it sets the standard, “Hi, is that Mrs Smith? Ah great, it’s Mr Acton calling from X – how are you? Have you got a few minutes to talk?” and also ensures you are speaking to the right person from a safeguarding perspective.

Be confident in ending a call if it does become problematic – there are some parents/carers who just won’t countenance what you have to say – this may also stretch to abusive language or threats.

This can be for any number of reasons but ultimately you do not come to work to be verbally abused.

If you can feel a conversation is getting heated, then you are probably best to draw it to a close with a more definite statement “I’m hopeful that we can work together to achieve the best for XYZ but I think it’s best if we pick this up again at a later date. Either I, or XYZ, will give you a call back in the next X days – thank you for your time”.

You can then decide if you need to escalate the conversation up the chain and get a more senior member of staff to call to resolve the issue, or whether some breathing room and time to digest the issue will mean you can have the conversation yourself at a later date.

It’s always worth flagging this as an issue to your line manager or SLT as you may not be the only member of staff being put in this situation.

For some staff, communication home is something that brings anxiety and fear – this shouldn’t be the case.

I can count on one hand the number of phone calls home that I’ve made where I’ve ended the call feeling like it was unpleasant.

If you stick to some of the tried and tested approaches discussed here you should be able to develop a script and a methodology for communication that ensures that you always start off on the right foot and, when you don’t, you know how to bring it to a conclusion.

As with anything – the more you do the easier it becomes – for the past however many years I have started every phone call the exact same way (introduction, how are you, have you got time to talk?) and I doubt I’ll ever change that now.

One final tip is to ask a member of staff who you know is regularly in touch with parents if you can shadow them making a couple of difficult calls, particularly to those you may have struggled with, and you’ll soon see that it’s a skill to be honed.

Having parents on your side is one of the greatest tools to have in your toolkit – the knowledge that you and their parents are working in sync is one that strikes fear into the hearts of many a troublemaker and can inspire many students to show their best self.

In a post-covid world I am finding that parents are desperate to communicate and want to find out more about their children than ever – it’s an opportunity to be capitalised on.

Connor Acton
NEC Member
NAPCE

AWARDS: A Report & List of Winners from NAPCE Awards 2021

The winners of the second annual National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education were unveiled at an online ceremony on September 23rd.

More entries than before, very deserving winners and fantastic support from across the education sector characterised NAPCE Awards 2021.

The online event was hosted by former teacher, current marketing expert and NAPCE NEC member Victoria Bownes.

Guests heard a compelling and inspiring ket note speech from Inclusion Expert’s Daniel Sobel, NAPCE Chair Phil Jones also addresses delegates.

Here are the winners and finalists of the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021.

Pastoral School of the Year – Sponsored by BlueSky Education

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.

Limavady High SchoolLimavady, Northern Ireland

Royal School Dungannon, Dugannon, Northern Ireland

Oakfield School, Hull

The Children’s Hospital School , Leicester

School for Inspiring Talents, Newton Abbott, Devon

Pastoral Team of the Year – Sponsored by The Thrive Approach

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.

All Saints C of E Primary School, Wigston Leicestershire

The Grove Pastoral Team, The Grove School, Tottenham, London

Limavady High School , Limavady, Northern Ireland

Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Buxton Community School, Buxton, Derbyshire

Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year – Sponsored by Inclusion Expert 

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.

Zoe Knight, Westfield Infant School, Hinckley, Leicestershire

Julie McCartney, Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland

Dawn Sadler, Learning Mentor at Moulton Primary School, Moulton, Northamptonshire,

Dr Helen O’Connor, St. Swithun’s School, Winchester, Hampshire

Mrs Shanie Thorpe, Bishop Challoner School Basingstoke

Pastoral Leader of the Year – Sponsored by Taylor and Francis

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.

Luke Ramsden, Senior Deputy Head, St Benedict’s School, Ealing, London

Miss Laura Fisher, Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland

Helen Burton (Deputy Headteacher) Belmont Community School, Belmont Durham,

Micki Handford, The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester

Alison Simpson, Cobden Primary School, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Pastoral Development of the Year –  Sponsored by NAPCE

A pastoral initiative or idea that has achieved positive outcomes and has improved the learning experience and future life chances, for young people.

Jenny Kay, Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire,Flourish Personal Development Programme

Mayameen Meftahi, Student Support and Intervention Mentor,TRT (Trauma Recovery & Training) Student Support and mentoring Intervention Program

St. Swithun’s School, Winchester, Hampshire, Positive Education Curriculum

The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester, The Thrive Programme

Buxton & Leek College, Leek, Staffordshire, My team (Learner Journey Team), BLC INVEST

Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care – Sponsored by NAPCE

A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference in pastoral care, for the benefit of young people.

AchieveNI, Belfast Northern Ireland

Jan Ashton, Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshir

Sarah Cockerline, Oakfield School, Hull

Nicola Wright, Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Claire Gibbs, Ridgeway Secondary School, Redditch, Worcestershire

International Contribution to Pastoral Care – Sponsored by The Hult International Business School

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.

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

Stephany Herzog, International School of Zug and Luzern

Child1st Consultancy Limited

Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care – Sponsored by The Association of School and College Leaders

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.

Stephen Lane, author of ‘Beyond Wiping Noses

 

AWARDS: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones Shares Speech from NAPCE Awards 2021

It is a great pleasure as National Chair of the Association to welcome you to the ceremony for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021 organised by NAPCE.

Once again, this year it is an online event, and it is a pity that we cannot be in the same room to congratulate our winners and finalists.

It does mean that we can be joined tonight by people form all corners of the United Kingdom and indeed from around the world.

It is true to say that the 2020 – 2021 academic year was a difficult and challenging year for education.

It is remarkable how well children and young people have been supported through this period.

Schools have been challenged to find new ways of working and coping with the demands of the latest risk assessment.

Everybody who has worked in pastoral roles and supported learners are heroes in this academic year for the support you have provided and the difference you have made in the learning experience and lives of children and young people.

The nominations for the awards show the brilliant work that is taking place to support learners and all our finalists are an inspiration to all of us and fully deserve the recognition and respect that comes with being nominated.

The experience of the pandemic has raised awareness about the important role education has in supporting the socialisation and well-being of children and young people.

The pastoral work in schools, colleges and higher education often takes place without being noticed and valued but it makes a huge contribution in developing children and young people into positive and well-adjusted members of society.

The pandemic experience has encouraged researchers, writers, and practitioners to revisit what is the purpose of education with greater value being placed on the personal development of children and young people as human beings.

This contribution to a person’s education is important to enable them to make a positive contribution to society and live fulfilled lives.

It is the whole school experience that is important where children and young people learn not just form the content of lessons but also from the interaction with other people, the relationships they build and the experiences they have.

Schools and learning will be different after the pandemic with increasing use of technology for example for virtual parents’ evenings and online learning, but we must not forget that what is important in education is supporting and developing the children and young people in our care and preparing them for successful lives in the future.

It is important as we move towards normal or at least a new normal that we do not lose the value placed on supporting the personal development and well-being of learners that has emerged as being so important following our experience of the pandemic.

One of the best ways to do that is by becoming a member of NAPCE.

I am pleased to say that despite the restrictions of the pandemic the membership of NAPCE has increased.

This highlights the growing interest in supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential.

A special welcome to our new members this evening who may be attending a NAPCE event for the first time.

We look forward to meeting you in person soon and sharing our interest in supporting learners to be successful in their education and to prepare them for their future lives.

If you are not yet a member and you are interested in the care and support of learners, why not keep in contact with our work by visiting the NAPCE website or by contacting NAPCE admin to be added to the circulation list for the free monthly newsletter. We hope that you will follow and support NAPCE’s work by following on Twitter and other social media platforms.

2022 will be the 40th anniversary of NAPCE. A number of activities and events are planned to celebrate the 40 years that academics, researchers, writers and practitioners have been working together to promote the importance of care and support as important parts of a person’s educational experience.

These include the publication of a new book about pastoral care edited by NAPCE, special editions of our academic journal and a live conference where we will meet in person to share ideas and good practice, and of course do not forget the 2022 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education.

We are nearly ready for me to hand back to Victoria our host for the evening for the announcement of the winners in each category.

Before I do that, please can I thank everybody who took the time to make a nomination to recognise the excellent good practice taking place in the pastoral care and support of learners.

Please can I thank our sponsors for your support for the 2021 awards, Blue Sky Education, Taylor & Francis, Inclusion Expert, The Association of School and College Leaders, Hult International Business School and The Thrive Approach.

Your support for the education of children and young people by supporting these awards is really appreciated.

Please can I thank our judges, Emeritus Professor Stan Tucker, Emeritus Professor Richard Pring, Associate Professor Anne Emerson and Doctor Noel Purdy for your time and careful consideration of the nominations.

Finally, a huge thank you from NAPCE to everybody who works in pastoral roles or contributes to the development of pastoral care theory and practice for the difference you make every day in the learning experience and future lives of learners.

Enjoy the evening, congratulations to all the finalists and thank you for your support for NAPCE.

Phil Jones
National Chair
NAPCE

GOOD PRACTICE: Winner of “Best School” at NAPCE Awards 2021 Shares Good Practice Examples

It was a pleasure to celebrate the achievements of winners and finalists highlighted at the National Awards For Pastoral Care In Education 2021 at the presentation event on 23rd September which took place online.

The evening was hosted by NAPCE’s Victoria Bownes and the welcome was given by our National Chair, Phil Jones and the guest presentation by author Daniel Sobel.

It was inspiring to listen to all the good practice that is taking place in pastoral care in education and the contributions that are being made in different ways to innovate and develop new ideas and practice.

This month we are going to focus on the category of Pastoral School of the Year which was sponsored by BlueSky Education.

This category recognises schools 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.
 
The winner of this award in this category, announced at the presentation ceremony was Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland. 

This is the good practice in the school that impressed the judges. 

Limavady High School – How They Won the Award

The PTA funded 60 food hampers for FSM families. Years 11-14 Action Mental Health workshops.

One to one professional mentoring for boys at risk of underachieving.

Worked with UV Arts to provide a ten-week programme for vulnerable pupils.

Dedicated member of staff for lockdown outreach phone calls.

Pastoral Care Google Classroom for child protection and wellbeing.

Staff training: mental health first aid, suicide prevention, ACEs and neglect.

Wellbeing Week activities. Children’s Mental Health week activities.

14 pupils trained as Anti-Bullying Buddies.

RESTORE programme to address lockdown experiences.

Sensory room.

SEN lunch hub.

All Classroom Assistants trained in First Aid.

The judges were also impressed by the work and good practice of the finalists in this category and the positive support they are giving for the children and young people in their care. Here are some examples of that good practice.

The Good Practice Submitted by Finalists in the Category. 

Royal School DungannonDugannon, Northern Ireland

At RSD there is a clear commitment to deliver outstanding pastoral provision both internally and beyond the school gates. In house, groups such as the pupil led ‘Safer School’ team raise whole school awareness regarding key issues. ‘Safe Space’ drop-in, run by local youth workers, pupils & staff, provides a ‘safe’ place for any pupil in need. There is an extensive preventative curriculum programme firmly embedded into school life. Groups such as AMH, Relax Kids, Youth for Christ & Niamh Louise Foundation are key. ‘Link’ teachers exist & staff have completed a wide range of quality pastoral training. RSD has also been at the heart of the community in organising a community wide mental health awareness campaign. Most recently it has secured funding from local churches, schools and businesses to enable the charity Reach Mentoring to start work in Dungannon.

Oakfield School, Hull

Oakfield School is a Residential co-educational school specialising in Social, Emotional, and Mental Health. Our passion for a whole school approach to pupils wellbeing is outstanding. The quality of our pastoral care influences the ethos and tone of the whole school alongside our enriched, engaging 24hr curriculum in a safe learning environment. During the pandemic staff have delivered food parcels, made weekly phone calls visited pupils and their families and paid for laptops/dongles for every pupil to support learning. Staffs determination to ensure pupils and their families wellbeing has remained Paramount is incredible. This is my reason for nominating Oakfield.

The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester

 This year, the school has supported pupils and families in more ways than usual. During lockdown, staff made weekly calls home, or more where needed. When issues were identified such as finance, housing or food issues, the team reacted quickly and liaised with agencies. Staff arranged for the food bank to provide food or dropped parcels off ourselves. School remained open for most and we introduced the Thrive programme to provide bespoke wellbeing interventions. We started art therapy and arranged alpaca, horse and gardening interventions for some. Parent support sessions were provided online and posted on a You Tube channel.

School for Inspiring TalentsNewton Abbott, Devon

As a school with a demonstrable commitment to pastoral care that is making a significant positive impact on our students’ social and emotional development, we would be delighted to be recognised by The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education. School for Inspiring Talents is an innovative independent therapeutic day school based in South Devon.  Established in 2014, it was set up with a clear vision to help transform the life chances of young people who have experienced childhood trauma.   We have a team of 73 dedicated teaching, clinical, therapeutic and office staff, supporting 53 students who have previously struggled in mainstream settings. The high staff:student ratio means that our students benefit from holistic pastoral support that meets their specific needs, helping them to overcome their individual barriers to learning.    Our innovative approach to education and commitment to pastoral care has delivered enormous impact on the lives of our students and their families. Feeling safe and secure with our dedicated team, our students WANT to come to school each day. They are able to build trusted relationships with staff as well as peer relationships with other students. We are privileged to see enormous progress with the children – something as small as giving eye contact, saying ‘good morning’, or playing with others can be a significant achievement for our students. Seeing their confidence and self-worth flourish is incredibly rewarding for staff. Our core values to Care, Nurture and Inspire, form the bedrock of our organisation as we support every learner to reach their individual potential. 100% of the children in our school have a specialist Education, Health and Care Plan with social and emotional mental health issues diagnosed as their primary need. Many are in care. On average at least 70% of have witnessed domestic violence, 68% have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse; 61% come from homes with parental mental health concerns and 92% are classified as having Type 3 Trauma (Complex Interpersonal Trauma). Many of the children are unable to use language to talk about their experiences. Several have been persistent school refusers in their previous school career. Our emphasis on pastoral care and support comes from the top; Mark Escott, Co-Founder of School for Inspiring Talents, experienced an abusive and chaotic childhood himself. As a dyslexic, he found school difficult and he found escape through drugs and crime, which later led to a two-year spell living in a hostel for young men on probation. Despite leaving school with no qualifications, Mark went on to carve out an impressive career as a child and adolescent behaviour specialist, working therapeutically with young people and families within the Social Care, Health and Education sectors. Driven by watching children slip through the net in mainstream schools, Mark set up Life Chance Education Ltd and went on to open School for Inspiring Talents to help transform the life chances of young people in our communities.  Based in school, our Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) provide a range of therapies to support our children’s individual needs.   Our MDT includes: Consultant Clinical Psychologist  Occupational Therapist  Speech and Language Therapist  Mental Health Practitioner  Trauma Recovery Practitioners  Family Support Workers  Therapeutic Outdoor Practitioner  Blu – our very special therapy dog. Our MDT work closely with teachers and support staff to ensure that students grow socially and emotionally alongside their educational development. A range of therapeutic assessments and methods are used by the team to help identify and support each student’s specific developmental needs. We have two Pastoral Co-ordinators at the school who each take the lead for our pastoral care across our two sites.  As TIS Practitioners (Trauma Informed Schools), they are the first point of contact for student and staff wellbeing in the school. Our Pastoral Co-ordinators oversee the strategies in place to help provide our students with the care and support they need to reach their potential.

Congratulations to all the finalists in this category for the excellent work you are doing to support learners and thank you to the nominees who highlighted this good practice that is taking place.

We hope to have nominations from the schools for the 2022 Awards to share more information about the good practice taking place.

REPORT: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones’ Report from the Organisation’s October NEC Meeting

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE) met on Saturday 9thOctober.

Once again it was an online meeting because of the uncertainty of travelling from different parts of the United Kingdom and Europe caused by the pandemic.

It is frustrating that we are still unable to meet in person, but a sensible approach seems to be appropriate with members of NEC travelling long distances to attend.

Thanks to the commitment of members of NEC and the administrative support we were able to continue to be positive about the work of NAPCE and about plans, but it is not the same as being able to meet together to share ideas and discuss issues.

This is especially true because we have people who have recently joined NEC who we have not been able to meet in person.

Let us hope that this changes soon, and we will be able to be in the same room and fully involved in discussions and planning for future activities.

The meeting had a full agenda and covered a large amount of business to enable the association to continue its work and engagement with educationalists who share our interest in pastoral care and support for learners.

The meeting is an opportunity for members of NEC to update each other about their work on behalf of NAPCE since the last meeting.

An item about strategic planning included a discussion about using online opportunities to develop links with professionals working in different regions and to raise their awareness about NAPCE.

Jill Robson the national secretary provided an update about NEC elections and membership, and it was very encouraging to hear that there has been a large increase in the membership of the Association in the last year.

It is hoped that membership will continue to grow as NAPCE supports schools to respond to the challenges of the pandemic and how to meet the mental health and personal developments needs of children and young people.

The NEC were updated about the administrative support arrangements for the Association and given a positive report about the financial situation.

A report on publicity and marketing showed that the increased engagement with NAPCE continues.

Contact is being made with the Association through social media, the website and telephone.

Professor Stan Tucker, the Editor of the Associations academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ provided a very encouraging report with the number of articles being submitted for publication increasing and the international reputation of the journal growing.

A report was provided about the 2021 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education, following the awards ceremony organised by NAPCE in September.

There were more nominations in 2021 than in the previous year and the judges were very impressed by the excellent examples of good practice that were highlighted.

The presentation Ceremony took place online and was very well attended on the evening.

The guest speaker was the author, Daniel Sobel. The winners were announced, and their plaques have been sent to them in the post.

Some of the comments on the chat during the evening included

“Great presentation. Thank you, Daniel”
“Thank you to the NAPCE team for getting this together”
“Well done everyone and thanks for organising such a great event”
“Lovely to hear you so happy. Well done Achieve NI”
“Thanks for organising such a wonderful event!”
“Thanks to everyone, so proud of the team at LHS”

Plans were discussed for the 2022 Awards, and it was agreed that they would be launched in November.

Launch November 2021
Nominations Open November 2021
Nominations Close May 30th 2022
Judging Completed Friday 25th June 2022
Tickets for Presentation Available July 2022
Invitations to Attend Presentation July 2022
Presentation Event Autumn 2022

The meeting included a report on NAPCE activities in the last few months and although they have been restricted by the pandemic it has seen plenty of engagement and contact with educationalists form different parts of the UK and around the world. The online conference organised in the Spring was a huge success with over 900 people showing an interest in the conference on the NAPCE Eventbrite page. The conference included presentations on current pastoral topics and a ‘Question Time’ with an invited panel. Tickets sold out four weeks before the event and delegates attended from as far away as Sydney, Nairobi, North Vancouver and Lima.

These were some of the comments from delegates
“Absolutely brilliant. Just what I need at the moment”
“To all the presenters, well done”
“Really enjoyed the whole conference. Thank you to everyone at NAPCE”
“Very interesting Question time hosted by NAPCE and some thought provoking contributions”
“Excellent discussion with some interesting diverse ideas”
“Thank you NAPCE for organising a great event and providing the opportunity to explore some important current issues”
“Great webinar. Very useful.  Thank you NAPCE”

Next year will be the 40th anniversary of NAPCE since it first started supporting Pastoral care in Education in 1982.

Several ideas for events and activities were discussed to celebrate the anniversary with plans for a weekend of events in the Autumn.

More details will be provided on social media, on the website and of course in future editions of the NAPCE monthly newsletter.

In the afternoon there was a meeting of the editorial Board which manages the Associations’ academic journal.

The next meeting of the NEC along with the AGM is planned for Saturday 26th March 2022.

Phil Jones
National Chair
NAPCE

JOURNAL: Special Edition of Pastoral Care In Education to be Released in October

NAPCE Journal – Special Edition

Have you every thought about how COVID-19 has impacted on the pastoral care of children and young people throughout the world?

The next edition of Pastoral  Care in Education – will attempt to go some way towards answering that question.

In what is one of the first academic journal to explore this issue, Professor Carol Mutch, one of our international editors,  has put together a series of internationally authored papers that identify both specific and global issues that are currently  impacting on the lives of many children and young people.

For more information contact admin@napce.org.uk

Professor Stan Tucker
Executive Editor – Pastoral Care in Education.

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