Pastoral

Genuine pastoral care

Every student at St George’s is known, valued and celebrated for who they are.

Our bespoke and highly responsive pastoral care ensures that the unique needs of each individual are met to enable them to thrive and flourish and succeed in the world beyond school.

Andrew Christie
Deputy Head of Pastoral and Boarding

Known and valued

We know our students – and their families – exceptionally well and this is the foundation of all we do. This starts with the excellent relationships between teachers and students in form classes. With maximum class sizes of 23 (and frequently smaller), our teachers ensure every girl thrives, makes good progress and feels fully involved in school life.

Learning from mistakes and celebrating successes, every student is encouraged to see their own strengths and engage positively with feedback.

Support and good role modelling comes from form prefects, House captains and buddies, all contributing to guide behaviour and build a strong community of confident, healthy and resilient young people.

Programmes and resources

Our programme of Personal and Social Education (PSE) prepares girls to face the world with confidence, inner strength and high self-esteem. There are also evening talks and webinars for parents, often reflecting classroom topics alongside other relevant issues for parents.

We have a full-time NMC registered nurse and counselling provision – well used by pupils and completely free from any stigma. Plus, a much-loved ‘Therapet’ session every Friday, where our furry friends lend a listening ear!

Above all, we understand the specific needs of girls and how to guide well-rounded, well-grounded individuals to be the confident, fearless young women, ready to step into their future.

“I’ve found a school that pays more than just lip-service to pastoral care – my daughter has thrived here and is now aiming to become a human rights lawyer.”

Christine McLaughlin, Parent

Whether your daughter is new to the school or moving from one area to the next milestone, care and attention are given to make the transition as smooth as possible. At St George's we do this by having taster days and a new student induction day, where she has the chance to see the school and meet other students, as well as join in lessons. Getting to know the campus is also very important and can help reassure your daughter on where she should be. Tours are given by other girls in the year group, and form tutors organise different buddies to introduce your daughter to lots of other students in the form class. The Head of Year will also check in with your daughter regularly over those initial weeks, as she settles in to life at St George's

There are lots of staff available for your daughter to talk to. She can choose who it is she wants to talk to and the main thing is that she speaks to an adult she is comfortable talking to. This might be her class teacher, form tutor, Head of Year, a subject teacher, the school counsellor, a senior prefect or a peer. Once we know about an issue, the Head of Year or tutor will deal with it, and may be in contact with you if it is of concern.

Form tutors can be a useful point of contact as they see your daughter every day, and a quick email to them can help direct your question to the right person. We would always ask that you contact us with any concern or issue, no matter how small. It is better dealing with small matters and helping resolve them, before they grow and become a greater concern.

There are lots of staff available for your daughter to talk to. She can choose who it is she wants to talk to and the main thing is that she speaks to an adult she is comfortable talking to. This might be her class teacher, form tutor, Head of Year, a subject teacher, the school nurse, a senior prefect or a peer. Once we know about an issue, the Head of Year or tutor will deal with it, and may be in contact with you if it is of concern.

Helping students navigate friendship issues is a normal part of growing up, and these issues can spill over into school life. We treat every student as an individual and spend time with them to look at what is causing the issue. Is it a misunderstanding? Is there something deeper happening? Is mediation needed and a sit down meeting between those involved? The pastoral team may inform other staff, if appropriate, to help support students in lessons. Ultimately, our aim is that even if there are disagreements and fall outs, that we treat others with respect and courtesy.

We have a partnership with Tooled Up Education a comprehensive digital platform that offers a wealth of evidence-based resources designed to support parents, school communities, and staff. The platform provides tools and information to help families navigate the challenges of parenting, ensuring children and young people continue to thrive.

Find out about our partnership with Tooled Up Education for Wellbeing (PSHE)

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At St George's, we embrace and celebrate diversity. We go beyond mere acceptance or tolerance; we actively support and thrive on the differences among our students, staff, and community. Our school ethos is rooted in fostering individual growth and success. Read about our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion