Pastoral Care

At John Lyon every pupil is seen as an individual, with their own unique talents, abilities and needs.

 

Form Tutors

At the core of our pastoral care is the tutor system. Form Tutors have regular contact with their tutees through a daily tutor period of 20 minutes, where they get to know and build positive relationships with their tutees, causing pupils to feel valued and developing in them a sense of belonging so that are able to fulfil their potential and thrive in school.

Each team of tutors is overseen by a Head of Year, responsible for the pastoral care of the pupils in the year group. These year groups meet weekly for an assembly and have regular Personal, Social, Citizenship, Health and Economic Education (PSCHE) sessions delivered by topic experts, which vary as pupils move through the years. Each Head of Year is overseen by a Head of Section, who each have oversight of the pastoral care of pupils across their respective sections ((Lower Section (Year 7-9), Upper Section (Year 10-11) and Sixth Form (Lower Sixth-Upper Sixth)).

All new pupils are allocated a tutor group prior to arrival, which they stay in through Years 7 and 8. Where possible pupils have the same Form Tutor over their time in Years 7 and 8. Pupils are taught predominantly in their tutor groups.

With a significant intake of new pupils into Year 9, tutor groups are changed for the GCSE years, with new arrivals being spread evenly among those pupils who have come through John Lyon. Again, these tutor groups are maintained through until the end of GCSE exams at the end of Year 11. The continuity allows the parents and pupils to form a good working relationship with both the Form Tutor and Head of Year as they go through the various stages of GCSE option choices, external examinations and, ultimately, A Level choices before moving into the Sixth Form.

In the Sixth Form, students are again assigned a new tutor group, often based on A Level choices or career aspirations, which will have been discussed in detail with members of the Sixth Form Team and Careers Adviser throughout Year 11.

House System

There are four Houses at John Lyon:

  • Butler
  • Moore
  • Norwood
  • Vaughan

The House system develops in pupils a strong sense of belonging, by promoting teamworking skills and a sense of community, alongside a healthy competitiveness. Each House comprises pupils across all year groups and House fixtures, in a range of activities, run most weeks. Each tutor group in Year 7 is allocated to a different House, so that all pupils within a particular tutor group belong to the same House, helping enable a smooth transition into senior school by giving new pupils every opportunity to make strong bonds and close friendships with other pupils in their tutor groups. Houses are allocated randomly, unless pupils have familial links to a specific House.

Peer Mentoring

We run a successful peer mentoring programme, offering older students the valuable opportunity to support younger members of the school community. Sixth Formers are trained to be successful mentors, with a focus on listening, communication skills, values, boundaries, confidentiality and keeping safe.

Wellness Coaching

Our wellness coaching, rooted in ecology, art and nature, enables pupils to better navigate and manage their lifestyle demands, value systems and future direction in life, guiding them on positive welfare habits and how they might best adopt them.

Personal Development Mentoring

Our Peer Mentoring Programme, delivered to small groups of pupils by members of the pastoral team, works to develop character in our pupils. The mentoring complements our values-based PSCHE programme, but is individualised, exploring in depth key issues related to pupil personal development, such as emotional intelligence, resilience and mindset.

Emotional Wellbeing Support

Pupils experiencing emotional difficulties benefit from a range of emotional wellbeing support in school. Several members of the pastoral team are trained in youth mental health first aid and are trained to identify the signs in pupils which may indicate that they are experiencing emotional difficulty, and signpost accordingly to our counselling service. This is provided by a member of staff trained in mental health and fully qualified psychotherapists. We also have a Wellbeing Room, which acts as base for the wellness coaching and counselling support, but also as a support for pupils experiencing emotional distress, providing them with a space to drop into should they feel the need to reflect and tend to their emotional needs.

Parents

We pride ourselves on being a school that listens. Parents are seen as partners with the school and are positively encouraged to get involved in their child’s education at every stage. We believe that developing the triangle of care between pupil, school and home can only work in your child’s best interest, promoting their wellbeing and helping ensure they achieve well in school. Parents are regularly invited to parent panels, where discussion and opinions are sought and those with expertise asked to contribute actively.

Health and Welfare

Our pastoral care is complemented by excellent medical provision. Our Medical Centre is staffed throughout the school day by our full time School Nurses Miss Dionne Thomas and Mrs Bina Gurung. The Medical Centre handles all aspects of first aid and sickness and is responsible for co-ordinating our counselling provision. Medical staff also play an important role in preventative care, parental liaison and general health and safety issues.

Faith

John Lyon celebrates and champions diversity and inclusion. We are a non-denominational school and welcome pupils from all cultural and faith backgrounds, and none. Tolerance and respect are central to the learning that pupils experience here. We have a room dedicated to prayer and our teachers will always help and support pupils when they observe religious holidays and customs.