CREATING COMMUNITIES
Our pastoral system is at the very heart of all we do at St George’s. The personal development of our young people is paramount. Pupils who feel supported and nurtured will develop into the young people who make a difference to society and aspire to be the best they can be.
St George’s offers a distinctive balance: small college and form groups, which give our pupils a strong pastoral base, within a large, varied, academically challenging academy. Every pupil is encouraged to make a positive difference to the academy as well as to the wider community.
Typically there are 210 pupils in each year group and 22 in each form group.
A pupil new to the academy will come to know the people in their form and college community well – especially their form tutor, who is principally responsible for them. The role of the form tutor cannot be underestimated. The form tutor, where possible, will stay with their form from year 7 to year 9. This allows the relationship to develop and they will support each pupil throughout their time with us.
Our pastoral team which includes pupil support workers, mental health, social workers and our chaplaincy team, offer full support and encouragement, helping pupils through any periods of uncertainty or difficulty, but without intrusion. It is a delicate and important balance: pupils are encouraged to talk about problems with those who can help, but also are encouraged to find their own solutions. It is a feature of St George’s life that pupils are given the space and freedom to develop themselves.
Our inclusion team makes sure that there is a caring and supportive environment for all our pupils.
Support includes work in class and also extra one to one or small group sessions. Mentoring from staff helps our pupils to make progress and to break down any barriers which prevent them from learning.
All pupils can achieve, and we work hard to make sure that they do. Pupils find that their time at St George’s comes to an end all too soon, but our careers and guidance staff help to make sure that pupils have the best possible advice and preparation for the next stage in their education after St George’s, with individual advice and guidance for all. We have close links with our local post 16 providers as well as with higher education institutions including universities.