"Pupils said unanimously that their teachers always help them if they are worried about their academic work or something personal." Ofsted 2021

Pastoral Care

At Ashmole Academy, we enable students to develop their fullest potential in all areas of school life.  In addition to student academic progress, student welfare and happiness is very important to us.  We provide a caring environment with clear and consistent boundaries understood by both staff and students.  Our aim is to allow students to achieve their potential in a safe environment and to be able to be proud of all their achievements.  We celebrate all achievements through our system of rewards, during assemblies, via school reports and in our classrooms.  We believe in the principle of a praise and seek every opportunity to reward students. 

The Pastoral Curriculum at Ashmole Academy encompasses a programme of tutorials, assemblies, visiting external speakers and during PSHE lessons.  Developing students’ resilience lies at the core of our wellbeing provision.  All students are taught about mental health and self-care, encouraging them to engage in conversations about these important topics through our Character Education programme. Our Pastoral Curriculum map outlines the strands that all students will develop whilst at Ashmole Academy.  These are forming caring relationships, building resilience, demonstrating integrity, being ambitious, taking responsibility, self-reflection and equality.

Team building is also part of our inclusive Pastoral Curriculum so that students are equipped with the tools needed to instigate change and to work collaboratively.  Every half term our students take on a project within their form which results in a pledge to unite the form group within a topic to cement a positive change amongst the Ashmole Community.

Students are encouraged to take on positions of responsibility throughout their school careers: each tutor group elects a Form Representative and a very effective Year Council.

Ashmole Academy strives to ensure pupils feel they are listened to and that their views are respected.  All students have the opportunity to be in a vast range of committees across the school. Numerous examples of change initiated by pupils include the School Council securing additional water fountains across the site, Catering Committee securing meat-free days and our Green Committee have removed plastic bottles in school so we are more environmentally friendly.

Our PSHE programme ensures that our students are building empathy, understanding themselves through self-reflection and exploring their roles as global citizens. Although PSHE Lessons are taught separately, often topics are discussed in the tutorial programme.

Pastoral Organisation

Tutor groups meet twice daily, which ensures Form Tutors know their tutees well and are able to support them; the tutor is also the first point of contact for parents.  Building students’ resilience is at the forefront of our Pastoral Programme, which aims to ensure students are well-equipped to deal with moments of change and transition, from the move from the Primary school, to Secondary to Sixth Form then to the eventual progression onto university.

A small number of students may need additional pastoral support and the Pastoral Mentors will provide this through regular mentoring sessions.  Our Pastoral Mentoring team is agile in order to cater for a range of needs and students will complete bespoke mentoring modules.  We also have an on–site School Counsellor and Medical Team.  Students can also go to their Tutor, Head of Year, or any teacher for support, as well as older students.

Each Key Stage has its own team of Form Tutors, Pastoral Mentors and Head of Years.  These teams are overseen by a member of the school’s Leadership Team.  The progress, attendance and general welfare of each child is the responsibility of this team. The school also runs a peer mentoring programme to support students.

We expect excellent attendance and punctuality from all our students and we reward this through certificates issued each term. Form tutors also give out weekly Form Tutor Awards for those students who display the Ashmole Values.  Form groups may also win awards for the overall attendance and punctuality of the year group, celebrated in assemblies.

If a need arises to contact the school, please contact the Student Services Co-ordinator who will liaise with the relevant staff.  If the matter is more serious and you are considering contacting the Head Teacher, Mr Dhinsa, please contact the relevant member of the Leadership Team responsible for that year group or faculty.  You can also contact the school by email at staff@ashmoleacademy.org.

The school expects that Parents/Carers and any other family member who has need to contact the school does so in a courteous and polite manner.  Action will be taken where this does not occur.