Pastoral Care is at the heart of everything we do in Ballyclare Secondary School. We are totally committed to creating a caring and supportive school environment in which pupils feel safe, secure and encouraged to build positive relationships with staff and fellow pupils based on mutual respect, tolerance and consideration. As a school community we work to create a calm environment for all.
Ballyclare Secondary School is an all-inclusive school in which all pupils are valued for their unique contributions, abilities and achievements.
The pastoral care system in our school is based on the central role of the Form Teacher. A Form Teacher is assigned to each Year 8 class and remains with the class throughout their first five years in school. This enables the Form Teacher to get to know the group of pupils as individuals during their school career and to liaise with parents/carers and build a relationship with the pupils’ home. This bond is very strong with everyone working as a team.
The Pastoral Year Team consists of 7 Form Teachers and 2 Year Teachers. The Year Teachers have an overview of a particular year group’s curriculum and their pastoral welfare. Senior to this we have a Tutor who has responsibility for the welfare of the boys in school. The Vice Principal – Pastoral Care then has overall responsibility for the pastoral care system within school. Our full pastoral structure can be found on this section of our website. Form Teachers are responsible for delivering a wide and relevant pastoral curriculum in morning registration classes, a curriculum that is mapped across the school by pastoral staff.
We encourage pupils to take pride in all that they do and to set high standards for themselves, both inside and outside the classroom. The achievements of pupils are celebrated through assemblies, which address a variety of moral and social issues that are particularly relevant to young people.
Pupils are given opportunities to take part in a wide range of curricular and extracurricular activities. Through such shared experiences a real sense of belonging to our school community can develop. Pupils are encouraged to be of service to the wider community.
Our school has a Designated Safeguarding Teacher (Mr A Nicholl) and a team of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Teachers, who are known to the entire school community, taking responsibility for all safeguarding and child protection issues. Our Safeguarding & Child Protection policy acknowledges the duty of care of each member of staff has towards each young person in school and the responsibility to promote and safeguard pupil welfare.
A qualified nurse is available throughout the school day and provides medical care for all pupils, including those with specified and particular needs. She maintains close contact with both staff and parents/carers. Prescribed medications are kept and administered by the school nurse, and she also organises the school immunisation programme. In recent years our school achieved a Good Diabetes Care in Schools Award. This is a fantastic achievement for our school, one which recognised the care and support given to our students.
Our pupils feeling safe and secure is at the heart of everything we do. We want pupils to feel that have adults they can turn to, and it is for this reason that we have a counsellor from an external agency provide further support for pupils through sessions organised on a weekly basis. The Vice Principal – Pastoral Care meets with the school counsellor to discuss and review the counselling waiting list on a weekly basis.
Through our School Based Care Team, the school endeavours to build and maintain positive relationships with professional support agencies outside school who can offer individualised guidance and support. This team meet regularly through the academic year to help support the pupils of Ballyclare Secondary School.
Mr A Nicholl
Vice Principal - Pastoral Care (Acting)
Designated Teacher for Child Protection
