Pastoral care

Pastoral care is our strength. Girls are encouraged and supported to succeed academically whilst feeling secure and developing self-respect and compassion for others.

Developing self-worth

Enabling our young women to develop a real sense of self-worth and self-confidence is extremely important to us. We want them to have a strong set of values, to be ambitious but to combine their ambition with compassion so that they can make a positive contribution to the world around them. We believe that this is best achieved through strong pastoral care and by the School and parents working closely together.

The pastoral care triangle

Recognising that boarding, education and growing up all have their challenging moments, we understand that successful navigation of life at Downe House comes from communication, high expectation and consistency. Girls know that we are unified in our support of them on their journey of self-discovery. Housestaff work closely with each pupil’s parents, academic tutor and the wider school community to ensure that each girl feels the support of a home away from home.

Our pastoral care at Downe House provides your daughter with the knowledge that she is known and cared for and the confidence to take on new challenges. Just as importantly, we are keen to prepare your daughter, with a focus on nurturing resilience, for the ever-changing and highly competitive world in which we live.

3-Step Pastoral Care

The unique 3-Step Pastoral Care structure means that girls benefit from the very best specialised pastoral care and provision for their age group. As they move through the three steps of the Lower School, the Upper School and the Sixth Form boarding houses, our dedicated Housestaff can tailor the care for each individual and meet the needs of the girls at each stage of their teenage development.

 

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AS Tracking

We have recently introduced a pastoral assessment and tracking tool created by Steer called AS Tracking. AS (Affective Social) Tracking is a proactive pastoral care system which uses online assessment, completed by pupils. It places your child’s voice right at the centre of our pastoral care. Downe House staff will use the data to guide their pastoral interactions with each pupil, knowing how to signpost pupils more proactively and intentionally during their time at our School.

It is an additional piece of the pastoral jigsaw; it will not replace teacher observations, parental feedback or direct feedback from pupils. It will sit alongside other tracking tools, for example, it might help us understand why a pupil may not be making academic progress, or what might lie behind a dip in their attendance.

Inside Downe

Who better to describe life at Downe House than the girls themselves? See the School from a different angle.

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Tours & Open Mornings

The best way to find out more about Downe House is to experience it for yourself. Book a personal tour or join us at one of our Open Mornings, available throughout the year.

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