Wellbeing and Pastoral Care
Wellbeing, Pastoral and Community Care is a priority at King Alfred’s Academy as we believe that a successful education starts with a strong partnership between the school, students and parents.
To support our students, we have an Inclusion Hub on both Centre and West Sites, which house a comprehensive pastoral team who ensure that pastoral support is at the forefront of everything we do. Key to this work are our Student Managers who are the key points of contact for parents and carers and who typically stay with their year groups as they progress from Year 7 to 11.
The Pastoral Team
|
Head of Pastoral Support |
Mrs Martin |
|
Head of Student Wellbeing |
Mr Sheppard |
|
Head of Year 7 |
Mrs Atkins |
|
Student Manager of Year 7 |
Miss Weller |
|
Head of Year 8 |
Mr Shaw |
|
Student Manager of Year 8 |
Mrs Underwood |
|
Head of Year 9 |
Mr Jones |
|
Student Manager of Year 9 |
Mrs Buckingham |
|
Head of Year 10 |
Mr Sheppard |
|
Student Manager of Year 10 |
Ms Cross |
|
Head of Year 11 |
Mr Taylor |
|
Student Manager of Year 11 |
Mrs Hall |
|
Head of Sixth Form |
Mr Hogan |
|
Deputy Head of Sixth Form |
Mr Johnson |
|
Student Manager of Year 12/13 |
Ms Smith |
It is important that students know we are there for them when support and advice is needed and the core values of Respect, Responsibility and Tolerance are driven through everything we do. Ultimately, this means that our students feel safe and happy at school.
Education and support are also afforded to students via weekly assemblies, tutorial sessions and Personal Development (PSHCE) sessions which address issues relevant to health and wellbeing.
We have also created a useful booklet entitled “Promoting Positive Mental Health” which has been compiled with the help of parents; The Educational Psychology Service; Public Health Oxford; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Oxford); The King Alfred’s Academy Counselling Services and academy staff – download it from the bottom of this page.
Anti Bullying
Our Anti-Bullying Policy is available to view on our Policies page.
Reporting concerns: Mr Sheppard, Head of Student Wellbeing, oversees our anti-bullying policy. If you have any concerns surrounding bullying, please pass this information to studentwellbeing@ka.vale-academy.org or, in writing, to any of the Site Offices marked ‘Confidential – Student Wellbeing Concern’.
Community Events
To support our parents, we deliver successful Community Wellbeing Events throughout the year, covering topics such as ‘how to have difficult conversations with teenagers’ and ‘dealing with anxiety in children’. We work collaboratively with outside agencies and professionals to ensure our parents are both supported and empowered to support their child/ren.
We also provide guidance on how to support positive mental health and offer a ‘signposting service’ which enables parents to feel confident in in supporting their children.