Pastoral Care

This is of the utmost importance within Downey House and Fullerton House and we pride ourselves on the level of pastoral care that we provide. We have created and maintained a happy, safe and secure learning environment for all children and staff, which is vital for all parts of the school community to learn and function effectively.

Excellant pastoral care is vital to all pupils, our small class sizes and inclusivity help foster a happy family atmosphere. Staff know pupils as individuals and care about their progress and there are excellent pupil-teacher relationships. Any issues are spotted and dealt with swiftly, and every child knows that they can go to any teacher if they have problems or difficulties. Pupils form strong and supportive friendships and are well disposed to help each other.

Downey House and Fullerton House has co-ordinators responsible for both Child Protection and Pastoral Care issues. The Pastoral Care teacher administers and monitors the Addressing Bullying and Positive Behaviour Policies. This includes ensuring that pastoral and bullying concerns are noted by members of staff who either witness or have issues reported to them by pupils, parents or other members of staff. The Preparatory Department wholeheartedly supports the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Federation’s anti-bullying policies and practices. 

Circle time and other PDMU strategies are used by staff to promote positive behaviour, team-work and conflict resolution in classes. Assemblies are used to support these messages and to address issues which may arise at a whole school level e.g. a serious accident to a pupil, a case of bullying or a bereavement of a member of the school community.

You can find out more about our Pastoral Care in our policies section.