Pastoral Care at LRGS
The sense of camaraderie between the boys, the respect between students and staff, and the pride we all have in LRGS combine to create the caring community we enjoy at school. The outstanding quality of pastoral care at LRGS is the responsibility of everyone, from the boys who have a real sense of their responsibly to each other, the prefects who act as tremendous role models to the younger students, and the staff who tirelessly give up their time for the boys.
Form teachers will soon get to know the boys well and be seen as the first port of call. In form time, classes enjoy a range of discussions and group work which all help to develop lasting relationships within the group. The Heads of Lower and Middle School are also there to provide support and guidance and, along with the school nurse, counsellors and the senior pastoral team, the boys can at any point turn to a number of people.
The outstanding quality of the pastoral care at LRGS was commented on in our last Ofsted inspection:
"A quite exceptional range of well-attended after-school activities makes an excellent contribution to pupils' physical, health and social development".
"Students value the very good relationships they develop with their teachers and each other. The quality of care and guidance is outstanding"
LRGS Mentor Programme
A mentoring scheme has been operating in LRGS for at least the last 12 years. The aim of the scheme is to assist Lower School boys to develop the skills necessary to achieve their full potential in a school like LRGS. This often means support in developing the necessary practices to become better organised and in developing effective homework routines. Boys from the Lower Sixth are invited to apply as mentors in September.
There is normally a relatively good number match between applications and need, so very few applicants are turned away. In the past year there were 95 mentors that participated in the scheme. Each mentor is expected to attend a training session run by the school’s Mentoring Coordinator where their role and responsibilities are discussed and information given on the support available to them.
Lower School subject teachers are asked to identify boys who might benefit from some extra support by the October half term. Boys are then matched in pairs, and arrange to meet one lunch time per week. The scheme runs for approximately 16 weeks.
At the end of the scheme both the mentor and the mentee are asked to provide some feedback, in the form of a questionnaire, on the success of the scheme and how they benefited from it. In the vast majority of cases both parties find the experience to be positive and rewarding.
