At Queen’s College the health and wellbeing of every pupil is at the heart of everything that we do. We all work towards our core focus, which is to ensure that every child is safe, happy and supported in all aspects of their school life.
Pupil Health & Wellbeing
At Queen’s College the health and wellbeing of every pupil is at the heart of everything that we do. We all work towards our core focus, which is to ensure that every child is safe, happy and supported in all aspects of their school life.
Queen’s College is a friendly and warm community with a truely family feel. Our small classes and year groups allow staff to really know and understand every child in order that care can be tailored to suit all needs.
Our range of pastoral support means that we can ensure every child feels supported in order that they can be successful, whatever that might look like for each child. We continue to aim to fulfil our core belief that “we educate not for school, but for life”
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing at Queen’s College
Deputy Head Pastoral – Mrs Carla Shearman
The pastoral care and wellbeing of your child is at the centre of all of our thinking and decision making. Our aim is to get to know every child as an individual and to work hard to develop excellent working relationships with parents. Working together helps us to ensure that your child develops at a rate that is appropriate for them and ensures the best outcomes for them both educationally and emotionally.
We are proud of our inclusive and caring community and are committed to developing and maintaining an ethos centred around kindness and respect towards others and a determination to be the best version of ourselves at all times.
We hope that you find the pastoral information useful, but should you require any additional information please feel free to contact me directly.
To support the emotional and social wellbeing of our children and young people we have a dedicated team of counsellors, one of whom is on site during the school day on each day of the week
Pupils in the Senior School can see a counsellor in one of two ways. They can either speak to a member of staff (a tutor or teacher they trust and get on well with) and ask them to refer you to a counsellor, or they can contact the counselling service directly yourself using the e-mail address below:
counsellor@queenscollege.org.uk
Pupils in Pre-Prep and Prep may be referred by a member of staff. In this case the counsellor will always speak to parents first to discuss concerns and clarify the process of counselling and feedback to parents.
Queen’s College Counselling Team
Michelle Howell is a qualified integrative counsellor and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): she has a background of training in mental health within the NHS and has many years’ experience of working with young people. She is contactable on: mch@queenscollege.org.uk
Denis Victor is a qualified integrative counsellor and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): He has a background in youth work in the local area and has a wide range of experience working with young people from many different cultures. He is contactable on: dkv@queenscollege.org.uk
Year Leads
The wellbeing and academic progress of your child will be looked after by their Year Leader. The Year Leader’s are dedicated to ensuring that each child in their care is safe, comfortable and thriving.
All year groups have a year base and an allocated outdoor space for social activities and these are staffed by tutors and the Year Leader
Year Leaders work closely with tutors, academic staff and boarding staff and are the first point of contact for parents if you have any questions about your child’s education.
Medical Centre
The School Medical Centre is run by a team of Registered Nurses.
Its aim is to support the health needs of every pupil, allowing them to achieve their full potential in all aspects of school life.
The medical centre is also available daily for our boarding community to provide medical care, GP appointments as well as dental and physiotherapy appointments.
Integration
In the Summer term before starting school, new pupils into Year 7 are invited for a Familiarisation Day which will introduce them to a day in the life of the Senior School.
In the Summer term before starting school, new pupils into Year 7 are invited for a Familiarisation Day which will introduce them to a day in the life of the Senior School.
This will include:
A tailor-made Assembly
Meeting with Houseparents
Fun in the labs
Acting, painting, cooking and a look at Design Technology
Orienteering competition around the Senior School
Parents are also invited to join us at the end of the day to meet key members of staff and enjoy a relaxed afternoon tea.
At the beginning of the Autumn term, each new pupil is allocated a ‘shepherd’ who knows the routine of the school day and who guides them around the school until they feel settled into school life. Wherever possible, we try to match new pupils to ‘shepherds’ with similar interests.
All of our new boarders join the school for a comprehensive induction programme two days before the start of the academic year. This allows them to settle into their new homes and get to know the staff who will be caring for them in a calm and relaxed environment before the busy term starts.
Senior Houses and The Founders' Shield
The four competitive Houses are an important part of life at the school. All pupils and staff in the Senior School belong to one of the Houses. The senior school houses are Ray (red), French (purple), Woolmer (green), Barnicott (blue), the houses are named after the original governing body when the school was established in 1843: Governor: Rev Richard Ray; Treasurer: William French and Secretaries: Rev Theophilus Woolmer & James Barnicott. Each tutor group is linked with a house and houses are run by the Sixth Form House Prefects. All houses compete for The Founders’ Shield by gathering house points, awarded for academic and co-curricular achievements and by partaking in competitions throughout the year such as Sports and House Singing Day. All pupils are encouraged to participate in these. The Founders’ Shield is awarded on Speech Day at the end of the school year.
Safeguarding and Child Protection
All children at Queen’s College should feel safe and empowered to speak up if they have any concerns about themselves or their peers. Safeguarding and positive wellbeing are the most important aspects of what we do at Queen’s College and are embedded in our culture of putting the child at the centre of all of our thinking and our actions. All college staff and children are trained and educated to be vigilant and to raise concerns immediately and we urge parents and visitors to get in touch using the contact details below if they have any concerns.
Keeping your children entertained and engaged during school holidays can be a challenge, especially for busy working parents. That’s why we partner with a variety of exciting holiday camp providers to offer a range of options for all ages and interests.
