House & Home – Boarding & Pastoral Care
House & Home
Every boarding house is individual and what works for one child, will not necessarily work for another. As pastoral practitioners, we pride ourselves on knowing every child as an individual, ‘every boarder’s journey will be different’ is often a line used when speaking to prospective parents. Our boarding staff look at how the boarding environment needs to be tailored and personalised to each individual, whilst still building our extended family. The sense of community within Cheltenham is incredibly important and is what makes our pupils, from Third Form to Upper Sixth, thrive as boarders.
Pastoral Care
At the heart of our Pastoral Care is each pupil’s Tutor and Housemaster or Housemistress (HsM). Pupils have an individual reflection meeting every two weeks, discussing academic progress and overall development as well as how they are feeling within themselves. Twice a year, all Third Form pupils take an online assessment with Steer Tracking (a pastoral assessment and tracking tool). This enables College to track each pupil’s social-emotional development, so we can proactively give our pupils the right support at the right time, in the right way.
Anti-Bullying
Our Anti-Bullying, Behaviour and Rewards and Sanctions policies promote the importance of ensuring that pupils feel supported to prevent bullying. In 2023, all pupils committed to ‘Saying they are in’ and ‘Calling it out’ when they witness unkind or bullying behaviour, with each pupil signing a pledge to be part of this effort.
When reporting on the College in 2023, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) found that “[Pupils] are courteous and sensitive to the feelings of others and have a healthy respect for their peers and teachers.”
Relaxation and Social Life
We recognise that our pupils need well-deserved down-time to relax and decompress after their busy days. Across the Houses, each House offers a safe space for pupils to catch up on their work and spend quality time together. Whilst we embrace the educational benefits that technology brings us, we also are aware that our pupils need time away from their screens and socialise together. There is a huge array of social experiences on offer and House activities range from cooking nights to trips out to theme parks. Social events are popular at College, from quiz nights to dinners and informal dances. Time for reflection and mindfulness is given each day in Chapel, and our Third Form pupils have the option to take part in Meditation and Mindfulness.