Pastoral Care

A resilient, confident and happy child is one who feels secure, supported and understood.

Pastoral care sits at the heart of school life, enabling pupils to flourish academically, socially and emotionally from their very first day.

As Good Schools Guide notes, the school benefits from “heaps of pastoral leads, matrons, house staff and two trained counsellors across two schools,” ensuring pupils are well supported throughout their time at The Prep.

Our approach is built on strong relationships, clear structures and evidence-based programmes. We foster close partnerships with parents, built on open communication and shared understanding, ensuring families feel informed, supported and involved throughout their child’s journey.

Pastoral Programmes and Initiatives

Girls on Board

Girls on Board is a school-based programme delivered at the start of a term or when challenges arise. It empowers girls to resolve their own friendship issues through non-judgemental, teacher-led sessions using discussion and role-play.

Working with Boys

Introduced in Year 7, the Working with Boys programme runs fortnightly across 13 sessions. Through guided reflection, boys explore themes such as banter, motivation and managing emotions, helping to foster respectful and positive relationships. Girls are also invited to contribute feedback, encouraging open dialogue.

Parenting Programmes

Parents are supported through evidence-based courses, including the Nurturing Programme. Running as a two-hour session each Monday evening, it equips families with practical strategies and shared language to support children’s emotional wellbeing at home and school.

Daily Pastoral Support

Every pupil’s first point of contact is their Form Teacher. With daily check-ins at the start and end of each day, pupils benefit from continuity of care and early support whenever it is needed. Small class sizes and close relationships ensure staff know each child well, both academically and personally.

As the Independent Schools Inspectorate (2023) notes, “Pupils know how and where to seek help if they are worried or anxious… and spoke with enthusiasm about how well they are supported and advised by the school and their teachers.”

Specialist Pupil Support

We offer dedicated on-site pupil support within the Health Centre. Our pastoral provision includes:

Two dedicated Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists, who are embedded members of the school community
Support for a wide range of issues, from family changes to worries affecting school life

Chill & Chat

For pupils who may benefit from additional support, we offer weekly Chill & Chat sessions. These sessions provide a relaxed environment where pupils can talk one-to-one or in small groups with dedicated pastoral staff, often alongside activities that help conversations flow naturally.

Chadwick Programme

The Chadwick Programme is designed to challenge and inspire pupils at the top of the Prep School. Taking place on Thursday afternoons, all Year 8 pupils remain in school and rotate through a diverse programme of activities over two terms.

Experiences include learning to cook with a professional chef, yoga, introductory foreign language sessions, working with local retirement communities, first aid training (including CPR), and financial education. The programme broadens pupils’ perspectives, develops life skills and encourages them to see their place in a wider world.

Prep News

Co-curricular

Boarding