Houses, Tutor Groups and Student Tutors
Every pupil is in one of six houses – Bruce, Dewar, Fleming, Livingstone, Stuart or Wallace (names chosen by the pupils). Each house is headed by a principal teacher of pastoral care who is the main link between school and family and who coordinates the work of a team of student tutors. Every day, the tutor groups (up to 20 pupils in each group) meet for 20 minutes with their tutors. This is the time when registration and attendance matters are dealt with, but it is also an opportunity for tutors to raise issues of current concern – exams coming up, forthcoming social events, consultations about school policy matters and so on. This system allows teachers to build up long-term relationships with a manageable group of young people in a relatively informal situation.
Principal Teachers of Pastoral Care
The pastoral care PT is a very important person in a secondary school pupil's life. He or she is the child's trouble-shooter and the school's main link with the home. It is the PTPC who monitors attendance and timekeeping across the house, who scrutinises and summarises the school reports for UCAS and prospective employers.
Mr Bruce (Bruce House)
Miss Stewart (Dewar House)
Mrs Commaille (Fleming House)
Mrs Liveston (Livingston House)
Mr McKenzie (Stewart House)
Mrs Hooper (Wallace House)
Getting to See the PTPCs
Parents who wish to discuss things with the principal teachers of pastoral care would normally write or telephone to make an appointment. In an emergency, parents can of course just come up to the school and someone will see them, but the key person may not be available immediately.
Careers
The pastoral care staff are responsible for the provision of vocational advice, and for liaison with the Careers Service. They also coordinate the vital process of getting the children to compile their own progress profiles. All youngsters in the middle school will receive a structured programme of careers and social education, and each pupil in S4 will be given the opportunity to have an interview with a Careers Adviser. The Careers Service also attend parents' meetings, and are happy to advise individual parents.
Course Choice
When S2 pupils have to go through the process of choosing and negotiating a course for S3 and S4, the PTPC will play a key role in helping to advise pupils and parents. A similar role will be played when pupils are to choose courses for the senior school.