Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing
Our students are at the heart of everything we do at Cockermouth School. They should always feel safe and be able to focus fully on their learning.
Pastoral and Safeguarding team
The pastoral team serves an important role setting expectations, communicating with students about key events and transitions in the school journey and providing help for those who need it. The team plays a key role in identifying and supporting those students who have pastoral, social, emotional or mental health needs. Every student has a form tutor who is their first port of call and who liaises with parents. Students meet with their form tutor in the morning for 15 minutes to ensure they are ready to learn and their day will run smoothly. There are two pastoral leaders for every cohort of students. They lead the tutors and organise the pastoral programme of assemblies and activities for the students, working closely with the Personal Development department.
The Pastoral Support Team provides a first point of contact for parents and carers. Mrs A Doyle, Mrs K Barnes and Mr L Weaver will answer many immediate questions and signpost parents and carers on to specific teams in school. Please contact them on 01900 898888 and PastoralSupport@cockermouthschool.org
Mr Milledge, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is the senior leader responsible for the pastoral system. Please find the school’s child protection policy here. Cockermouth School is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment and protection for all students and recognise that a more personalised or contextualised approach may be required for more vulnerable children, victims of abuse and some SEND children. We have a culture of openness and honesty and aim to be reflective about our practice and recognise that, however good we are, we can always improve. We know that abuse happens in our school and wider community and always strive to create the environment where those affected can report concerns in the secure knowledge they will be supported in a professional and sensitive way.
The Deputy DSL Mrs Johnson is also the head of Learning Support and the Strategic Resourced Provision for autism. She has a particular focus on the safety of some of our more vulnerable students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
The Inclusion Team focuses on supporting the social emotional and mental health needs of students. The team includes the school counsellor and two other support staff who support vulnerable students including ‘return to school’ students on a limited timetable, therapeutic services and catch-up support and academic interventions. The inclusion centre also acts as a safe space for some social time activities and outreach support to promote inclusion
The Behaviours and Futures Team ensures students are supported in a positive and restorative way alongside setting boundaries and applying sanctions. The team leads on focused and taught interventions for those students who need more support to manage their behaviour more effectively. The team will help establish the school’s culture for staff, parents and students. The team will support them at key transition points on the Cockermouth School journey, ensuring that they are provided with the best education, information and guidance to make informed decisions about their futures. Please contact Mr Carter who leads the team on 01900 898888 and carterh@cockermouthschool.org