Pastoral care

What is pastoral care?

The aim of the school cannot be distinguished from the liability for pastoral care. Staff and the senior leadership team work collaboratively and share roles which are essential to support students. The main focus of Heaven Learning Academy is to support pupils by developing their abilities, and interests, recognising their potential and celebrating their achievements thus enhancing their well-being.

Our pupils are growing up in an extensively complex world, that provides many pleasant opportunities, but even more challenges. At Heaven Learning Academy, we help promote every individual’s academic and personal skills in a positive way. We have designated lessons which aim to teach about mental health support and strategies that can help with balancing their studies, as well as other issues and problems in a positive manner.

 

At Heaven Learning Academy, we aim to minimise the stigma associated with mental health and allow every student to share their problems whilst maintaining confidentiality where possible. In this way, we hope that students develop a positive approach to learning in a positive environment.

At Heaven Learning Academy, we facilitate counselling, anger management workshop, anxiety management sessions, yoga classes and mindfulness training to help students develop independence and become positive members of our school community.

Children are unique, and our job at Heaven Learning Academy, is to provide this level of support regardless of the intensity. Pastoral care is placed for the pupil’s personal development and academic progress to support their emotional and physical wellbeing.

In our Pastoral Care, we offer an ear for our pupils, personalising our care to ensure maximum effectiveness for our children’s wellbeing; our goal being to educate them and create an effective foundation.

Why is pastoral care important?

Parents have one wish; to have their children be happy and safe, and pastoral care can help with that! Education and health have a strong correlation as recent studies have proven, that students with a strong mind set and health have better educational experiences. Sometimes, children may fall into a frenzy keeping up with deadlines, balancing their social life and just having a fun time in general, that’s where pastoral care comes into help by providing a personalised care, catered to each pupil, ensuring the pupil receives the maximum amount of help to have a healthy lifestyle!

Always remember; pastoral care is one of our key areas to provide each pupil with the essential care they are deserving of.

How do we provide pastoral care in an online school?

In an easy answer, communication! We as a school love to hear more about our pupils ranging from their hobbies to their favourite food we want to know them all. This attention which we pay towards our students allows us to catch slipups which we immediately follow our designated procedure for. Pastoral care is a safe, trustworthy space for any pupil’s information, providing a basis of trust and thus allowing our staff to communicate and form a professional bond.

What is SEND?

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), is when pupils may require more medical or educational assistance. Our care and support is suited to every pupil as we are all unique. We pride ourselves in being an inclusive school which we in cooperate in our policies and practises.

How does SEND help?

We do this by thoroughly analysing our pupil’s needs, by monitoring their achievements and setting targets for the foreseeable future. Our SEND department provides assistance to the pupils who may require, to ensure that everyone is subjected to an equal priority and are able to utilise the facilities and resources to the maximum. HLA offers a wide range of activities, such as interventions, social clubs and small group work. We are also available to provide everything from an LSA to extra time, just contact us beforehand.

How can I be supported in terms of my mental health?

At HLA, we understand that mental health is a sensitive subject that many will be unwilling to open up to. Due to this, we have kept specific systems in place to allow our pupils to have help approachable to them where they can pick the form of support needed, catered to their preferences. We offer counselling, therapy, or just a talking session if that’s what you need. Our specialists are always available and approachable with smiles for a quick chat.

Aside from individual approaches, collectively as a school, we also have weekly assemblies and mentoring in which we discuss global issues, weekly overviews of lessons, revision of upcoming assessments and just a general chat in which we are able to discuss what may be bothering you. This helps us identify any concerns regarding the school which we will be able to improve by taking the correct actions needed.

How does SEND help?

We have a variety of staff who you can contact to discuss your pupil:

  • Form tutors
  • School counsellor
  • Head of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  • Safeguarding team
  • Or even your class teachers!