Our Pastoral Lead
Our pastoral lead at Stimpson Avenue Academy is Carmen Segade-Vieito.
Our Pastoral Leader is here to:
- Listen
- Offer support
- Promote positive behaviour
- Identify the barriers to learning and set targets
- Offer encouragement and build self-esteem and confidence
Who does our Pastoral Leader work with?
- Individuals and groups of children
- Teachers and other members of staff
- Parents/carers
- External agencies such as; Social Services, Police, Health Professionals, Education Welfare Service, Doctors and nurses.
The Role of the Pastoral Leader
For children:
- Build confidence, raise self-esteem and motivation
- Improve social skills, form relationships with friends, family and staff
- Improve attendance and punctuality
- Remove barriers to learning
- Help children to achieve their potential
For families:
- Improve support and communication between home and school
- Access to outside agencies and someone to talk to in confidence
For school:
- More effective and efficient communication between parents/carers, teachers and outside agencies
Which children are likely to benefit?
There are many young people and families who benefit from being supported by our Pastoral Leader, especially those who may not receive extra support out of school.
These children include:
- Pupils with poor attendance or punctuality
- Underachieving pupils
- Those with low self-esteem/motivation
- Pupils having difficulties at home
- ‘Looked after’ children
- Pupils suffering from behavioural problems
- Those who are victims of abuse
- Pupils who have experienced bereavement
- Those with medical problems
What strategies does our Pastoral Leader use to help a child further or reach their full potential?
- 1:1 mentoring session to discuss problems and address how these may be overcome via solution focus based approaches.
- Individual sessions focusing on particular issues such as bullying, attendance etc
- Group activities such as circle time and friendship groups
- Utilisation of child's own hobbies or interests to enhance performance
- Homework club/after school clubs
- Peer mentoring and budding
- Liaise with parents and other agencies when in best interest of the child/family and school.
What can parents/carers do to help?
- Discuss any concerns with the Pastoral Leader
- Talk to your child about concerns they may have and contact the school
- Seek advice and support from the Pastoral Leader at any time
- Attend parents evening
- Keep up to date with school news letters
- Read school website on a regular basis.
The Pastoral Leader is here to support, encourage both pupils and families to overcome challenges and any barriers to effective and creative learning both inside school and outside school. For this to be achieved realistically, excellent communication between school and home is essential.
Pastoral support
A high quality of pastoral care is central to our ethos at Stimpson Avenue Academy.
We work in partnership with various external agencies, including with the Northamptonshire Mental Health Support Team, to support pupils to achieve their best, educationally, socially and emotionally.
Our Pastoral Support Team is made up of Carmen Segade-Vieito (Pastoral Lead) and Sue Green (Pastoral Support Staff).
The aims of pastoral support:
- To provide support that meets the differing needs of all children so that each child is equipped with the skills to cope with life.
- To support children to address social, spiritual, mental, emotional and physical needs.
- To maintain an atmosphere in which children feel secure, are encouraged in their learning, growth and social development and know that they are valued within a healthy and safe environment.
- To reassure parents/carers their children are being educated in a safe and nurturing environment.
- To work with a range of stakeholders, parents, support staff, outreach agencies and other schools to ensure the continuity and progress of individual pupils.
The role of the Pastoral Support Team:
- To support and work alongside parents in addressing pastoral concerns impacting on their child’s learning and development.
- To work with staff in ensuring good pupil support and build upon the caring and respectful relationships that exist between staff, pupils and families.
- To provide support to individual children; listening and talking to children who may need support in a variety of pastoral issues, for example, self-esteem and confidence, bereavement, managing feelings, anxieties/worries, separation and developing social and friendships skills.
- Responding to situations as they arise within school.
- Meeting with parents/carers to discuss issues relating to their child.
- To ‘signpost’ families to outside services for appropriate provision and support.
The role of the Pastoral Leader
Carmen Segade-Vieito works within school to help children and families with any difficulties they may be experiencing. She is available to listen, offer support and practical advice. For more detailed information about the role of the Pastoral Leader, please click here.
Early Help
We are always looking to be able to offer the earliest possible support for your family before levels of crisis are reached. School can lead on an Early Help plan that allows us to access support and advice from many agencies and act as the point of contact and support in ensuring appropriate services are invited to meetings and action plans are agreed to ensure that support is continuously moving forward.
In-house Support
To support families at our school, we offer the following ‘in house’ support:
- Breakfast and After School Club (WRAP)
- School Nurse referrals and support
- Jo Go Behaviour Support
- Speech and Language Support
- Attendance Support
- Food packages
- Freedom Programmes (for domestic abuse)
- 1, 2, 3 Magic (parenting support)
- Family Art Club
We can also refer families in need to the following services, as part of the Local Offers:
- Health Visiting Service
- SALT (NHS Speech and Language Therapist)
- Community Paediatrician
- Service Six
- PCSO (Community Policing)
- Parenting Programmes
- NDAS (Northampton Domestic Abuse Service)
- Early Help Hub
- CAN/Substance to Solution (Drug and Alcohol Support Service)
- Sunflower Centre (Victims of Domestic Abuse)
- Healthy Living Advisors
- Target – Online Safety
- Pearls of Peace (Community group dedicated to Muslim ladies)
- Sleep Right
- Target Autism
