Pastoral Care

All the Sixth Form pupils socialise together in the Common Room, but each year group is also split into 5 forms of about 17 pupils, each with its own base and Form Tutor. Each form consists of a cross section of pupils from each of the Year 11 forms and pupils who are new to the school. The Head of Sixth Form oversees both year groups along with the Heads of Year 12 and 13.

The Form Tutor is the first point of contact for both pupils and parents; this is the person to whom absence notes should be addressed and whose advice should be sought if problems arise. The Form Tutor will have contact with their form on a daily basis: this is the teacher who takes the register, deals with administrative procedures and day-to-day issues. Much more importantly, this is the person who will have the best all-round picture of the pupils in the form, who will guide them through the year by means of both formal lessons in Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) and informal guidance as and when is necessary. The Form Tutor’s knowledge of the pupils in the form usually means that any potential problems are picked up at a very early stage and dealt with swiftly.

There is also a pool of ‘Shadow’ Form Tutors; they will help with some registrations and PSHCE lessons and provide another person to help with any anxieties which may arise. The Head of Sixth Form is responsible for all Sixth Form girls and tends to deal with more serious problems. The Form Tutor can refer problems if necessary or parents can contact the Head of Sixth Form directly.

Withington is a very happy school where pupils work hard and enjoy both the academic and extra-curricular aspects of school life. However, as in all schools, individuals sometimes have problems and we have well-established procedures to deal with these as sympathetically and as efficiently as possible.

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