By Ms Michelle Durham, Assistant Head of Pastoral
Transitioning to Senior School can be daunting. At St Paul’s, we work closely with our pupils, Junior and Senior School pastoral teams and our parents to create a positive transition process that is as smooth as possible. Before Prep 5 pupils even finish the Junior School, we hold Transition Days for them and transition meetings for their families, so that they can begin to become familiar with the key staff who will support them. This year, to further break down the enigma of ‘big school’ our Senior School Council representatives are creating a ‘Welcome to Senior School’ video that will support the Prep 5 pupils in getting to know key aspects of the Senior School before they join us in August 2025.
One of the most important elements of effective pastoral care is the power of knowing one’s pupils. Our ongoing aim is to provide pastoral care that is individualised and responsive but also one that strategically supports the ongoing personal, social and emotional development of all pupils, thus preparing them for their role as young adult citizens of their local, national and global communities.
During the first few days and weeks, all pupils have extended time with their Form Tutors, who lead them through the routines and expectations for that academic year and this is further emphasised by whole school and tutor group assemblies at the start of the year. Similarly, in the first weeks of each year, the Pastoral and Senior Leadership Team hold Information Meetings for parents and carers in all year groups. These meetings serve as a preview of the school year ahead and provide an opportunity for families to meet the Form Tutor and Head of Year that they will be collaborating with. All new pupils are assigned what we call a ‘guardian angel’, or buddy, within their tutor group. This ‘guardian angel’ is a positive role model and friendly face in their first few days, weeks, months and beyond in Senior School. Relevant teaching and pastoral staff are alerted when a new pupil joins the school and Heads of Year meet with all new pupils regularly to check in on them. In addition to this, a member of our Well-being Team works to specifically assist the transition of our new FSP pupils and will meet with them regularly to monitor this.
Our Code of Honour encompasses our approach to pastoral support as it highlights our expectation that our Pauleans are Honest, Respectful, Trustworthy, Kind and Hardworking. In our Kindness, Inclusion and Anti-bullying Week, we adopted the focus of Anti-bullying Week 2024 in the UK, which is ‘Choosing Respect’, and our pupils participated in discussions, activities and competitions to raise their awareness of how we can further embed these values in our community. The week culminated in an Odd Socks Day on Friday 22nd November and all pupils were encouraged to wear socks that do not match to end the week. This school community event will support the Anti-bully Alliance theme that encourages us all to show respect for each other’s strengths and differences and to reflect on how we highlight the importance of kindness in our day-to-day interactions.
To sum up, at St Paul’s we acknowledge the importance of a positive start to Senior School for our pupils. A successful transition supports effective integration into Senior School life, with all its opportunities for learning and growth. Working together with our superb parent community, we strive for this effective integration, where each pupil finds their niche, as there is no doubt that it has a noticeable positive impact on pupils’ well-being throughout their time with us and beyond.
Ms Michelle Durham joined St. Paul’s School in 2024, having spent the previous three years in a whole school leadership role in an IB World school in Dubai.
Over the past 21 years, she has led successful Pastoral and Inclusion teams in varied leadership roles. Born and brought up in the United Kingdom, Michelle is a trained French teacher who has also taught English language and literature and English as an Additional Language.