It is our central aim at Wimbledon High that our students are confident, happy and able to shine. As such, our pastoral care is at the centre of all that we do. All staff and students have a responsibility for the happiness and well-being of each other. Our Pastoral Programme GROW has been developed with these key aims in mind, and works alongside the GDST Positive Mental Health Policy.

Tutor

Our tutor system aims to ensure that every girl settles smoothly into her school life – tutors are the girls’ and your first point of contact at school. Form groups remain the same for the duration of the stage of school:

Lower School - Years 7 and 8

Middle School - Years 9, 10, 1

Upper School - Years 12 and 13 (Sixth Form)

The Head of Year leads the team of Form Tutors and co-ordinates the weekly and day-to-day pastoral care of the girls.

All tutors are subject teachers – they may not teach their tutees in their specialism, but they will certainly get to know your daughters well. They will register the girls morning and afternoon and will hold form times and review and reflection 1:1 meetings with them over the year. They are responsible for keeping an eye on individual welfare, student behaviour and progress.

They are your first port of call for updating us about what is happening at home. They will typically stay with the same form group until the end of the stage when the classes are mixed and the girls move up to the next section of the school.

In Year 7, girls are taught in their form groups for the majority of lessons, but are mixed into smaller groups for DT and Art.

The only setting we have in Year 7 is for Maths – this is more about flexibility of the pace of lessons rather than specific ability. Students are grouped into Maths sets during the autumn term. It’s a fluid system, with movement between sets during Years 7 and 8.

The wider pastoral team
The wider pastoral team comprises the school nurses, our counsellors and a group of trained sixth formers too, who are known as peer counsellors. 

Within school, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and all staff are trained on an annual basis.

Intellectual resilience and playfulness

We believe in cultivating a mindset amongst our students that combines the ability to face challenges, adapt, and persevere with an intellectually playful and curious outlook. Civil discourse, which is part of our curriculum from Year 7 through to Year 13, is about being unafraid of disagreement and harnessing the endless potential of our students, encouraging them to engage with ideas that challenge them and their beliefs.

We want WHS students to be active participants in the democracy in which they live, compassionate, respectful, and understanding of the importance of difference.

Stepping in

Care and challenge are not possible without a holistic understanding of each individual within our community. 

It is a philosophy that incorporates elements of positive psychology and explores the engagement, purpose, optimism, connectedness and happiness of our students. Helping our students know themselves, and in turn us knowing them, is the foundation stone of our pastoral care.

Futures

Eleanor Roosevelt believed that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. We aim to ensure every student at Wimbledon High School can not only follow their dreams but live in a place where they are equipped with the tools, skills, and knowledge, to make their dreams become a reality.

Futures is not only about aspiration but about practical knowledge of how the world outside our own ‘bubble’ works. We work with our students on employability, enterprise, motivation, and leadership, to ensure they leave WHS fully equipped for the adventure ahead.

Diversity & Inclusion

Inclusion is not just demonstrated by special weeks or months, assemblies, or social media. An inclusive community has an intangible feel that is created when every individual, regardless of their background, identity, or abilities, is valued and respected.

At Wimbledon High we celebrate the tapestry of the United Kingdom and the strength engendered by difference. We aim for our community to be a safe and welcoming environment for our students and staff, where every voice is heard, protected, and celebrated.

Relationship & sex education

We aim to provide students with knowledge, understanding, skills, and values to develop healthy relationships, make informed decisions, and, as they get older, navigate their sexuality responsibly. We will always be led by the context of our students and provide accurate and age-appropriate information about consent, personal boundaries, sexual diversity, contraception and sexual behaviour.

There has never been a more important time for girls and young women to understand their bodies, their rights, and how to protect them. We will keep parents informed as to what we are teaching, and when.

PSHE

The PSHE programme aims to be relevant, up-to-date, challenging and coherent. The student Pastoral Committee feeds in ideas as to how to ensure this is the case, and the Assistant Head Pastoral takes responsibility for working with the Heads of Year to ensure excellent provision.

The PSHE programme includes sessions and advice on all aspect of the girls’ welfare, including the importance of healthy eating and exercise, online safety and economic education.