Pastoral Care:
Our pastoral structure revolves around all the teaching staff and the ‘Ladder of Referral’ through:
- The Class Teacher
- the Form Teacher
- the Year Head
- the Guidance Counsellor
- the School Chaplain
- The AEN Team
- The Student Enrichment Officer
- The Deputy Principal
- The Principal
Care Team
Care Team Loreto High School Beaufort
The Class Teacher
The Class Teacher is the first link in the chain of referral and their input is vital. They have daily contact with the students and are best placed to notice issues – academic or social. If they have concerns they may refer them on to the Form Teacher or whoever they feel is best placed to help the student.
The Form Teacher
The Form Teacher is a critical part of the structure who exercises a pastoral role with her pupils and deals with initial discipline and guidance issues. The Form Teacher takes an interest in each pupil in the class and fosters her personal development. She promotes a good class spirit within the group. The Form Teacher works in close collaboration with the Year Head and brings any issue she considers necessary to the attention of the Year Head.
Pastoral Role Of The Form Teacher:
- Encourages their class and generates a good class spirit.
- Gives “pep” talks to the class.
- Helps individual students who are not integrating well.
- Liaises with Year Head.
- Liaises with Class Prefect assigned to class.
The Year Head:
The role of the Year Head is a pastoral one. She is available to students to advise and counsel them in whatever way she may be of help. The Year Head deals with matters brought to her attention by the Form Teacher in charge of the classes in the Year. She works in close collaboration with the Form Teacher.
Career Guidance and Counselling
The Guidance Counsellor has a programme for each year group and sees students individually across year groups for counselling.
In Junior Cycle the programme includes:
- Entrance test and preparation for secondary school
- Visit the primary schools from which our intake comes
- Helping the support team of Year Head, tutors, Chaplain and prefects with coping with second level
- Subject choice for Junior Cycle
- Individual support for academic and personal issues
- Administering DATS (Differential Aptitude tests) and interest inventory and giving feedback
In the Senior Cycle the programme includes:
- Organising Work Experience and Community Service
- Subject choice and difficulties with subjects chosen – range and level of subjects
- Organising visiting speakers
- Implementing a Careers’ Evening for 5th and 6th years
- Bringing students to relevant careers events e.g. Higher Options, Open Days etc.
- Co-ordinating Study Skills’ Day for 5th years
- Helping students make applications for the UK colleges
- Informing parents about the CAO system
- Helping students make informed choices about CAO or PLC courses
- Organising interview days for 5th Years
School Chaplain
This role can be encapsulated in the term ‘Faith Friend’, the DSCS is a friend for the students to accompany them on their journey through school. Students can meet the DSCS by requesting an appointment with her, students throughout the year may need a listening non-judgemental presence when they meet different struggles in their lives.
The RE team and the Priests of Rathfarnham parish all work together to meet the sacramental needs of the school community.
AEN
The AEN team endeavours to provide educational support for students having a Specific Learning Difficulty, who are identified by subject teachers as being unable to cope with the demands of the curriculum and who may be eligible for short-term interventions. They will also work with students who are affected by a physical or sensory disability.
Wellbeing Co-Ordinators
The promotion of Wellbeing in our school is central to the Loreto characteristic spirit. We endeavour to nurture an environment where our students can flourish and achieve their full potential. Wellbeing modules in first year include mindfulness, digital learning and safety online.