ISI Inspection Report 2010
"Pupils have outstandingly well-developed personal qualities and are friendly, outgoing and confident. The school is highly successful in its aim of promoting their strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which is apparent in the responsible and thoughtful way pupils behave and in the pride they take in their achievements."
"Pupils' cultural awareness is strongly developed. They display a welcoming approach towards those from different backgrounds both among their peers and in their meetings with visitors from other cultures and faiths."
"The pastoral care extended throughout the school is excellent, and fulfils the school's aim of creating an environment in which pupils are happy, secure, confident and valued."
"Relationships between pupils and staff, and among pupils themselves, are extremely strong, and a caring and friendly atmosphere is evident throughout the school. The pupils are well mannered, and adults provide them with excellent role-models."
Pastoral Care
Caterham School believes in the system of Pastoral Care and we operate the following procedures.
Our Understanding of Pastoral Care
- Pastoral Casework - That is individual work with pupils who are having problems be they of an academic, vocational, social, emotional or behavioural nature.
- Pastoral Curriculum - This includes both the 'hidden curriculum' that is the ethos of the school, the day to day relationships between staff and pupils, the value system of a school, the opportunities for moral, spiritual, social and cultural development as well as the more formal and overt pastoral curriculum, which would include, though not be limited to, the PSE work whether done by tutors or by subject specialists.
- Pastoral Control - That is the discipline system in the school that would include the giving of sanctions but is a much wider concept than that. Good discipline which is consistent, which affirms the pupils' value, which builds rather than crushes, which encourages individuality rather than dull conformity, but all within an orderly environment, is an essential ingredient of effective pastoral care.
Our Pastoral Aims
- To enable each pupil to fulfil their own potential both academically and socially.
- To ensure that each pupil has access to personal, vocational and academic guidance and support where necessary.
- To provide opportunities for and encourage pupils to exercise individual and social responsibility.
- To promote in pupils the self-awareness and self-confidence that they need to face the challenges, both academic and personal, that are placed on them.
- To establish and maintain an appropriate relationship with every parent, so that together we can help to prepare the pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
- To create a caring environment where pupils are valued for who they are, not just for what they can do.
The Impact of Pastoral Care
As the quality of Pastoral Care improves, so there are likely to be a number of positive outcomes :
- Improving the quality of Pastoral Care is an important factor in helping to prevent problems both personal and academic from arising - Good Pastoral Care acts as a fence at the top of the cliff rather than simply providing the ambulance at the bottom.
- However good the preventative work at school is, inevitably when dealing with adolescents with all the pressures that they are under internally as well as from home and society at large, problems will still arise, but good quality Pastoral Care will mean that pupils are better prepared to deal with problems when they do arrive.
- Good Pastoral Care will raise the standards of behaviour in school. All research clearly suggests that pupils with high self-esteem on average behave better than those with a low self-image. Good Pastoral care defuses rather than escalates situations and leads to enhanced relationships between staff and pupils.
- Improving Pastoral Care in a school will lead to higher academic performance. There is no question that pupils with high self-esteem who are essentially content and well-motivated will work better. Students who feel an academic failure will go a long way to fulfil their own feelings.
- Improving Pastoral Care will improve the marketing prospects of a school. Parents want to send their children to a school where they will be cared for, where individuals matter, where each child is known and where the children feel that they can talk to the teachers and where the school sees itself in genuine partnership with parents.
- Improving Pastoral Care will have a significant impact on staff morale as staff work together as a team with a common purpose.
Responsibility for Pastoral Care It cannot be over-stressed that the pastoral care of all our pupils is the responsibility of the whole community. The way we treat, talk to, interact with and indeed teach pupils will all contribute to the quality of our pastoral care. However, the main focus for Pastoral Care for particular pupils will be their Tutor. At Caterham School the pastoral and academic oversight of every pupil is primarily the responsibility of his or her tutor. All issues regarding a particular pupil should, in the first instance, be directed through their tutor. Tutors will then discuss important issues with the Head of Year.
The Year System
Each child is placed into a Tutor Group. In the Lower School (First and Second Years) Tutor Groups are identified by the initials of their Tutor (e.g. 1B = 1 Bailey). They are made up of pupils in a mixture of Houses. The Tutors in the Lower School work closely with the relevant Head of Year, one of whom, Mrs Tapley, is also Head of Lower School. Pupils in each Tutor Group follow most of the academic timetable as a unit and represent their Houses in intramural competition.
In the Lower School Tutors report Pastoral (including behavioural) and Academic concerns to the Head of Year. Where the pupil is a boarder the Head of the relevant Boarding House will also be informed.
Head of Lower School: Mrs Lydia Tapley
Assistant Head of First Year: Robert Jones
Head of Second Year: Andrew Taylor
Assistant Head of Second Year: Lorne Barnard
In the middle years (Third, Fourth and Fifth Years), pupils are placed in Tutor Groups by Houses. So for example, 3U is all the Third Year pupils in Underwood House. The Tutor is also a member of that House. Tutors in these years report to the relevant Head of Year. Pupils are taught in sets for the core subjects and in mixed ability classes for their option subjects.
Head of Third Year : Marc Broughton
Assistant Head of Third Year: Holly Howden
Head of Fourth Year: David King
Assistant Head of Fourth Year: Miss Aimee Henry
Head of Fifth Year : Mrs Liz Rivers
Assistant Head of Fifth Year : Stephen Lander
In the Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth pupils are placed in Tutor Groups consisting of both day and boarding pupils. The Tutors report to the relevant Head of Year. Mr Lesser, the Director of Sixth Form, has overall responsibility for pupils in this stage.
Head of Lower Sixth : Colin James
Head of Upper Sixth : Tony Fahey
Director of Sixth Form: Michael Lesser
Assistant Head of Sixth Form : Mrs Nicole McVitty
The House System
There is also a strong House tradition and allegiance at Caterham. Houses provide a framework for internal competitions. It is hoped that every child will support his or her House and participate in as many activities as possible.
Day Pupils
| House | Head of House | House Team |
| Aldercombe | Darron Kokott | Malcolm Bailey Mrs Catherine Clifton David King John Mansell Dan Quinton Mrs Cathriona Wallace Mrs Charlotte Bell William Jaundrill Mrs Marilyn Kyle Kris Waite Adam Webster Andrew Patterson Miss Charlotte Gregory |
| Harestone | Conrad Ware | Adam Assen Mrs Sophie Carpenter Carlos Garcia Miss Jaclyn Leach Miss Collette Pateman Mrs Rosie Stowell Simon Bird Miss Sophie Day Colin James Steven Marlow Jamie Robinson Jan Whyatt Dr Caroline Turk |
| Lewisham | Daryl Todd | John Armitage Miss Anna Church Mrs Sally Dall’Oglio Dr Kate Hanford Mrs Natalie Lomas Isis Redford Alex Wood Marc Broughton Mrs Arabella Crook Stephen Gilburt Stephen Lander Matthew Owen Miss Jemma Riches |
| Newington | Rob Clarke | Mrs Becky Hunter David Keyworth Mrs Nicole McVitty Revd Dr Rick Mearkle Miss Alice O’Donnell Rob Salem Daniel Timmins Mrs Catherine Jackson Holly Howden Neil Parker Mrs Lydia Tapley Mrs Zoe Roberts |
| Ridgefield | Toby Cooper | Magnus Anderson Michael Lesser James Ogilvie Mrs Elizabeth Rivers Stuart Terrell Ms Elisabeth Gibbs Mrs Julia Laverick Miss Lisa McMullin Mrs Helena Richards Miss Chloe Searle Mrs Alex Yankova Ben Webb |
| Underwood | Jack Birtwhistle | Ryan Anderson Miss Angela Cox Miss Aimee Henry Miss Anna Murch Richard Smith Miss Hilary Trehane Mrs Clare Brown Tony Fahey Paul Hoad Miss Sarah Ramsdale Ben Wilkinson Mrs Vanessa Mesher John Weiner |
Boarding Pupils
| House | Head of House | House Team |
| Townsend House (Junior boys – First to Fourth Year) |
Andion Van Niekerk | Mr Lorne Barnard Mr Alex Moore Mr Andrew Taylor Mrs Marie Dodwell Revd Dr Rick Mearkle Miss Jess Uden |
| Viney House (Senior Boys – Fifth Year and Sixth Form) |
Nick Mills | Mr Lorne Barnard Mrs Clare Brown Mr Bob Jones Mr David King |
| Beech Hanger (Girls) | Clare Quinton | Miss Rachel Hart Miss Marie Crick |