Pastoral Care at Ashdell
Ashdell Preparatory School recognises the importance of pastoral care as a girl will learn easier if she is happy at school.
"The high quality of pastoral care and very good relationships between staff and pupils results in excellent personal development and pupils who are justly proud of, and happy within, their school." ISI Inspection 2005
Class size
The small classes mean that all teachers get to know the pupils well. They encourage and support each pupil individually. Form teachers have daily contact with the girls in their forms and also take the weekly PHSE lesson. Pastoral care is also developed through daily assemblies.
Playground care
A team of Playground supervisors work with the girls at playtime.
Houses
All girls are allocated to a house as they start school. Each house has a House Captain and a House Mistress. Girls earn house points in academic and social areas. They are awarded personal certificates for earning high numbers of house points. Every house hosts inter-house competitions. The swimming gala and the annual Sports Day held at the Institute of Sport are keenly contested house events.
Developing Independence
It is important for the development of our pupils that they take on increasing responsibility as they mature. From the very beginning of school life pupils are asked to perform certain duties and act in a responsible way. In Pre Prep 1 the girls are required to put their reading books in the allocated basket and organise their belongings in a certain pattern in the morning. As the girls mature they may have classroom responsibilities such as being board, milk or register monitors. By Prep 3 the pupils will also take on responsibilities as lunchtime monitors. Opportunities are further expanded in Prep 4 for the girls to become Library Monitors and House Captains. Each year the Prep School pupils vote on a team of prefects and a Head Girl. Other responsibilities are allocated by the Form Teacher and may include tour guide, stationery shop monitor, French library monitor, new girl buddy or playground games leader.
School Council
The School Council consists of a team of class representatives elected by their peers. It reports and feedbacks on suggestions from girls following half termly meetings.