Tutors see their students daily and play a central role in the academic success of every student, through their daily contact with their tutor group and within the cycle of personal target setting and review sessions. The school's pastoral system is tightly linked to the Christian ethos of the school and our academic monitoring systems. This provides a robust and secure approach to the individual tracking of students' achievements during their time at the school related to a holistic view to the development of their character.
The school's tutorial programme enables students to develop study skills, social responsibility and an awareness of their place in the community, both within school, in church and beyond. Students participate in all areas of school life, from leading briefings and assemblies, to running the School Council.
Being a new school provides students with an opportunity not afforded to those in established institutions. This means that the students help us shape the school from its physical environment to our extra-curricular programme. Student feedback is a formal part of teachers' lesson planning, and reviews of the quality of our teaching and learning directly involve the voices of the students.
It is the ambition of the school to secure outstanding attendance, not only during our formal curriculum but also in our wide range of after school and out-of-hours activities.
Promoting healthy eating is a priority both in the food we provide and as part of the curriculum.
Mental Health
At Becket Keys we believe in caring for the whole person, including mental health. We have a comprehensive pastoral care system and are fortunate to have a number of mentors/chaplains who regularly come to school to see students. We also employ the services of a qualified social worker who visits the school once a week to offer counselling. Referrals to our team go through our SENCO and/or Designated Safeguarding Lead. Referrals can come through staff, parents/carers, professionals who work in school, or through students themselves.
Our mental health top tips include:
- Protect your physical health to protect your mental health: get enough sleep; exercise regularly; eat well; drink sufficient water; ensure you get enough 'down time' where you can de-stress and do activities you enjoy.
- Talking about your mental health is a positive thing to do; don't be ashamed to say you're struggling or feeling down.
- Remember that you are not alone if you are experiencing mental health issues.
- Seek help from teacher/staff in school or from people outside of school - don't wait too long to reach out.
- Put strict boundaries around your use of social media and around your 'screen time' in general.
- Cultivate positive relationships in your life; ensure that your friendships are supportive.
Please find below a list of web-based resources for supporting positive mental health in young people:
- I AM WHOLE is an anti-stigma campaign led by the YMCA. Its aim is to tackle stigma and encourage people to talk openly about their mental health: www.whole.org.uk
- The charity MIND's website contains lots of helpful information and tool kits. It also points young people towards options to get involved in sports in their local area to support positive mental health: www.mind.org.uk