Wellbeing is at the heart of the Curriculum for Excellence.
At Peebles High School we have a dedicated team of Principal Teachers of Pastoral Care, whose aim is to ensure we have happy, settled and resilient young people who are able to fulfil their potential. Our Pastoral Team and PT Inclusion work closely in co-operation with colleagues across Faculties, our Pupil Support Department and with external partners to achieve this and to reduce potential barriers to learning. Each House has an allocated Pupil Support teacher link.
Our Pastoral Support model is organised on a House basis consisting of a House Head (from the Senior Leadership Team), 2 Principal Teachers of Pastoral Care and a Pastoral Support Assistant for each House. Mrs Moretta, Depute Headteacher has overall responsibility for Pupil Support, and Child Protection.
We have three Houses: Cademuir, Dunrig and Meldon. Young people with elder siblings are normally placed in the same House and allocated the same Pastoral PT. The House Team is responsible for the welfare of all the young people in their House and establishing positive and nurturing relationships is central to their role. Mrs O’Neill, our Principal Teacher of Inclusion, leads the Outreach provision team, consisting of 3 Pupil Support Teachers and an Additional Needs Assistant, who provide support and guidance across all 3 Houses, for young people facing barriers that may prevent them from fully accessing learning.
As your child moves through the school, their Pastoral teacher will provide different forms of support and advice – personal, social, academic and vocational. At certain points Pastoral staff will be actively involved in helping pupils when important decisions have to be made, e.g. choosing subjects, or careers advice for senior pupils.
At other times throughout the year they will be available on a regular basis to help with problems and difficulties.
Our young people are encouraged to approach their Pastoral PT as soon as possible if they are experiencing any difficulty. If their Pastoral PT is not available when they go to see them, we encourage our young people to send an email to their Pastoral PT, who will make contact to arrange a convenient time to meet to discuss their concerns. They can also speak with the Pastoral Support Assistants, who are located in the PSA room, next to M3. All Pastoral PTs have timetables with their regular commitments on display outside their offices.
Our Pastoral Team welcome early contact from you if you have any concerns about your child. An early conversation can often prevent longer term anxieties which may affect their wellbeing and progress. We would ask that you keep us informed of changes in circumstances or personal details that may impact on them. Strategies for supporting any pupil who is experiencing barriers to their learning may be considered at Team and House meetings.
If you require to arrange an appointment we ask that you contact the school, in line with the school’s Communications policy; by email (peebleshs@scotborders.gov.uk), using the Contact Us form, Xpressions App or by telephone (01721720291). Please be aware, first thing in morning is a busy time for our Principal Teachers of Pastoral Care as they will be supporting young people, meeting staff and will be visiting House Time classes. Please leave a message and they will respond when they are available. You should receive an acknowledgement reply within 2-3 days. In cases of urgency, however, a member of the Senior Leadership Team would be available to assist you.
