Pastoral Organisation
The Form Tutor has a major role in the School's pastoral organisation and is supported by the Head of year and Senior Staff as appropriate. In this way, each student is well known to a small group of staff who are able to monitor progress, to offer guidance and support as required, and to liaise with parents.
Normally, Heads of Year and the year team of Form Tutors stay with the same students throughout their 5 years in the school. The result is that Sanders Draper prides itself on being a friendly school with an excellent working atmosphere and high standards of behaviour.
Where discipline sanctions, such as daily reports are needed, they are used. It is expected that detentions will take place after school. Parents will be informed in writing with at least 24 hours notice. In addition, there may be times when a student will be given a Head Teacher's detention. This can happen on a Friday after school or on a Saturday morning. Parently support for such sanctions is essential. Parents are also automatically involved in every case of serious breach of discipline. Every parent receives a copy of our comprehensive Behaviour and Discipline Policy before their child commences at the school.
The school takes a strong line on issues such as bullying, ensuring that every student understands that problems must be shared and dealt with positively. In years 7 and 8 Prefects are attached to each Form so that younger students have an older, responsible figure they can readily turn to in addition to their Form Tutor. In the Autumn term 2000 a Peer Mediation programme was introduced, in which older students were professionally trained to act as 'mediators' between students who are experiencing problems. This is an ongoing programme and new volunteers are trained each year, replacing the senior students who leave.
We also operate a 'First Day Absence Response' where a member of our administrative staff telephones parents where there is an unexplained absence. This has proved very useful in reducing truancy. When a child is going to be absent there is a facility for parents to leave a telephone message at a dedicated 'absence' extension or to e-mail the school at
acann@sandersdraper.org.uk