Pastoral
Welcome from the Head of School
As I step into my last year at Cokethorpe, I have been reflecting on my previous years and the highlights that have made my experience at School so unforgettable.
Since joining in the First Form, I have always enjoyed the role of Houses that connect the year groups together. With various inter-House events and competitions going on each year, this has been an opportunity to get involved in different aspects of School life from sport to music or drama. Yet one of the main benefits from this was the chance to engage with other pupils from all across the School, setting in place the Cokethorpe community. This description not only involves the pupils, but the staff too. Particularly as you get older and you grow through the School, the pupil to teacher relationship strengthens and you feel supported in your studies to ask questions and develop a curiosity for the subject that goes beyond the textbook.
At Cokethorpe, we pride ourselves on having a friendly and close community, allowing pupils to feel confident to embrace their interests and passions. Whilst academics are at the forefront of School life, there are numerous other chances to challenge yourself outside the classroom. This can be seen through the AOB programme in which pupils can select activities from a variety of options ranging from pottery to rock band and so much more besides. The exciting opportunities do not stop there; throughout the year there are countless other events and occasions, with music concerts, drama productions and formal dinners taking place, to name but a few. There is always a chance for you to showcase your hobbies or try something new.
Sport at Cokethorpe is another key element with the traditional options taking place such as hockey, netball, rugby and football and many other options alongside including; shooting, sailing and climbing. I have enjoyed playing hockey and netball since the First Form and having the opportunity to compete against schools across the county. Not to mention tournaments and a memorable recent sports tour to South Africa.
The friendships that have been built through School have shaped my experience here. I feel truly appreciative to be surrounded by supporting and caring teachers and pupils each day. I feel almost emotional as I come to the end of my time here at Cokethorpe, but I look forward to the exciting final year ahead, confident that I have friendships that will last beyond the school days and the knowledge, experiences, and skills to guide me through the next stages of my future.
Nancy
Upper Sixth, Swift
Head of School
Pastoral Life in the Prep School
Classes in the Prep School (as well as in the Senior School) are kept deliberately small. Class teachers in the Prep School act like tutors in the Senior School, supporting any academic and pastoral requirements of the pupils in their care.
The House system forms an important part of the pastoral care and exists to encourage pupils of all years to socialise, support, compete with and respect each other. Various inter-House competitions and events take place throughout the year and children in Year 6 are elected as Captains and Vice-Captains.
Close communication between parents and the School is encouraged and is a two-way process. At the start of the year, parents are invited to a Parents’ Information Evening which is an opportunity to meet other parents and class teachers and to hear about the organisation of the year, curriculum matters and information specific to the year group. Regular reporting and communication continues throughout the school year.
The Prep School uses RULER to teach our pupils emotional intelligence, helping them to manage their full range of feelings so they can make more informed decisions, form and maintain mutually supportive relationships, attain personal growth and wellbeing, and achieve both academic and life success. RULER stands for: recognising emotions in oneself and others; understanding the causes and consequences of emotions; labelling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary; expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context; regulating emotions with helpful strategies.
The House and Tutor Systems
Wider House life is important at Cokethorpe, with House Assemblies taking place once a week. There are plentiful opportunities within House to demonstrate and hone the traits of the Leadership Programme, whether leading activities during House Assemblies, participating in the friendly rivalry of inter-House competitions, or the direct leadership opportunities for the Upper Sixth as Heads of House or Prefects.
Every pupil in the Senior School is assigned a tutor, with tutor groups kept deliberately small, helping good relationships to develop between tutors and their tutees, further aided by there being time with tutor groups every day. Tutors act as both an academic and pastoral support to the pupils in their tutor group, liaising with Housemasters, Heads of Department, and parents as appropriate.
Counselling and Peer Mentoring
The opportunity to talk about things of concern, whether a child, young person or an adult, can be a powerful emotional and mental ointment, helping individuals sort out their thoughts and feelings about whatever is concerning them. By having a school-based counselling service, our pupils are able to receive support in an environment that feels familiar and safe, enabling them to have a greater opportunity to fulfil their potential.
The counselling I received has really helped me to feel confident in myself. Talking things through helped me to gain self-realisation and understand myself better.
Peer Mentoring is another provision offered at Cokethorpe and is accessible to pupils from First to Fifth Form in the Senior School. The service is run under the supervision of our Counsellor. The Mentors are Lower Sixth students, who have applied, been interviewed and have received extensive training in focused listening, reflecting, confidentiality, and safeguarding. The School presently has nine trained peer mentors in the Lower Sixth.
Participants of both the counselling service and the peer mentoring programme are required to fill out a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) – the standard practice used by the NHS – at the start and end of the process to measure outcomes and ensure the effectiveness of the services.
The Counselling service and the Peer Mentoring programme have a proven record of improving the wellbeing of those who access the service, who may feel more comfortable talking to someone of a similar age whom they look up to.
Pastoral Life in the Sixth Form
Members of the Sixth Form are supported by the Head of Sixth Form and two Deputy Heads of Sixth Form, each with a responsibility for one of the year groups. There are twelve dedicated Sixth Form tutors, with groups broadly split between the arts and humanities and STEM to ensure additional support and guidance is readily available for students, should they want it.
We celebrate students who work hard, who are mindful of others, and who make the most of all that Cokethorpe has to offer.
Tutor Partnering Programme
The students offer support and guidance with pupils’ studies, provide an understanding of Sixth Form life or of subjects pupils are considering studying, and otherwise enjoy another opportunity to interact with younger pupils in the School.
Read about the Tutor Partnering programme from one of our recent leavers, Jamie Minns (OC 2022, Vanbrugh) using the link below.
Where next?
Welcome from the Headmaster
Discover Cokethorpe
What you will discover when you visit Cokethorpe is more than a stunning vista. Pupils have an exceptional breadth of opportunity and are supported with a truly individual focus.
Approaches to Learning
Whether at the earliest stages of learning or in the final preparations for A Levels, expert consideration is given to the approaches to learning at each stage of a pupil’s academic development at Cokethorpe.
