Pastoral Care at Bishop Rawstorne
'Bishop Rawstorne has a strong pastoral structure, with a spotlight on the wellbeing of all students.' (SIAMS)
The Pastoral Team at Bishop Rawstorne believes that issues should be dealt with in a way that reflects our Christian ethos:
Bishop Rawstorne is a Christian community that delights in seeking wisdom and knowledge, building relationships and character based upon the Word of God, enabling us all to flourish bravely and faithfully.
Being part of a Christian community means that when we deal with behavioural concerns we need to do it in a way that helps young people to understand what it is that they have done wrong, why it is a problem and how they can then improve.
We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to “flourish, bravely and faithfully”, meaning that every child should have the opportunity to do well, in their own unique way, and no other students should hamper or stop that.
Pastoral Structure
Mr Duckworth is Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Pastoral Care, overseeing the leadership and management of all five year groups and pastoral issues on a day to day basis. As well as this, Mr Duckworth also has responsibility for intervention, pupil premium and attendance.
Each student has a group tutor – their point of contact at the start and middle of the day, and each year group has a Head of Year who will lead them through their entire time at Bishop Rawstorne.
Finally, to support all our students pastorally, we have three members of the team in a pastoral liaison and support role, supporting the Heads of Years to ensure that each student feels valued and an integral part of the school community.
Click below to get to know them all a bit more:
Mr Duckworth - Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Pastoral Care
Mr Sixsmith – Head of Year 7 (Teacher of Geography)
Miss Ashcroft – Head of Year 8 (Teacher of MFL)
Mrs Walton – Head of Year 9 (Teacher of History)
Mrs Dawson – Head of Year 10 (Teacher of MFL)
Mrs Anglim – Head of Year 11 (Teacher of English)
Mrs Murphy – Pastoral Liaison (Job Share)
Mrs Wade – Pastoral Liaison (Job Share)
Mr Duckworth – Assistant Headteacher with Responsibility for Pastoral Care
Having been at Bishop Rawstorne for over 20 years now I have seen many changes in our school, and local community, however one thing continues to ring true in any school around the country and that is to be successful in your academic studies you need to be present during the school day. You have to be in school to be able to do well – and there is a direct link between your attendance and your academic success. The second thing I would also say is that you need to follow the instructions and rules that the school lays down for you to be able to achieve to your full potential and enjoy school as much as you want to.
There is so much that you can get out of school, and the pastoral team at Bishop Rawstorne is dedicated to helping you achieve that by guiding you through your 5 years in to the best young person that you can be. There is plenty to enjoy about our school other than the excellent lessons and teaching, and everything that we do we try to is delivered in a Christian way guided by our vision and our ethos.
We want to support all young people in all year groups – we want them to have strong relationships with each other and develop good working partnerships with their classroom teachers. And if parents can be part of that too then we will have succeeded in creating a strong triangle of support whereby each point supports the other two - parents, school and the student.
Mr Sixsmith – Head of Year 7 (Teacher of Geography)
I want my year group to be the best. To help us be the best year group in school we have high standards and when people don’t meet those standards there are consequences. If you need any help, all you need to do is ask and I will go out of my way to help you. The main thing I ask from students in my year group is to try their best with everything they do, and if you do that consistently you’ll do well. Our school motto is “Fortiter et Fideliter” which means Bravely and Faithfully. This works perfectly for how I want you to approach school. I want you to be brave, so try doing things that are outside your comfort zone, try a new club, answer more questions in class. And I want you to have faith. If that is a religious faith then that is great, but in addition to that I want you to have faith in yourself. Try your best and trust yourself and your instincts. If you do that you will do well at school.
I’ve been here quite a long time now so I may have been head of year for one of your relatives, or I might have taught them before. If so, ask them what they think of me! I really like football and I support Everton. You might notice that when Everton win I seem a bit happier; unfortunately, Everton don’t win as much as I would like!
Miss Ashcroft – Head of Year 8 (Teacher of MFL)
I genuinely care about every student in my year group, and I am here to support each individual through their five-year journey with us at Bishop Rawstorne. For me this means being there, being genuinely interested and empathetic, as well as giving some tough love along the way - I am proud to uphold the high standards of our school in terms of conduct, appearance and academic work, and do not apologise for this.
The year group I lead is my school family; as with my own children I expect students to challenge themselves daily to be the very best version of themselves, whilst showing care and compassion towards others. Over the past years my year group have laughed, celebrated, cried, commiserated and everything in between, just like a good family should. I feel privileged to have a job where I meet so many incredible young people, and hopefully have a positive impact on their lives.
I enjoy a variety of fitness activities including netball, korfball and running. I am also an avid reader, and love to de-stress at the end of a long day with a good book – my favourite of all time is The Shadow of the Wind. I believe that everything seems much brighter after a walk in the fresh air, a chat with a good friend and some chocolate!
My favourite Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31 - But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Mrs Walton – Head of Year 9 (Teacher of History)
I very much enjoy my role as Head of Year and it is a privilege to support students to be the very best they can be. I expect students to have high standards when it comes to their classwork, homework, behaviour and uniform. I encourage students in my year group to uphold the Christian values that Bishops promotes such as, kindness, respect and trust. Students in the year group know that they can come to their form tutors or myself if they have any issues in school and they will always be listened to. Being part of a year group as a student is an important part of school life. It enables a sense of belonging and provides a valuable source of support.
I love reading, especially crime thrillers, socialising with friends and my all-time favourite thing………watching Strictly! I also attend fitness classes and enjoy spending time with my family.
Mrs Dawson – Head of Year 10 (Teacher of MFL)
As Head of Year 9 I uphold our school values such as wisdom, fellowship and peace. I feel very privileged to have this role and I love working with my year group. Alongside our team of form tutors, we encourage all the students in the year group to be a big family and to treat one another, the staff and the school environment with kindness and with respect. I expect my students to take pride in themselves and learn to reflect on their actions. Every day is a new day and I support students to become the best versions of themselves, through challenge and care. I genuinely care for each and every student in my year group and I want students to get the most out of school and to thrive, ready to take the next step into the world.
Outside of school I have two young children and I enjoy spending lots of time with them. I live on coffee and I spend too much time in Starbucks!
Mrs Anglim – Head of Year 11 (Teacher of English)
I am super competitive when it comes to my year group and always strive for us to be the best we can be! The values I promote are honesty, resilience, mutual respect and taking a pride in being a member of our community. That means students taking a pride in their uniform, their work, and how they conduct themselves, both in and out of school. Our standards are high, and so too is our commitment to looking out for each other. The year group is like a family within school and so caring for our fellow students, staff and the environment around us is what we strive to do well, day in and day out. Students know I will challenge them to be the best they can be; but they also know I am there for them whenever they need me.
As well as being a Head of Year, I am also an English teacher. So, it will not surprise you to know that I love reading! In my spare time I also enjoy walking, especially in the Lake District, and attempting to play badminton!
Mrs Murphy – Pastoral Liaison (Job Share)
I work alongside the Heads of Year, helping to support all our students in a caring environment. I spend a lot of time liaising with parents, teachers and other agencies and provide a useful link between home and school. I am also a mental health First Aider and a member of the Safeguarding team.
I am a Mum of three, grown up children, who all attended at Bishops. Outside of school, I like to keep fit and socialise with friends and family. I love all sports and listening to an eclectic mix of music.
Mrs Wade - Pastoral Liaison (Job Share)
Mrs Murphy and I share our roll in school working alongside the Heads of Years. I work hard to form good relationships with students, supporting them on a daily basis and dealing with any safeguarding issues. I liaise daily with teachers, parents and outside agencies to ensure the day to day needs of our students are met. I'm qualified in Mental First Aid and have over 20 years previous experience working with SEND students.
I have 2 children who both attended Bishop Rawstorne and thrived throughout their time here. I love the outdoors and have lots of hobbies and interests including mountain biking, skiing, festivals and camping holidays.
Mrs Helm – Pastoral Support
I have a dual role at Bishops as I am mainly responsible for the supervision of the inclusion room, but I also provide cover for teachers. I aim to keep parents and teachers informed of achievement and behaviour issues, through weekly emails, and I distribute the achievement ‘stars’ to qualifying students. I also co-ordinate rewards for students in all year groups at the end of each half-term. As a member of the pastoral team, I am a First Aider, and I’m often on hand to talk to students when they need a friendly ear.
I am a mum to two young children. When I’m not working I’m busy running my children to their various clubs and I enjoy getting out and walking my dog.
