Pastoral Support and Wellbeing

What does it mean for every girl to be truly known?

At Sikh Heritage Girls School, pastoral care begins with relationships. Our small classes and close-knit community mean that girls are known as individuals: their personalities, friendships, strengths, worries and the small changes that can sometimes show when something is not quite right.

Pastoral care is a shared responsibility across the school, with whole-school oversight held by the Assistant Headmistress. This helps ensure that concerns are noticed early, information is joined up and support is followed through carefully.

Our approach is rooted in the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and in our core values of self-awareness, effort, perseverance, courage and discipline. Through daily school life, Simran, Jeevan Jaanch and strong relationships with adults, girls are encouraged to understand themselves, manage ordinary setbacks, ask for help when they need it and take increasing responsibility for their choices.

Support, Boundaries and Belonging

Good pastoral care combines warmth with clear expectations. Pupils are taught how their behaviour affects others, how to repair relationships when something has gone wrong and how to make a better choice next time.

Because SHGS is small, girls are rarely anonymous within the school community. Older pupils know younger girls, staff know families well, and adults are able to notice changes in behaviour, friendships or engagement quickly.

Where a pupil needs additional support, this may involve a conversation with a trusted adult, closer pastoral monitoring, practical adjustments or work with parents and appropriate external professionals.

Partnership with Families

Parents are important partners in pastoral care. We encourage families to tell us when something outside school may be affecting their daughter, just as we will make contact when there is something we feel would be helpful to discuss together.

Our aim is for every girl to know that there are adults at SHGS who know her, notice her and will listen to her, while gradually helping her develop the self-awareness, confidence and resilience to navigate growing independence.

Safeguarding concerns are always managed in accordance with the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.