About Twyford

Pastoral 

At Twyford, we invest all our energies into helping each individual child learn in a secure and nurturing environment where they can confidently thrive, become resilient and self-sufficient and able to positively respond to challenge and change.

We pride ourselves on our exceptionally high quality pastoral care that is woven and delivered throughout every aspect of school life here. Our nurturing approach starts from Nursery where regular communication with parents and the School are paramount to ensuring happy children.

We celebrate success in all areas but we value most the child who goes the extra mile to embrace our School values; Honesty, Kindness, Friendship, Respect and Responsibility. Our overriding aim is that all children will flourish in our care as individuals and through this wrap around approach acquire the tools and skills to move to their secondary school and successfully continue their journey to adulthood with confidence and capability.

The structure of our pastoral care is designed to support these aims by providing opportunities and encouragement to empower a child to be the best person they can be. All children in both the Prep and Pre-Prep have a class/form tutor they see every day who is responsible for their academic and pastoral well-being. The tutors get to know the child very well, very quickly and are best placed to help and support them through good and bad. Years 7 and 8 have a personal tutor specifically skilled in helping them make the transition to their Senior school, with a particular responsibility to help them to flourish. These children meet with their tutors twice a week to touch base on pastoral and academic matters, as well as sharing any news with their tutor or tutor group.

Mental health awareness classes are part of well-being modules in PSHEE which is taught as a discrete subject from Reception upwards. Each week there is a pastoral topic linked to the Chapel theme and covered in both assemblies and tutor time. We run a full programme of pastoral talks for parents and also for children and staff. We also support girl specific issues using the “Girls on Board” philosophy. We are a talking school but more importantly we are a listening school. Our School Listener is a trained counsellor and our fully trained Peer Supporters are on duty at all times should the children feel their best listener is another pupil. We also have a specific ‘bullying@’ email address and multiple whisper boxes around School if children have any concerns.  All the pastoral staff are Mental Health First Aid trained and we have robust systems in place for spotting a child who needs some extra assistance, recording and helping as required. Well-being is a core part of the School’s PSHEE curriculum, as is resilience and independence.

Matrons are at the very heart of the school and play an integral part in boarding life as well. The Matrons’ Room is warm and welcoming and is often the first port of call for both parents and children; they hand out medical help as required but most of all are a sympathetic listening ear for all. They are a very special group of ladies to whom many turn to.

We aim to ensure that all our children share in our strong sense of community; caring for each other and understanding and embracing difference. Christian family values and community lie at the heart of Twyford School and we welcome children from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and all faiths. Children in the Pre-Prep have a daily assembly along with a number of special services that take place either in the School’s beautiful 150 year old Victorian Chapel (which is quietly nestled within the school buildings), or in the village parish church. Prep School children gather regularly in Chapel, enjoying a morning service with hymns. Parents are invited to share in the Prep School Saturday morning services when we have visiting preachers, and also to join us for other services, such as Harvest Festival and Carol services. Younger children enjoy the traditional Nativity and other festive celebrations.