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Pastoral Care

The Pastoral System is central to the School's organisation and success. It is headed by the Second Master (the School's Deputy Head) who leads a team of Heads of Year and they, in turn, coordinate the work of the Form Tutors in each year. A more detailed explanation of their respective roles is included in the pages which follow.

The aim of the pastoral system is to support boys as they progress through the School, helping them develop socially, morally and academically. It aims to promote socially responsible behaviour, emotional well-being, respect for others and mutual tolerance, maintaining the standards of a civilised community.

The Pastoral Staff strive to achieve these aims by:

• helping Pupils to organise their work, plan their time, develop study skills and to balance extra curricular activities with the academic demands made of them;
• communicating and cooperating with Parents, formally though the mechanisms in place such as Parents' Evenings, reports and homework diaries and informally by keeping in contact via the telephone, email and ad hoc meetings;
• working with agencies such as the School Counsellor, the Learning Support Department, Educational Psychologists, Careers Advisors and, where necessary, Social Services;
• encouraging the outcomes of "Every Child Matters", as laid down by the Government in 2003 (including being healthy, staying safe, making a positive contribution and enjoying and achieving);
• contributing to the School's Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum;
• providing a disciplinary framework which is seen as fair, consistent and appropriate.

We welcome close parental involvement with the School; a partnership being the most productive relationship for a boy's development. The Friends of CLS is an organisation to which all CLS Parents belong and by which parents can support the pastoral system. Social activities, in conjunction with the Friends of the City of London School for Girls, are arranged for Pupils and Parents.

One other aspect of the pastoral care provided by the School is the Prefect System. A number of boys in the Sixth Form are elected by their peers and teachers to fulfil an essential role in supporting the more formal structure. These boys are affiliated to Tutor Groups in the Lower School, provide mentoring for individuals and contribute to the smooth day-to-day running of the School, by doing duties and providing a source of advice to younger boys, who see them as role models.

Any questions relating to the Pastoral System should be directed to the Second Master, Mr Gary Griffin.

 

OG to Second Form

Head of OG & First Form: Mr Kerr

The 24 boys in Old Grammar (Year 6) are based in the Junior School, where their Tutor (and Form Room) is situated. They are taught as a form for all subjects and are treated as secondary school pupils, in the sense that they go to separate subject specialists in the various academic departments throughout the school day. They attend assemblies with the First Form boys on Mondays and Fridays and go to Grove Park for Games with those boys on Friday afternoons.

Boys in the First Form (Year 7) are placed in a Tutor Group and they stay in this group for two years, with their Form Tutor, who also teaches them his/her particular subject. The vast majority of First Formers are new to the School, but the 24 OG boys who have already been in the School for a year are distributed equally across the First Forms and help the new boys to settle in.

Boys in OG and the First form go on a two-day residential trip early in the school year, with their Tutors and Affiliated Prefects, in order to get to know each other and take part in activities and exercises which concentrate on team building. Other trips and visits are organised later in the year.

Head of Second Form: Mr Norman

Boys in the Second Form (Year 8) usually stay in the same Tutor Groups with the same Tutor they have had in the previous year (but not the same Year Head). They are no longer based in the Junior School. They attend the Headmaster's Assembly in the Great Hall every Monday and Year Head assemblies as and when these are arranged. They go to Grove Park for Games on Monday afternoons. Various support mechanisms are in place such as the "Catch-up Club", organised by the Deputy Head of Year and the mentoring programme, in which senior boys provide academic assistance in a variety of subjects.

In the Spring Term Second Formers are introduced to the various options that they have in the Third Form - such as languages (ancient and modern), classical civilisation and drama and the CCF - and Parents are invited to a Parents' Evening to discuss these.

Third Form To Fifth Form

Head of Third Form: Mr Farrelly

Boys from the previous year's Second Form are mixed with the new boys who enter CLS at 13+, to form six Third Form Tutor groups which are also Houses: Abbott, Beaufoy, Carpenter, Hale, Mortimer and Seeley. The allocation of boys to a particular Tutor Group is determined by a number of factors, not least the options they have chosen and an effort to ensure that sporting ability is spread evenly throughout the groups. The boys will stay in these groups for three years. Most subjects in the Third Form are taught to the form group, except for options and Maths, both of which are setted. Games take place on Thursday afternoons, but inter-house matches - in a variety of sports and activities - take place throughout the week. Boys in the Third Form go on a large number of afternoon visits, mostly to places of interest in the City or nearby. Those who have chosen to join the CCF go on camps and field trips during the year.

In the Spring Term boys are addressed by the Director of Studies on their possible options for GCSE in the Fourth Form. The Parents Evening takes place at the start of the Summer Term, so that these choices can be discussed with Tutors and Subject Staff.

Boys in the Third Form are, where necessary, mentored by senior boys in specific subjects as organised by the Deputy Head of Third Year. Affiliated Prefects also provide extra assistance to Third Formers.

Head of Fourth Form (2010-11) : Mr Jones
Head of Fifth Form (2010-11) : Mr Fernandes

Boys in the GCSE years (Fourth & Fifth Forms) stay in the Form Groups they have been in during the Third Form, but usually with a new Tutor. (They move from Fourth to Fifth Form with the same Year Head). These are pastoral units only since the boys are in sets for all subjects. They meet their Tutor each day (at 8.45am and 1.50pm) and attend Year Assemblies and House Meetings, as well as Upper Assemblies with the Sixth Form.

In the Fourth Form Mid-year Assessments (examinations) are held in the Spring Term and in the Fifth Form Mock GCSE Examinations are held in January. Fifth Formers are introduced to the options for the Sixth Form after their mocks. Parents' Evenings are arranged accordingly.

Various support mechanisms are in place to help boys with their studies, some arranged by pastoral staff and some by subject specialists. The Careers Department also provides guidance as and when it is needed.

Fourth Formers go to Games on Tuesdays and Fifth Formers on Wednesdays.

Sixth Form

Head of Sixth Form: Mr Dowler

When boys enter the Sixth Form (either from the Fifth Form or other schools) they are allocated to a Tutor, who usually teaches them one of the their A-Level subjects and stays with them for the two years of the Sixth Form. Tutor Groups are normally restricted to a maximum of 12 students, some from the Junior Sixth and some from the Senior Sixth.

In addition to the formal Parents' Evenings, Tutor Evenings are arranged for boys who are new to the School or who are having difficulties with their studies. In the Junior Sixth a Higher Education Forum is organised in the Spring Term to help explain UCAS applications and to introduce the Oxford and Cambridge systems, along with other options for Higher Education. UCAS training, mock interviews and other Careers related activities are provided. All Sixth Formers are required to undertake work-shadowing and many choose to do so overseas.

Sixth Formers remain members of houses and take part in inter-house competitions. Their Games afternoon is Wednesday. They also run a large number of clubs and societies, ranging from Debating and Public Speaking to The Politics and Cheese Appreciation Societies!

An important aspect of the Sixth Form for many boys is the Prefect System, run by the Second Master. Sixth Formers are elected by their peers and teachers in the Junior Sixth. From the successful applicants, four senior School Officers are selected by the Headmaster: Head of School, Deputy Head (Affiliated Prefects), Deputy Head (External Liaison) and Deputy Head (Administrative) who take up their respective positions in the Summer Term of the Junior Sixth. In addition, Sixth Form boys may serve on the Sixth Form Committee, the Joint Committee and the Charity Appeal Committee. 

Downloads: 

• Pastoral handbook
• Special educational needs
• School rules and regulations
• Form Tutors and rooms 2010-2011