Engage student voice in shaping the nature of the pastoral care offered in schools

 

Starting the school day:

 

It is good to have a vibrant exemplar…

 

The ‘XP School’ in Doncaster has a concept called ‘Crew’ time. There are no passengers in the XP school all, teachers and pupils alike, are there to learn, develop and work together – like a crew on a ship. Of-course there is a Captain of the ship, the head teacher, but all who work at the school are regarded as equals – all have a voice which should be listened to. Very egalitarian.

 

Crew time takes place every morning from 8.30-9.15 when groups of twelve to thirteen students, led by a Crew Leader, get together to pastorally prepare for the day, ‘We do many activities in Crew including: Check-ins (the register and check that they have the equipment for the day); self-reflection through praise, apology, and pledges; independent reading; study group work; making academic pledges; team building and problem solving’; (all quotes are from ‘How We XP’, Andy Sprakes and Gwyn AP Harri, 2021) and exploring PSHE and Citizenship conundrums which can arise from an issue a student might have aired, or could be instigated by the Crew Leader.

 

Students describe it as being like a family in school, a home from home. The students get to know each other in Crew and this becomes the central support mechanism for them in the school. The students hold each other to account for the pledges they make, and they support and challenge fellow students, appropriately and sensitively guided by the Crew Leader. ‘In Crew we lean the purpose, meaning and reward of working hard. In Crew we learn how to get smart. In Crew we learn to be kind to each other.’

 

From day one of Y7 the same Crew members meet, and through encouragement by the Crew Leader (who may be a T.A. or Teacher) all students are given a voice. ‘Crew offers a safe place where students can be themselves and ask implicitly or explicitly for help and guidance from their peers […] In Crew students share who they are outside of school, what makes them tick […] This is time well spent on developing a unique bond between each other in Crew that will be invaluable when stuff doesn’t go to plan’.

 

And why do students put their trust in their Crew? Because they develop a deep bond with their peers and because they appreciate the consistency of their Crew Leader who will be with them daily – same time, same area in the school – throughout KS3 and 4. And of most importance: in Crew time students are engaged and empowered to develop the 4Cs – Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Reflection. With this 4Cs approach, students develop greater capacities for resilience, empathy, altruism, and the ability to think and work with others – all skills which increase both academic attainment and help learners to become ‘ready for work and ready for life.’ (‘The Road Ahead’, Keir Starmer, 2021)

 

This series links in with FEPG member Tony Breslin’s #Top of the Class blog on his Transform Education and Breslin Public Policy sites