At one time or another during their school life a child may need some pastoral support. The Pastoral support we offer at Folly View is central to the wellbeing and mental health of all of our children. We pride ourselves on having a very strong and experienced pastoral team that put the children at the centre of everything we do. Unmet pastoral needs can be a huge barrier to learning. We feel by investing in supporting our pupils' pastoral needs we can break down these barriers and every child can achieve their full potential.

The Orchard

Folly View Primary school has a nurture space within the heart of the school called the Orchard. This is a calm and safe haven for all children whenever they need it.

The Orchard is staffed full time, by a highly trained and experienced Pastoral lead.

It is open throughout the day including playtimes and lunchtime and can be used by those children who may find these times of day on a busy and noisy playground tricky.

We also offer a soft start every morning for children who find it difficult coming into school each day. We have found this to have a significantly positive impact upon attendance and readiness for learning.

The Orchard is also used for individual and small group interventions including Lego therapy, drawing and talking and social skills to name but a few.

Here are some of the things our children had to say about the Orchard.

"I feel safe in the Orchard" - Yr 1 child

"The Orchard is safe, calm and joyful" - Yr 3 child

"It's nice and peaceful and calm" - Yr 2 child

"I feel listened to and I'm happy when I am here" - Yr 3 child

"When I arrive I am angry, but when I leave, I feel calm" - Yr 1 child

"I like the Orchard because it is calm" - Yr 4 child

Pastoral support is offered to many different groups of pupils across the school, including young carers, service pupils, vulnerable pupils. In fact any child that may be struggling with something going on in their lives, including divorce, bereavement, friendship issues, medical needs and mental health issues are all able to have some level of support in school.

Community

We feel there is very much a sense of community within our school. This is from the staff and children, but also the parents and local area. We want the whole community to feel well supported by the school. Our pastoral lead is always willing to help and offer support to a parent that may have concerns about their child or that may even be struggling with something themselves. If she is not able to help them herself she is always able to signpost to external agencies or specialists that may be able to support the family.  

We also currently employ a Home school link worker who supports parents with home and school issues, and can be a hand to hold through tricky times and navigating challenging situations. It can sometimes be helpful to speak to someone who understands the processes of education, housing, benefits and other areas of life that can be confusing.