Every child at Oakwood is unique, with individual needs, potential, limitations, circumstances, feelings, opportunities and expectations. We believe the quality of caring relationships between staff, pupils and parents is fundamental to helping us guide your child as they grow and learn who they are and what they can do.
Communication
Pastoral care at Oakwood is not something that happens when things go wrong; it happens every second of the day. Our form tutors, as the first point of contact, know every child in their form exceptionally well. They are able to work closely with parents to provide every child with the highest level of care and support. The Head of Key Stage and The Head of Pastoral Care are also available to discuss any further concerns in person or by email and to make sure all children and parents have the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns. Pupil Planners or email are the primary means of contact between teachers and parents in the Prep school and are used to communicate information regarding behaviour, reminders or support.
House System
The foundation for these strong relationships is established through our House system where pupils earn house points for excellent work, courteous behaviour and following the ‘Oakwood Way’. These house points form both the basis of individual weekly targets for each child and contribute to the overall weekly house total. The winning house is announced each week in our Celebration Assembly giving the opportunity for all children to enjoy and focus on their shared achievements. At the end of term the house with the most points wins a house tea. House events are integral to the school calendar with opportunities to come together in sport, performing and creative arts and community events. House events and competitions unite the school community with children of all ages working together, being led by our senior House Captains.
‘Acorns to Oaks’
Alongside the house system, the ‘Acorns to Oaks’ leadership scheme encourages all pupils to learn how to be responsible in all areas of school life. Year 3 and 4 pupils continue to work towards achieving their 'Passports to Prep' whereby giving them the opportunity to gain their Silver and Gold Star Badges, recognising significant steps in their personal development. In Year 5 and 6 pupils can take on positions of responsibility and work towards the prestigious Gold Merit Award. All Year 6 pupils are also trained to support the Year 3 pupils with the 'Big Me, Little Me' mentor project. In their final term at Oakwood, the Year 6 pupils follow an Academic and Personal Enrichment Programme, designed to develop skills of resilience, team work, independence and leadership by fostering strong links with their school and wider community.
Year 5 and 6 Leadership Roles
We encourage our senior pupils to take on roles of responsibility. Each year staff vote to select a Head Boy and Head Girl who act as ambassadors for the school in a variety of ways. In addition, pupils can put themselves forward to be House Captains or Vice Captains. Further roles of responsibility include: Peer mentor, Librarian, Green Team, Choir Captain, Secretary, IT Monitor, Art Monitor and Sport Monitor.
‘Oakwood VIP’ and School Council
Oakwood believes that every child deserves to have their moment in the sunshine, and on Friday afternoons, during form time, we celebrate one individual in the class, for no other reason than for just being them! One Very Important Person from each class (Reception-Year 6) is selected at random at the start of the week and receives a red cardigan or jumper to wear for the week. All pupils in the class will have the opportunity to be the VIP over the course of the school year. The VIP is allowed to bring in a memento from home to talk about, or explain about a hobby they participate in outside of school. The other pupils then take turns to share memories and things they appreciate about the VIP during a circle time session.
School Council is a key forum for 'pupil voice' and community decision making. Every year the school council lead the charity nominations and voting for the next academic year. The School Council is a democratic group, voted for by all pupils in their classes, and allows these elected children the opportunity to contribute to the wider school community and feedback pupil voice to the leaders and governors of the school.
PSHE (Personal, social, health and economic) Education
At Oakwood, promoting positive wellbeing and strong mental health in all of our pupils is a priority, as well as equipping pupils with the tools to live happy and enriched lives. The focus of PSHE education at Oakwood is to support self-regulation of emotion, build emotional resilience and enhance pupil focus and concentration, whilst building the capacity to learn. Our lessons use both the PSHE Association plans and myHappymind programme of work. PSHE Association themes include health and wellbeing, living in the wider worth and relationships. Children from Reception to Year 6 use myHappymind (https://myhappymind.org/) and benefit from the skills built via the programme that support positive mental health, resilience and self esteem. The modules are structured to develop pupils’ understanding of how their brain works, celebrate unique character strengths, understand the importance of gratitude and focus on building healthy relationships. All these themes help our pupils to fully engage with peers and to set meaningful goals for themselves.
Personal Development at Oakwood
The personal development of Oakwood pupils is at the heart of all we do. Above all we aim to develop happy and confident children in a safe and nurturing environment, whilst at the same time having an awareness of the world we live in, both close to home and further afield. The focus on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of education is prioritised to ensure the well being of our pupils and to achieve this aim. We place considerable importance on community and the development of ‘soft skills’ such as empathy, compassion, and the acceptance of everyone in our school, as well as in our local community and the wider world as a whole.
Our regular school assemblies provide excellent opportunities to come together to reflect, celebrate and broaden our pupils’ knowledge of the world. We celebrate many festivals and national events through the school year:
- Harvest Festival
- Remembrance Service
- Advent Assembly
- Christmas Carol Service
- Lent Assembly
- Easter Assembly
Alongside the day-to-day support and initiatives outlined above, we have the ‘Wave’ system of directed interventions as detailed below. This is the system by which we monitor and communicate between staff and parents about your child/ren as they progress through the school, allowing a transparent and flexible program of support.
Wave 1
As a parent, knowing that your child is understood, cared for and listened to is key to their growth and development. Pupils’ first level of support (‘Wave 1’) in this regard is their Form Teacher and Subject Teachers. Form Teachers provide a wide range of support options, from help with friendships and organisational skills, to 1:1 meetings to talk through worries or provide daily check-ins. Subject Teachers support pupils in their learning and differentiate lessons, using guidance from our SENDCo as appropriate. Alongside the Form Teacher, the Head of Key Stage and Heads of Department are also available to support pupils and parents in regards to Pastoral or Academic matters.
Wave 2
The second level of support (‘Wave 2), is via a staff initiated referral to our Wave 2 support team. After discussion and meetings with parents, Wave 1 staff are able to complete a Wave 2 Referral Form which notifies the Head of Academics, Head of Pastoral Care and SENDCo of support that has already been provided and flags that further support may be beneficial. At this stage, the appropriate Wave 2 staff will meet with parents and Wave 1 support staff who have made the referral, to discuss possible next steps.
All Wave 2 provision is provided by Oakwood staff and therefore at no additional cost to parents. For Pastoral support this might include personalised and targeted interventions for playtimes, such as individual target cards and supported playtimes, as well as more focused interventions such as ELSA sessions (Emotional Literacy Support), Music Therapy or Drawing and Talking interventions. Academic support may include small group interventions, 1:1 support on Zones of Regulation, The Language of Thinking and Circle of Friends Program.
Wave 3
The third level of support (‘Wave 3’) is via external provision, with Specialist Intervention Teachers, delivered in 1:1 sessions and paid for by parents. This support is coordinated by the SENDCo and Head of Pastoral Care, often after the provision of Wave 2 support and meetings with other professionals and parents.