If children are happy in themselves then they are able to flourish both in and out of the classroom.
At Brighton College we take considerable care in maintaining a supportive and tolerant community that celebrates differences between people and that affirms a sense of belonging for all. The last ISI inspection rated our provision of pastoral care as being "excellent" - the top grade possible - and the last Ofsted inspection awarded our welfare for boarders as being "outstanding."
There are a number of different strands to inculcating effective pastoral care and this area of the website will help give you a sense of how they each contribute to the pastoral life of the school.
The pastoral care system in the college is based upon the house system. Aside from the Lower School, which has a separate house of its own for our year 7s and 8s, there are 12 houses in total. Each contains pupils between the ages of 13 and 18 and provides the base for pupils during the school day, having a locker and changing area for belongings, social spaces, and areas for studying. Each house is run by a Housemaster or Housemistress with a team of tutors who are allocated to each year group. Sixth Formers are routinely given the opportunity to help and support younger pupils through the prefect system or through running teams for house competitions, for example.
All pupils register in houses at the start of the day, and return at break and lunchtime. Registration is normally conducted by the tutor, who has charge of a particular year group. He or she will also go through interim grades with tutees every 3 - 4 weeks in order to help them fulfil their potential in their academic work. Tutors are also there for support and advice on a whole range of issues, from subject choices to more personal matters. Sixth Form tutors also fulfil an important role in helping tutees with their all-important university applications.
The house system also allows the house competitions to thrive. Houses compete in a variety of activities, from public speaking to music, drama, and a wide variety of sports. This means that all pupils get the opportunity to use their talents to represent their house through the year. Each house also organises a variety of social events, including house suppers, entertainments and trips out, to engender a sense of belonging. Raising awareness of, and money for, various charitable causes is also another popular feature.
