Pastoral Care 

At Saint Thomas Aquinas we place great emphasis on our pastoral system and pastoral care. The role of the form tutor is vital with all students spending 30 minutes each morning and 10 minutes each afternoon with their tutor.

The form tutor is the first and last person that students see every day. This is important for the development of positive relationships and pastoral care for our students.

The students are in same year group tutor groups (horizontal tutoring) with approximately 26 students in each tutor group. There are 8 tutor groups in each year across KS3 and KS4 all named after a prominent Catholic Patron who is the named title of our Houses in our House System – Bosco, Fisher, John Paul, Martin, More, Newman, Romero and Teresa. Each House has its own distinctive colour and shield. Competition between the Houses is strong but friendly across a whole range of areas including attendance, punctuality, sports, charities and a host of other activities.

Each year group is led by an experienced teacher as the Head of Year with the support of a full time Learning Mentor Pastoral Support staff member. The aim is for all tutors, learning mentors and Heads of Year to follow the students through their time here at STACS. This increases co-ordination, understanding and relationships with both students, tutors and parents.

There are 6 tutor groups in the 6th form with a mix of year 12 and 13 students in each tutor group.

The Aquinas Canon and Assembly programme has a distinct year group focus ensuring the students have opportunities to develop, covering all aspects of the Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural and Vocational education. This also covers the PSHE and Career, Education, Information, Advice and Guidance needed to ensure examination readiness, considering future pathways, university applications and careers.

Great emphasis is placed on the care of students for each other and the importance of older students acting as role models. The development of the student council and young leaders is paramount to ensure students have a clear voice in their school.