Welcome to The Queen's School, where nurturing relationships lie at the core of our pastoral ethos. We believe in forming deep connections with each of our pupils, understanding their passions, quirks, and concerns on an individual level. With our small and close-knit community, every pupil is seen and heard, with every member of staff playing a pivotal role in their pastoral journey. Our compassionate approach ensures that wellbeing is prioritised, providing a guiding hand whenever needed.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and we wholeheartedly embrace the partnership between home and school. From the moment your daughter steps through our doors, you become part of our warm and friendly community, where we will be engaged with you, supporting her growth and celebrating her successes, right through to her examination triumphs. Whether she joins us at the start of her educational journey in Reception, or later, we tailor our support to meet her unique needs, fostering resilience, problem-solving skills, and a sense of belonging.
Your daughter will thrive in our diverse range of co-curricular activities, from traditional pursuits like sports and music to modern favorites such as Just Dance and Minecraft club. Should her interests diverge from our offerings, we encourage her to pave her own path, whether by starting a club or taking on leadership roles within our student community.
At Queen's, we prioritise understanding your daughter as an individual. Supported by experienced form tutors and pastoral leaders, she will find guidance, advocacy, and encouragement every step of the way. Regular communication ensures that you remain an integral part of her educational journey, with opportunities to connect with her mentors and fellow parents in a welcoming environment.
For those who may need extra support during their transition or beyond, our dedicated pastoral support worker offers a warm cup of cocoa and a listening ear, providing a safe space for reassurance and guidance. Our ‘Respect Programme’ equips girls with the tools to navigate the complexities of friendship dynamics, nurturing empathy and conflict resolution skills.
We take pride in our Wellbeing and Diversity Committees, cultivating a culture of inclusivity and mutual respect. Through focused initiatives on online safety and positive relationships, we empower our pupils to become responsible digital citizens.
At The Queen's School, we understand that a supportive environment lays the foundation for academic success and personal fulfilment. Our commitment to pastoral care ensures that your daughter not only achieves her full potential but thrives in a happy and enriching school experience. Welcome to our Queen's family, where every girl is valued, supported, and inspired to shine.
PSHE
“The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent…self-confidence, a willingness to take risks, and the ability to articulate individual views and to respect those of others are evident in pupils of all ages.” ISI Inspection Report
At Queen’s, Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is a key part of the girls’ curriculum. The varied programme aims to support pupils in developing the key skills and attributes they need to help them make informed choices and deal responsibly with a range of situations.
We firmly believe that the social and emotional development of our pupils is just as important as their academic growth. We want the girls to feel confident in themselves and their relationships, be thoughtful and active citizens, and feel prepared for the challenges of life beyond the classroom in an ever-changing world. We also know that it is when pupils feel prepared emotionally that they are most likely to meet their potential academically so it is a win/win situation.
PSHE at Queen’s is delivered by a team of specialist staff in dedicated PSHE time. This is an alternative model to that provided in many schools where PSHE is often delivered by form tutors in form time. Dedicated PSHE staff mean we can invest training and planning time to deliver topics that are often sensitive in nature. Our team is passionate, knowledgeable and up-to-date on the subjects they cover. Dedicated time means that the PSHE curriculum does not get swept up in the day to day running of a form. Each session is an hour long and this gives teachers and pupils more time to go deeper into the issues and topics being covered.
The House system
Our House system at both the Lower and Senior Schools is very important to the sense of family that exists here. Girls are allocated a House on arrival with us and soon grow attached to their House buddies within their class and within different year groups. House events include sports days and our annual biathlon, drama, poetry and debating competitions, ad hoc curriculum-based competitions, charity events, quizzes and assemblies. The system is an excellent way for all girls to learn from and understand how it feels to represent a wider group of their friends and peers.
Partnering with parents
Responsibility for the happiness and all-round development of each girl stems from an effective partnership between parents and the school. We like to operate an ‘open door’ policy if parents have any worries or concerns about any aspect of their daughter’s welfare or progress.
If we notice any problems occurring, then we will approach them immediately. A proactive approach to positive mental wellbeing is one that is of paramount importance to us at Queen’s, and we are proud of the value that girls, parents and staff place on being able to raise concerns when individuals are in need and then address them by putting further suitable support structures in place. All the Key Stages have a separate office with space for conversation to take place between girls and the Pastoral Team, in addition, we have a dedicated Pastoral Hub located next to the medical room.
Whilst the Pastoral Team, tutors and mentors provide the girls with superb individual support on matters of an academic nature, co-curricular involvement and in development of the whole person, there are times when individual pupils may require a little extra help from a professional counsellor so an extended pastoral provision includes a drop-in style counselling service for girls and staff during Monday lunchtimes. Girls are able to notify their Head of Key Stage if they wish to have time with the counsellor who is well known to the school and also provides the staff with training sessions in mental health. This service is aimed at girls requiring a little extra support, for example, if suffering a bereavement, examination anxiety or perhaps just feeling pressure for other reasons.
A school community public health nurse from Cheshire and Wirral Partnership also offers fortnightly drop in sessions to our students in the Senior School.
Throughout the year, parents are kept informed about school events and issues through a weekly e-newsletter, emails and letters. Copies of these and all other correspondence can be found on the School’s Firefly VLE.