Highgate’s pro-active pastoral care underpins all of our activities: pupil wellbeing is at the heart of all our thinking and teaching.
OUR PUPILS
Our Junior School has five classes across each of our year groups, with all our pupils belonging to a class and to one of our four houses.
Within our Junior School, our year groups are physically grouped together in our building and our curriculum is overseen by a Head of Year. Pastoral support comes from each form teacher in the first instance, supported by our Deputy Principal (Pastoral) and Pastoral Lead.
HOUSE SYSTEM
Our house system provides an additional pastoral layer, with Heads of House encouraging and monitoring each child’s individual personal development. Our house system aims to develop our children’s sense of belonging, recognising and celebrating their individual strengths while encouraging a contribution to the wider life of our school and a dedication to their own personal development.
We retain very close links with our Senior School, to which most pupils transfer at age 11, providing a secure continuity of education.
Each child’s individual character is embraced and nurtured, and each child is encouraged to have a voice that is heard and respected.
— Junior School parent, 2021
SCHOOL VALUES AND CHARACTER EDUCATION
Highgate Junior School aims to nurture core values such as curiosity, respect, empathy and determination through our Character Education programme.
We have three simple expectations of our pupils:
In Years 3 and 5, all classes have 25 minutes of Principal’s Time to support their social and emotional development. In Years 4 and 6, pupils follow an Executive Function skills programme called OWL (Our Weekly Learning).
I have never come across a more nurturing or caring school. Junior School parent, 2021
The school may be large, but every child is seen and valued. Junior School parent, 2021
The best aspect of Highgate Junior School is its exceptional level of pastoral care. Junior School parent 2021
OUR PARENTS
We strive to foster an authentic partnership with our parents/carers; working together to support the academic and emotional growth of the young people in our care.
We believe it is essential that parents/carers are provided with objective, constructive and regular feedback on the progress of their children. We provide parent-teacher consultation evenings twice a year, full academic reports at the end of each term and staff are available outside these times should parents/carers want extra support.