Celebrating Achievements
Praise is important at Ibstock and we want our pupils’ successes to be recognised and celebrated.
At Ibstock, we believe that recognising and celebrating pupil success is essential to fostering a positive and motivating school environment. Praise takes many forms—from informal verbal acknowledgements in the classroom to formal, recorded commendations that contribute to House totals in our termly competitions.
Tutors actively participate in weekly Shout Outs, highlighting achievements both within and beyond the School, and acknowledging personal growth and improvement. Exceptional accomplishments are honoured with a special invitation to the Headmaster’s termly pizza party—a memorable celebration of outstanding effort and excellence.
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Creating a Supportive Environment
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The House SystemThe House system is at the very heart of our School. There are four Houses, each with their own distinctive identity; Brearley, Findlay, Paget and Montefiore. Pupils remain in the same House throughout their time at Ibstock, with strong relationships built between the Head of House, Tutors, pupils and their families. Wednesday is House Family time where pupils meet with their respective House Parents. This initiative offers an additional layer of support and connection, giving pupils more familiar and friendly faces who can look out for them. House Family Time helps strengthen bonds, foster a deeper sense of belonging, and reinforce the values that make our House system such a vital part of school life. To support mentorship within this programme all Sixth Formers receive mentoring training to ensure they are set to take the lead. |
Tutor GroupsPupils are divided into tutor groups within each of the four Houses. In Senior 7, tutor groups are deliberately small to ease their transition into the Senior School. In Senior 8 and Senior 9, tutor groups become vertical, to encourage pupils to expand their networks and friendships amongst the Lower School year groups. In preparation for GCSEs, our Senior 10 and Senior 11 pupils are tutored in small year-based groups to enable specialist support from their Tutor for this important stage of their School life. |
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Daily Pastoral TimeEach pupil has a Tutor who oversees their social, personal and academic progress throughout the year. Pupils meet with their Tutors daily for a 25-minute Pastoral session, providing an opportunity for pupils, their tutors and the tutor groups to get to know one another. In addition to one-to-one time with their Tutor, pupils will also attend School/House assemblies or involve themselves in a wide range of Tutor Group activities during Pastoral time. |
Partnerships with ParentsWe know that navigating adolescence is not easy for our parents and we recognise the importance of home and school working together to help our young people thrive. All parents are granted access to the Teen Tips Wellbeing, a one stop shop of articles, podcasts and workshops to support parents. In addition, the School hosts termly psychoeducation events in partnership with the on-site counselling service through The Soke. Frequent parent workshops take place in person and online throughout the academic year. |
Pupil Voice and Leadership Opportunities
Pupil Voice is important at Ibstock. We want pupils to shape the School now and in the years to come.
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Pupils can represent their Tutor Group in House Council or become part of the Digital Resilience Committee. If they are passionate about food, then they could meet regularly with the Executive Chef as part of the catering committee. There are opportunities to become Wellbeing ambassadors, and later on in the school to take up a position in the Ibstock Cabinet. The Cabinet are a group of senior pupil leaders who work closely with Senior teachers in areas including Sustainability, LGBTQ+, Race and Culture, Gender Equality, Mental Health, Neurodiversity, Co-Curriculum and Partnerships and Charity. |
Foundations Programme
The aim of our Foundations curriculum is to help pupils make safe and informed decisions during their school years and beyond.
The aim of our Foundations curriculum is to help pupils make safe and informed decisions during their school years and beyond.
We believe that promoting the health and wellbeing of our pupils is an important part of their overall education. We do this through our personal, social, health and emotional (PSHE/RSE ) curriculum which we call the Foundations Programme.
Our Foundations Programme covers many topics, including sessions around relationships, physical/emotional health and wellbeing, futures and the skills needed to live in the wider world.
Foundations is taught throughout the Senior School, from Senior 7, as a timetabled lesson. Elements of the programme are also addressed in Rhetoric & Ethics lessons, our termly ‘Tutorial Days’ and in faculty lessons across the school each day.
Explore our Senior School