The pastoral team plays a key role in looking after the welfare of our students and they lead on this priority by modelling it to the rest of the school community.  

We consider pastoral care to be a whole school priority, therefore every member of our community has a responsibility in ensuring the wellbeing of our students. Pastoral care has a direct effect on students’ engagement in school and outcomes. Through effective pastoral care, students can better develop their relationships with others, integrate better into the school community, enhance their views of the world and society, promote respect for others, their backgrounds, and protected characteristics. Effective pastoral care can support in preventing/decreasing the likelihood of hurtful incidents, especially those related to antisemitism, racism, homophobia, extremism, misogyny and any form of harassment.  

Our pastoral team play a key role in ensuring that all students in our care are able to fulfil the school’s ethos of learning, community, and charity. Our pastoral team: 

• have an ambitious vision for students in line with whole-school vision, ethos, and values.  

• have high expectations for all students  

• are highly visible and effective within the school, modelling for other staff effective behaviour management and de-escalation techniques 

• determine the priorities for each year group, ensuring they are in line with whole school priorities   

• model professionalism in all aspects of their work 

• make a significant contribution to the Jewish life and ethos of the school by modelling and upholding our shared values 

The school’s pastoral team consists of the following year team members: 

• Form tutors who students will see daily and delivers PSHE once a week to the form group 

• Assistant Heads of Year who support the head of year with safeguarding, welfare and behaviour 

• Heads of year who oversees the holistic achievement, safeguarding, welfare and behaviour of their year group 

• Assistant headteachers who line manage Heads of Year 

• Senior Assistant headteacher who leads on behaviour and SEND across the school 

• Deputy headteacher who leads the pastoral provision at King Solomon High School. 

In addition to the year team, the remainder of the pastoral team includes: 

• Safeguarding manager who is a deputy designated safeguarding lead who also carries out referrals to, and liaises with, external agencies 

• Wellbeing mentor who mentors and provides emotional support for students 

• School counsellor who offers one to one counselling for a caseload of students. 

• Welfare officer who is the lead first-aider and provides medical care and support for students. 

• Behaviour manager who leads the serious incident process and all behaviour investigations.  

• Behaviour administration who is responsible for all admin relating to pastoral matters  

• Internal Exclusion coordinator who oversees the school’s internal exclusion room  

• SENDCO who is responsible for SEND provision across the school 

• Learning Support Assistants who support SEND students 

The school also utilises external support through Sw!tch mentoring. A dedicated mentor who offers one to one mentoring for a caseload of students.  

Almost all the members of the pastoral team have completed the mental health first aid certification. This means that the team are trained to have an in-depth understanding of mental health and factors that can affect the wellbeing of young people and are equipped with the skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues. The mental health first-aiders are trained in how to reassure and support a young person in distress and to guide them to the support they need

King Solomon High School aims to provide a world class education to all students in a modern orthodox Jewish setting. We are committed to creating an environment where exemplary behaviour is at the heart of school life, so that all students can achieve their full potential. Good behaviour creates a calm and safe school where students can learn, feel safe and thrive. 

We have high expectations for all students, so that their behaviour and conduct reflect our school values and ethos. We consider behaviour to be a whole school responsibility, where all staff are expected to maintain the school’s high standard and to contribute to the success of each school day. We are proud of our school’s inclusive community and positive environment, where bullying, aggression, abuse, discrimination and unkind behaviours are not tolerated.  

Our approach to behaviour management is prevention before sanction. This approach prioritises the consistent application of rules, routines and expectations so that students do not reach the point where they have to be sanctioned. We believe that students need to be taught and reminded on how to behave to meet the school’s expectations, and where expectations are not met, then sanctions are applied consistently and fairly to support students in recognising their behaviour and working to change it.  

Student’ sanctions are tracked daily, weekly, termly and annually. Heads of Year and members of the pastoral team respond to daily behaviour concerns to resolve matters, and students whose behaviours escalate, trigger the school’s behaviour thresholds requiring further support and intervention: 

• Reminder of expectations – a behaviour expectations email is sent to parents/carers 

• Stage 1 – behaviour stage 1 letter is sent home  

• Stage 2 – behaviour stage 2 letter is sent home and a phone call from head of year.  

• Stage 3 – behaviour stage 3 letter is sent home and a meeting takes place with the head of year. 

• Stage 4 – behaviour stage 4 letter is sent home and a meeting takes place with the head of year and assistant head teacher of the year group. At this stage a behaviour support plan is implemented. 

• Stage 5 – behaviour stage 5 letter is sent home and a governor behaviour panel is convened. 

• Stage 6 – A meeting takes place with the Deputy Headteacher and head of year to discuss next steps and the student’s place in the school 

The school’s rewards programme recognises and rewards students who meet the school’s expectations on behaviour. Students who demonstrate effort in their work, positive attitudes, helpfulness and support of peers and contribute towards the school community are celebrated by their peers and staff. Staff allocate achievement points throughout the school day, these are recorded on our school’s management information system (MIS) and the data is tracked daily, weekly, termly and annually. Students are then recognised and celebrated in the following ways: 

• Verbal praise and recognition, in tutor time, assemblies and newsletters 

• Emails to parents/carers 

• Reward vouchers 

• Termly gold, silver and bronze badges

• Prizes

At King Solomon High School, we understand that if we expect students to meet our expectations and to behave in a respectful and responsible manner, we need to teach them. Our behaviour curriculum is delivered in the following ways: 

• Weekly assemblies (led by heads of year and SLT) 

• Tutor time activities (delivered by form tutors) 

• A PSHE lesson per week (taught by form tutors) 

• Special feature newsletters. 

Assemblies 

Our weekly, themed assemblies cover a variety of themes including: 

• Behaviour and Rewards 

• Safeguarding and wellbeing 

• Attendance and punctuality 

• Jewish holidays 

• Anti-bullying 

• Disability awareness 

• Online safety 

• Healthy relationships 

• Black History Month 

• Mental health awareness 

• LGBTQ+ history month 

• International Women’s Day 

• British values 

• Consent and healthy relationships. 

• Equal opportunities. 

Tutor Time activities 

Each tutor time has a dedicated theme that supports the personal development of our students. Our tutor time actives consists on a pastoral input, tefillah and the school’s reading programme. 

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: 

• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge.
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online.
• preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development.
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.’

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action. If you have any concerns in regards to safeguarding, please e-mail and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. 

In delivering safeguarding duties we will: 

• provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of the individual child; 

• identify concerns early and prevent concerns from escalating; 

• establish and maintain a culture where children feel respected, secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to when they have a worry or concern; 

• establish and maintain an environment where school staff and volunteers feel well informed about safeguarding and child protection and are listened to when they have concerns about the safety and well-being of a child; 

• ensure children know that there are adults in school whom they can approach if worried and that these adults will take action to deal with what worries them; 

• ensure that children who have unmet needs are supported appropriately. This could include a referral to early help services or specialist services if they are a child in need or have been/are at risk of being abused/neglected; 

• where there is a safeguarding concern, take the child’s wishes and feelings into account when determining what action to take and what services to provide and ensure that there are systems in place for children to express their views and give feedback; 

• when concerned about the welfare of a child, always act in the best interests of the child; 

• work with parents to build an understanding of the school’s responsibilities for the welfare of all children, including the need for referrals to other agencies in some situations; 

• Include opportunities across the curriculum, including within IT for children to be taught about safeguarding and develop the skills they need to recognise danger, protect themselves from risks and stay safe from abuse; maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned; 

• ensure that staff feel able to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice and potential failures in the school’s safeguarding procedures and are familiar with the appropriate whistleblowing procedures; 

• maintain a culture of continuous improvement with regard to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. 

The school is fully committed to supporting the well-being of its students, staff and parents. In order to encourage a supportive well-being culture, we have a wide ranging and comprehensive mental Health and Wellbeing support provisions in place. This includes the following: 

At King Solomon High School, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community (children, staff, parents and carers), and recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives in just the same way as physical health. We recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement. All children go through ups and downs during their school career and some face significant life events. 

The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that: “in order to help their children succeed; schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. Schools can be a place for children and young people to experience a nurturing and supportive environment that has the potential to develop self-esteem and give positive experiences for overcoming adversity and building resilience. For some, school will be a place of respite from difficult home lives and offer positive role models and relationships, which are critical in promoting children’s wellbeing and can help create a sense of belonging and community. 

Our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a role to ensure that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what affects their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and where they can go if they need help and support.  

We have a team of staff who have undertaken Mental Health First Aid Training through MHFA England. These members of staff are equipped with the knowledge, awareness, and skills to spot the signs of a student experiencing emotional distress or poor mental health, the confidence to start a conversation, and the tools to safeguard and signpost to appropriate support. In addition to that our Designated Safeguarding Lead has undertaken Senior Mental Health Lead training and oversees all the mental health provision which supports those students who need it.  

Our aim is to help develop the protective factors which build resilience to mental health problems and to be a school where: 

• All children are valued and know that they are all unique. 

• Children have a sense of belonging and feel safe. 

• Children feel able to talk openly with trusted adults about their problems without feeling any stigma. 

• Positive mental health is promoted and valued. 

We offer different levels of support: 

Universal Support – To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum. For example, developing resilience for all. 

Additional support – For those who may have short term needs and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement. 

Targeted support – For pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as wellbeing groups or personal mentors. 

Please look at the Support Provisions tab to read what is available at King Solomon High School and please refer to the PDF documents below from mind.org regarding additional information linked to Mental health and Wellbeing. 

How to cope when supporting someone else
How to deal with anger
How to manage stress
The Mind guide to seeking help for a mental health problem
Understanding anxiety
Understanding depression
Understanding eating problems
Understanding mental health problems
Understanding Self-harm 

At King Solomon High School, we are committed to fulfilling our statutory responsibilities under the Prevent duty, as outlined in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, recently updated in 2023 with a counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. 

This aims to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK, its citizens and interests overseas, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence. Prevent remains one of the key pillars of CONTEST, alongside the other three ‘P’ work strands: 

• Prevent: to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. 

• Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks 

• Protect: to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack 

• Prepare: to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack. 

This duty places the responsibility on local authorities and schools to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Our approach involves training staff to identify and respond to signs of radicalisation, fostering an environment that challenges extremist ideologies, and collaborating with external agencies for support and intervention. We have established robust safeguarding policies to protect our students from the risks associated with radicalisation, ensuring a safe and inclusive learning environment for all. 

All staff have completed Prevent training and are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We believe that children should be given the opportunity to explore diversity and understand Britain as a multi-cultural society; everyone should be treated with respect whatever their race, gender, sexuality, religious belief, special need, or disability. 

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and child protection we fully support the government’s Prevent Strategy. 

At King Solomon High School, we are committed to safeguarding our students and ensuring they feel safe and supported. As part of this commitment, we participate in Operation Encompass, a scheme that allows us to receive confidential notifications from the police when a student has been exposed to domestic abuse. This information is securely shared with our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) before the start of the next school day, ensuring we can offer immediate and appropriate support. Our staff handle this information with the utmost sensitivity, and only those who need to know are informed to provide the best possible care without drawing attention to the child’s situation. 

Our response is tailored to each child’s needs, whether that involves providing pastoral support, offering a quiet space, or making small adjustments to their school day to help them feel secure. We do not force students to discuss their experiences, but we ensure they have access to trusted adults and additional resources if they choose to seek help. Where appropriate, we may also work with parents or external support services to ensure the child receives further care beyond school. By participating in Operation Encompass, we help protect our students’ wellbeing and ensure that school remains a safe and supportive environment for all. 

Online Safety Advice for Parents and Students

At King Solomon High School, we are committed to ensuring our students navigate the online world safely and responsibly. Recognising the integral role of the internet in education and daily life, we have implemented a comprehensive approach to online safety, aligning with the Department for Education’s guidance on teaching online safety in schools.  

Curriculum Integration 

Online safety education is embedded across various subjects, including Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), Health Education, PSHE, and Computing. This cross-curricular approach ensures that students understand how to stay safe and behave appropriately online, covering topics such as: 

• Understanding Online Risks: Educating students about potential online dangers, including cyberbullying, grooming, and exposure to inappropriate content. 

• Building Digital Resilience: Empowering students to recognise and manage online challenges, fostering critical thinking and decision-making skills. 

• Promoting Positive Online Behaviour: Encouraging respectful communication and responsible use of digital platforms. 

Support for Vulnerable Students 

We acknowledge that some students may be more susceptible to online risks. Our identify and support these individuals, ensuring they have the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape safely. 

Engagement with Parents and Carers 

We believe that a collaborative effort between the school and home is essential for effective online safety. To support this partnership, we provide parents and carers with up-to-date resources and guidance on monitoring and discussing online activities with their children. We have links (detailed below) which offers parents valuable advice on various online platforms and issues. 

Use of External Resources and Visitors 

To enhance our online safety education, we incorporate reputable external resources and invite experts to provide additional perspectives and up-to-date information. This approach enriches our curriculum and ensures that our students receive comprehensive and current online safety education. 

Whole-School Approach 

Online safety at King Solomon High School is not confined to the classroom. We foster a whole-school culture of digital responsibility by: 

• Regular Staff Training: Ensuring all staff members are aware of the latest online safety practices and protocols. 

• Clear Reporting Mechanisms: Providing students with straightforward channels to report online concerns or incidents. 

• Policy Development: Regularly updating our online safety policies to reflect emerging technologies and potential risks. 

By integrating these strategies, King Solomon High School is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive online environment, equipping our students with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital age. 

If you are concerned with your child’s online safety please contact our Safeguarding Team on or your child’s Head of Year for support. 

Online Safety Factsheets for parents:  

• TikTok 

• YouTube 

• YouTube Kids 

• Instagram 

• Fortnite 

• WhatsApp 

• Snapchat 

• Cyber-flashing 

• Loot boxes and skins betting