The role of a Tutor is a crucial one as they should be the child’s most significant adult contact in school. They will be the first point of contact for parents or students should an issue arise. Their role is to build relationships and support students in meeting their potential, academically and socially. Tutors make every effort to ensure that the relationships fostered between the student, home and school are positive. Our students can expect our tutors to be trustworthy, fair, consistent, sensitive and caring. They will have high expectations of the students and a sincere interest in them as individuals.

All Tutor Groups meet daily for a 10 minute 'Check-In' session in addition to two longer periods on Tuesday at 09:55 -10:25 and on Friday at 12:35-12:55. Check-Ins are used for daily monitoring of students. Tuesdays are used for the Pastoral Learning Curriculum. Fridays are used for assemblies, vertical tutoring or peer mentoring.

The Tutor Role consists of:

• Delivering the Pastoral Learning Curriculum

• Being aware of student needs and issues.

• Discussing the learning experiences of students’ individual subjects.

• Having high expectations of students, discussing the progress in subjects and help set targets to support them to achieve their potential.

• Helping to develop students’ organizational skills and study habits.

• Providing appropriate guidance and support in cross phase transitions and in curriculum choice processes.

• Monitoring individual involvement in school leadership roles, responsibilities, school activities and CAS requirements.

• Encouraging high standards of behaviour, attendance, punctuality and uniform.

• Promoting and providing a forum for student voice.

• Keeping in contact with parents.

• Integrating new students.

• Share Tutor Group Messages (TGM) twice a week. 

• Monitoring of student ePortfolios (Evidencer and/or Managebac).

Daily Tutor Times

Tutors have a routine of activities to cover with their Tutor Group. Examples of these might be:

• What is in the News?

• DEAR – Drop everything and Read

• Word of the Week

• Preparing for Inter House events

• Wellbeing activities

On Fridays, Year 12 or 13 Form Links visit designated Tutor Groups and run planned activities. The older students elect to become Vertical Tutors and receive training to support the role. The main aim of this initiative is to encourage the older students to socialise with younger students and to create vertical links, enabling them to answer questions and to generally take a ‘big brother/sister’ role.

Tutors have informal ‘interviews’ with each member of their group at various times during the year. These are an opportunity to have a ‘personal chat’ about school progress, academic interests, CAS, leadership and responsibilities in school and the wider community. These are also opportunities for students to share their personal eportfolio.

The Pastoral Learning Curriculum

Rationale / Vision Statement

We believe that effective pastoral care is the ‘nourishment for the learning journey’ to which all students have an entitlement. Tutor time is the primary learning space for pastoral care where we share and ‘live’ our school values through the Pastoral Learning Curriculum (PLC). The PLC aims to explicitly teach and promote health and well-being, build resilience, enhance academic care and build human and social capital among our community.

The PLC is a planned programme of learning though which pupils acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future. As part of a whole school approach, it develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

The planned spiral nature of the programme ensures learning is revisited, reinforced and extended in age - and stage-appropriate contexts and is tailored to our students in Hong Kong and to an international school setting. The PLC also forms a cohesive link with our school wellbeing agenda.

Each year group can access the PLC curriculum via the VLE.

On Friday afternoons, Tutor groups have a chance to discuss issues that the Student Council Representatives raise and for House Captains to sort out teams for Inter House activities. Students are offered leadership opportunities within the Houses and each tutor works with their students to develop these skills and attributes.

Assemblies 

A range of different types of assemblies are scheduled during the school year. We have Phase, House or Year assemblies at intervals during the school year and three Whole School Assemblies. The focus of these changes depending on the year group and events happening in the school calendar. We often have guest speakers in to present to students, and prizes to distribute. Parents are welcome to attend these events.