Tutors
Within the Lower School (Years 7 & 8), the tutorial provision for boys and girls is made through the form tutor structure. The Head of the Lower School allocates his tutorial team and each tutor is responsible for a class group of approximately 18 pupils. The tutor will have three regular daily points of contact with his or her class group - first thing in the morning, at lunchtime and again at the end of the school day. Lower School tutors discuss academic progress with the members of their form. They get to know their form really well, take an interest in their welfare and a pride in their achievements.
Lower School boarders are also supported by a team of staff organised by the Houseparents of Highfield. These teachers will accompany the Lower School boarders to meals in Dining Hall, organise activities for them and will supervise them as they settle down for bed in the evenings.
In the main part of the School, from ages 13 - 18, the tutorial provision is organised through the Houses. Each Housemaster or Housemistress (HM) is supported by a team of tutors and he or she will allocate them to a group of tutees. The precise organisation of the tutorial groups is a matter for the HM to determine and there will be some variations between the Houses. The tutor's role is to be an additional adult who takes a genuine interest in the life of the boys or girls who are allocated to his/her group. That interest is facilitated by a regular meeting of the tutor group each Monday after lunch, but it will be developed through formal and informal contact through the week. Tutors support and guide the academic work of the pupils and also help them to develop in other areas of their lives - for instance encouraging them to accept new challenges and advising about career choice or university applications. Tutors will also arrange social events that play a part in developing young people who are accustomed to engaging naturally with adults.
The tutorial team works closely with the HM and tutors pool their knowledge and understanding of the boys and girls in the House. If they need extra advice, they can turn to the Chaplain and the School Counsellor as well as the staff at the School's Health Centre as may be appropriate.
