Pastoral Care
Although our students spend only about a quarter of their school time in classes taught by British Section teachers, our staff regard it as an essential part of their job to remain informed about progress across the whole curriculum, to liaise with the French teaching team and to provide advice and support to each and every student.
We are helped in pour work from nursery classes onwards by a standard feature of the French educational system – the conseil de classe, or termly meeting of all those teaching a particular class. This enables staff to compare notes on the class as a whole and also to analyse the progress of individual students. As a matter of course, the appropriate British Section teacher attends the conseil de classe and gives his or her input. Feedback from these meetings enables us to follow up concerns with students and/or parents and also with the French form teacher, or professeur principal. The Section also has its own customised database with files on each student which are regularly updated.
In the secondary collège cycle, pastoral support to pupils is coordinated by a member of staff with this specific responsibility – the Deputy Director at Pierre et Marie Curie and the site coordinator in the case of the Collège des Hauts Grillets. They work closely with the Headmaster in the management of students transferring to the lycée (post 16) cycle.
In the senior school (Years 11 – 13), a comprehensive counselling service is operated by senior staff. This takes in advice on the appropriate choice of Baccalaureate course (in Seconde) followed by specialised guidance on careers and universities and the detailed management of university applications. The Section is a member of ISCO and the team is in permanent contact with universities in the UK.