Taunton School Prep Boy With Teacher

Prep Personal Development and Pastoral Care

We are a school full of smiles, where children come to school happy in the knowledge that they are all valued equally, for the unique wonderful person that they are. If they are kind, respectful, ambitious and give their best, then we are very proud of each one of them. We celebrate their achievements in all aspects of their lives and witness how success breeds success.

We have high expectations of our pupils in terms of behaviour and expect them to develop into fine young people, confident with good personal discipline and a growing sense of responsibility towards themselves and others. They become assured speakers and performers, looking adults and peers in the eye and conversing with interest, good manners and confidence. 

Our whole school ethos is to Challenge, Nurture and Inspire which has led to the creation of our TPS Mission. Pupils self-assess, with the help of their Form Tutor, once every term, colouring in how strong they feel they are in 12 key areas of personal development.  Please see below for more details.

Being one school on one site, with some pupils staying with us from infancy to Sixth Form means that new joiners are warmly welcomed into one big friendly family with strong relationships and values. The large and diverse nature of the community, allows our children the freedom to express their individuality, whilst growing up in an environment where they respect and appreciate differences which enhance their young lives. 

All pupils are placed into one of our four Houses for the whole of their time in the Prep School and a vibrant programme of competitions and fun activities creates a sense of belonging, pride and good-natured rivalry.

Our pupils move into Year 9 at a stage of their development when they are ready for the challenges of Senior School. The final years at Prep School provide the pupils with the opportunity to take on leadership roles and for the school to recognise their advanced status. In Year 8, the School Council includes the Head Boy, the Head Girl, and other Year 8 representatives, providing them with a fantastic opportunity to work in partnership with their peers and senior management for the good of the community. Along with the Heads of Houses, they meet regularly with the Headmaster and attend the Governors’ Lunch in the Summer Term. All of our Year 8 pupils are leaders of one or more areas of school life, chosen by them. Examples include Sports Leaders, Digital Leaders, Librarians and Junior Leaders (spending time with Year 3 pupils). Year 8 pupils enjoy a special relationship with staff, which draws upon their increased maturity and independence. They have access to communal areas that are not open to younger children, read in Chapel and other services, tour the school with prospective parents and enjoy an action-packed PPF Programme (Past, Present & Future) at the end of the summer term. This includes a formal dinner, disco and a trip.

The TPS Mission

At Taunton Preparatory School we aim to challenge, inspire and nurture young people to succeed in a global community. 

What is the TPS Mission?

The TPS Mission is a 12-spoke wheel of key values, which helps pupils to demonstrate that they are challenged, nurtured and inspired.  The TPS Mission is a key part of the school ethos and through a whole school focus on a different word each week, forms an integral part of Assemblies, Chapel services and Attainment Grades awarded.

Taunton School Prep MissionA challenged pupil shows: Teamwork, Independence, Leadership and Ambition.

A nurtured child demonstrates: Respect, Kindness, Confidence and Positivity.  

An inspired child demonstrates: Effort, Resilience, Pride and Curiosity.  

At the end of each term, pupils are given an opportunity to reflect on their personal  progress in the 12 values of the TPS Mission.  In their Planners, they shade in each section of the wheel, scoring themselves between 1 &5 for each. They then identify what they can do in the following term, to help them achieve more in specific areas. Thus they are both encouraged to be reflective learners and to always consider their own personal qualities and what makes them unique.

Taunton School Prep Student Personal Progress

Pastoral Care Structure

The form teacher is at the heart of the school’s pastoral system, guiding and supporting their classes on a daily basis. They are responsible for monitoring and supporting the dual strands of pastoral and academic life for each child in their form. 

This excellent  tutor system allows both children and parents to resolve problems quickly and means that parents are able to consult staff whenever a problem arises. The children are actively encouraged to seek out their tutor to deal with any concerns that arise. The four Pastoral Heads of Year provide an additional level of pastoral care, support and discipline, in a system which is overseen carefully by the Assistant Head Pastoral, the Deputy Headmaster, and the Headmaster.

Having said that, it is important to stress that we regard the pastoral care of each child as a ‘whole staff’ responsibility, recognised by all who work at TPS.

Active engagement through thought provoking assemblies, form times and Chapel services, provoke  conversations, social interactions, shared perceptions and laughter, which  contribute to a network of caring supervision and support. Unkindness is invariably challenged, concerns about bullying are immediately investigated and changes in behaviour noted and monitored. All staff receive regular training in safeguarding and child-protection as part of their professional development. 

Children learn best when they feel happy, safe and nurtured and each child knows that they are valued and respected, both as an individual, and as a part of the whole school community

A school for pupils of all faiths and none 

An understanding of spirituality and the major religions of the world, is a key part of our pupils’ personal development. The school is an open community, whose ethos, whilst founded upon Christian principles and ideals, welcomes children from all faiths and traditions and those from none.

Our Chapel is a place of worship and peace, led with energy and vibrancy by our Chaplain.

Christian values permeate all that we do and the Chapel is a focal point in School life. It is here that the whole school meets and reflects together.

An understanding of spirituality and the major religions of the world, is a key part of our pupils’ personal development. These principles and ideals permeate all aspects of school life and we promote moral values and a sense of spirituality which we hope will stay with pupils forever.

 Our full-time Chaplain, The Reverend Eliza Getman ( “Rev” ) is responsible for overseeing and leading services throughout the School. The services are relevant to all faiths and beliefs and are both thought provoking and informing. She receives plenty of support from colleagues and pupils are encouraged to contribute to and participate in services. 

The Rev is also fully involved in the pastoral care of the community and is available for pupils of all ages and staff to talk to.

 At the Preparatory School, all children attend assembly and Chapel every week and Y8 are encouraged to become Chapel Leaders.

Safeguarding webinars

Building a Culture of Respect – 30/11/2021

Directions
Upcoming Open Days

Attend an upcoming Open Day in April!

Virtual Open Day for Senior and International on 20th April 2024

In-person whole school Open Day on April 27th 2024

Book your place here