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As a school we believe that pastoral support underpins the whole school community. Ensuring that every child matters and is valued is a focus for our newly established year based system. It is vital to ensure that every child can access a quality education.
Through our pastoral care we support students by working tirelessly to remove any barriers to learning. The positive relationship between children, parents, friends, the community and school is fundamental in developing a well-rounded member of society. We maintain high standards through our ‘Prepared for Success’ system and our core values; actively seeking to include our students in the promotion of a calm, successful, rewarding environment.
We have a committed Pastoral Team working across the school to offer targeted support to students in each year group. Each Year Team comprises of a Head and Deputy Head of Year, 8 Form Tutors (11 tutors in Year 11) and a Behaviour and Welfare Officer. Form Tutors are key to pastoral support and are a student and parents/carers first “port of call” for any concerns.
Our Heads of Year closely monitor and track the attendance, behaviour, achievement and well-being of all students within their care.
Please click on the drop-down box below to read a message from your Head of Year.
Welcome to Year 7
Moto: “Team work makes the dream work”
Message from Mr S Cooksey
Year 7 is an important time in any child’s secondary school education. The transition from primary to secondary school can be both an exciting and daunting experience. At Dormston we often have more than 25 schools in our new year intake, where parents and carers have selected Dormston as their preferred school of choice. This in itself is a massive positive for the school and it is an honour to welcome you all.
At Dormston we don’t take the transition from primary to secondary lightly and we want pupils to enjoy their time with us in a nurturing and supportive environment, where they can maximise their potential. Attendance and behaviour expectations are always at the forefront of everything we do in Year 7. We start immediately in honing skills that pupils will need throughout their time with us. These are notably instilled through our School Core Values of Effort, Knowledge, Respect, Responsibility and Resilience.
Year 7 students will always be encouraged to dream big and to display resilience to make the right choices and become the best version of themselves. The core skills instilled, will set them up for life, by being respectful, caring, responsible citizens in the community we live in.
As students settle into school life, we will hold targeted evenings for those pupils who may need some extra support or are finding the ‘Dormston way’ a little tricky. These meetings allow us to find solutions to any concerns we might have, as well as allowing us to celebrate successes. The Year 10 Executive Student Leadership Team will also support Year 7 pupils by carrying out peer mentoring to support pupils as they settle in to secondary school life.
All parents/carers will get the opportunity to speak to their child’s subject teachers later in the year at a parents’ evenings and will receive an annual school report.
The Year 7 team consists of 8 dynamic Form Tutors, who should be your first port of call if you or your child have any concerns or queries. This team is led by myself, Mrs Garrett, our Deputy Head of Year, and Mrs Mansell our Behaviour and Welfare Officer.
Mr Cooksey
Head of Year 7
I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Head of Year 8 and I’m very much looking forward to working with such a fantastic year group. Year 8 is a pivotal time in a student’s school journey, where we begin to build the strong foundations that will support success in the years ahead. I am committed to working closely with pupils and parents to ensure every student feels supported, challenged, and proud of their progress.
My expectations for Year 8 students are straightforward but essential: getting the basics right. This means demonstrating good manners, working hard, showing resilience and embracing teamwork together as a year group. I also place high importance on uniform, punctuality, and being fully equipped and ready to learn every day. The schools core values will not only help them succeed academically but also prepare them for the diverse opportunities and challenges life will present. Our Year 8 motto is Work Hard, Dream Big, Achieve Your Goals – a message I will be reinforcing throughout the year.
The Year 8 Hub will be based in the office next to A10, where I will be joined by Mrs Lyman, Deputy Year Lead, and Miss Cooke, who continues as the Pastoral Support Officer for the year group. Students will also be supported by a wonderful Tutor Team. Together, we aim to create a positive and purposeful environment where every pupil can thrive. I look forward to getting to know students and families, and will be in touch throughout the academic year with further information and updates.
Mrs Williams
Head of Year 8
Hello Year 9 students, parents/carers, and staff,
As we embark on this exciting and pivotal stage of your journey, I want to share my vision and expectations for the year ahead.
Year 9 is a vitally important year. It is a time when students not only consolidate the foundations laid in Years 7 and 8 but also begin to shape their future pathways. With options choices ahead and preparations for GCSEs beginning, the decisions and progress made this year are crucial. Our motto for this year remains “Leaving Lasting Legacies”, and I firmly believe that every student has the potential to make a meaningful and lasting impact.
My expectations for Year 9 students are clear and essential: get the basics right. This means consistently demonstrating good manners, working hard, showing resilience, and embracing teamwork. These values will help our students thrive academically and personally as they prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
This year, accelerated progress is at the heart of everything we do. I encourage every student to push themselves, aim high, and take full advantage of the learning opportunities available. This includes engaging fully with their option subjects and beginning to think seriously about their aspirations and goals. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or through extra-curricular and house activities, every effort counts.
Year 9 is also a year for character development and growing independence. Participation in wider school life builds confidence, resilience, and the skills students will need not just for GCSEs, but for life beyond school.
Together, we will make Year 9 a memorable, purposeful, and transformative year. Let’s support one another, work with determination, and lay the foundations for success at Key Stage 4 and beyond.
Students are supported by a brilliant Tutor Team, our Deputy Year Leader, Miss Legge, and myself as Year Leader.
Mr Wilkes
Head of Year 9
We are more than a ‘Year’ we are a ‘Family”
In Year 10 we are always striving to make the next day better than the last. We expect our students to be in school every day and put maximum effort into every lesson. Any time behaviour falls short of perfect, students can expect to be chased up and procedures put in place to rectify the situation. Resilience demonstrated by excellent attendance will be rewarded as attendance is the biggest factor in academic attainment and maintaining peer relationships. We aim to encourage maximum attendance to ensure the best outcomes for our students. When attendance falls short of expectations, then support will be put in place to allow families to work with school to gain the best for their child. This is now so much more important in year 10 with GCSE studies meaning anything below 95% attendance will have a negative impact on results.
We are determined to be a successful year – aided by the fact that we care. Our motto is, ‘We are more than a ‘Year’ we are a ‘Family’, and this clearly shows how much we care about the safety, progress and happiness of our students. Students should feel proud to be part of year 10 and fostering a respectful, responsible relationship between peers and staff is our core aim to allow a successful cohort of pupils to flourish and achieve their maximum potential.
We aim to achieve excellent attendance and behaviour. This will be down to the dedication of our students and a commitment to be the best. Their successes will always be celebrated and any issues are always dealt with. Executive Student Leadership Team will provide extra support for Tutors and offer mentoring for younger students to encourage them to succeed at Dormston. Students are supported by a wonderful Tutor Team, Pastoral Manager Mrs Laker, Deputy Year Leader, Mr Richardson and Year Leader, Mrs Downie.
Mrs Downie
Head of Year 10
Working alongside the Year Teams is our SENDCO and three Designated Safeguarding Leads. Safeguarding and child protection are central to our Pastoral System as we believe only happy and safe students will truly reach their full potential.
Please see the safeguarding tab for a range of useful support and guidance for families and young people.