Pastoral Care and Child Protection

As a school committed to offering excellence in pastoral care to all our pupils, we offer additional support for those children in need. Primary aged children are in the early stages of their personal, emotional, social and educational development. As such, they deserve the highest standards of pastoral care and support to assist them to develop their full potential.

Every member of staff is committed to looking after the pastoral needs of the children in Portstewart Primary School and Nursery Unit. We recognise that children cannot work to their full potential if they have anxieties or worries and we welcome information from parents and the children when problems at home or school may be causing distress or anxiety.

We promote a child-centred ethos where children are listened to by adults and taken seriously. We recognise that everyone in our school community has a part to play in safeguarding the children in our care. We ensure that all members of staff, teaching and non teaching, and all adults who have contact with the children in our school, have been subject to appropriate vetting procedures and have been provided with Child Protection training.

We also want to keep parents informed about Child Protection. We encourage all parents to make a point of accessing the information displayed on our Child Protection notice board which is prominently displayed in the main school foyer and in the Queenora foyer.

Should you have any concerns about the welfare of a child please be aware that advice may be sought from the following members of the teaching staff.

  • Miss L Gilmore who is the Designated Teacher for Child Protection in our school.
  • Mrs K Taylor who is the Deputy Designated Teacher for Child Protection.