Notre Dame High School, Norwich

The pastoral team at this school offer no support and care more about grades than their students mental health.

my experience has always been ok but there is a lot of things to do with my teachers that have bothered me. some are lazy some make sexual comments towards women in some subjects that many don't agree with but still occur etc I've been feeling frustrated more and more as I mature as I notice no action is taken towards the teachers even with student help

Very bad. Wouldn’t do again. I had no support✌?. We hate that??

I went ther and head teacher banned everything

Notre dame fully prepared me for further education if not over prepared me due to their high standards of work ethic. Their study tools are all very up to date and resourceful and the school itself is a safe and relatively bully free environment in comparison to other schools in the area. However, the pastoral team are expected to handle attendance, uniform standards and all behavior concerns meaning that often these are all put before the well being of the students. I believe that this team could be a solid and vital tool for children struggling with family issues, mental illness and all the struggles that teenage students go through if only it weren’t for children being lectured about their attendance or uniform in the midst of emotional distress. After the MAP counseling service left the school, students struggling were expected to go to the pastoral team for any emotional issues but found it was a space in which support was conditional according to your appearance (things as little as socks with trademarks, eyeliner, trousers legs that didn’t cover ankles, rolled blazer sleeves). Notre dame needs a safe space in which the high standards which the school set aren’t enforced so unconditionally, whether this be introducing new staff that only specialize in wellbeing or reconsidering the responsibilities and priorities of the pastoral team. Either way change needs to be made in the way children are emotionally supported.