Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Award 2023

Overview

The Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Award was created by the Department of Education in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA) in 2014. The annual award is for school communities that have demonstrated exceptional pastoral care for the emotional health and wellbeing of pupils.

It is named after St. Mary’s Primary School in Derrytrasna whose special pastoral care inspired the award.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic the Award has been suspended for two years, as a result of this suspension the relaunched Award will cover the period September 2019-June 2022.

This site has been created to allow nominations for the 2023 Award to recognise and celebrate those who have shown exceptional Pastoral Care throughout the years covered.

What is Pastoral Care?

Pastoral care in schools is about offering support to pupil's personal needs rather than their schoolwork. It is about meeting the personal, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of every child. Your child’s school will have a pastoral care policy in place to include such issues as child protection and bullying.

Examples of normal expectations of Pastoral Care

Example 1

The school demonstrates its concern for the personal and social development of all its pupils, regardless of age or ability, as individuals and as secure, successful and fully participating members of the school and its wider community.

Example 2

In post primary schools, the school's pastoral care is also concerned with preparing pupils for the demands and challenges of adult and working life.

Example 3

The school's pastoral care arrangements protect the pupils from harm, safeguard their health and welfare and support their learning and development.

Example 4

Pupil welfare embraces all aspects of school life through the pastoral care system, child protection, pupil behaviour, health and wellbeing, physical safety and security.

Example 5

Pupils are equipped to cope with personal challenges through the curriculum on offer, the systems for monitoring of pupils' academic progress and wellbeing and the range of support available within the school to pupils experiencing difficulties.

Example 6

The pastoral care system includes the support which a school offers pupils at vulnerable times, such as mentoring or counselling provided either by school staff or external experts.

Why your views matter

The Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Award is designed to acknowledge the exceptional work of schools providing pastoral care to pupils, benefitting both the pupils individually and the wider community. Paramount importance is therefore given by the Department of Education and the Public Health Agency to the views of members of local communities and those with connections to the schools in the nomination process. Your input is greatly appreciated.

How to Nominate a School?

You can nominate your child’s school for the award if your child has benefitted from exceptional pastoral care from September 2019 to June 2022.
Those in the wider community can also nominate a school if they know of the exceptional care the school provided from September 2019 to June 2022.

Schools cannot, however, self-nominate.

When making your nomination please take note to only nominate if you feel the standards of Pastoral Care have exceeded the normal expectations.

In order to nominate please click on the Online Survey link below.

What happens next

Only information supplied on the Nomination Form will be used in assessing your application. All nominations are anonymised before assessing.

Nominations will be judged by a Panel.

Results will be published on the DE website.

Only winning nominations will be notified