"The Westgate School is a happy and vibrant community,
where pupils are encouraged to aim for excellence"
(Ofsted, September 2022)
Tutor Programme
Every tutor group has tutor time daily, these sessions include Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), Stories Worth Sharing, Assembly and Personal Development which is taught during an extended tutor time on a Wednesday. This programme is designed to engender our school ethos and promote the key pastoral development of individuals and tutor groups.
An example of our weekly experiences would be:
Drop everything and read
Monday
Topical Issues
Pupil led session
Tuesday
Personal Development
Wednesday
Stories Worth Sharing
Thursday
Year or Key Stage Assembly
Friday
Drop Everything and Read (DEAR)
This is a quiet moment at the beginning of the week for personal reading for pleasure and enjoyment, as part of our reading strategy. We have been currently inviting all of Year 7 to read `You are Awesome` by Matthew Syed. The Tutor Group then discusses the book, it's themes and how it makes them feel.
A review from a Year 7 pupil:
We read ‘You are Awesome’ in our Tutor group. The book was very engaging, with its coloured pages and interesting drawings – but it also had great morals, with the author’s intent really showing. Furthermore, it really made me and others in our tutor group take different, more positive mindsets to possibly negative scenarios. The book was written in a way so that it gave you more valuable tips whilst keeping you interested in the text. It helped with my growth mindset and encouraged me to try and learn from the experience of making mistakes.
It was interesting in the way it compared the cool kid to the average kid, and it showed how if you try and try and don’t give up on yourself you can change. It was cool to read about a famous person who didn’t give up on what they believed and what they could do.
Stories Worth Sharing
These are stories from a variety of sources from around the world, sharing of these stories broadens pupils understanding and appreciation of the world and are often closely linked to British Values and our work to achieve the silver UN Rights Respecting School status.