Pastoral System

At Denefield we have a house-based guidance system which provides students with strong sense of belonging, within a safe and supportive environment, not only when they first join Denefield, but also throughout their time in the school.

The house system allows us to provide enjoyment, a sense of competition and a team ethos through regular curriculum and extra-curricular based house activities and challenges where students work collaboratively to earn valuable house points and raise funds for their respective house charities. Above all, however, the house system fosters a sense of family and community.

There are four houses: Kentwood, Langley, Norcot and Sulham. Each house is led by a Head of House, Deputy Head of House and non-teaching Welfare Manager. They consist of ten vertical tutor groups, with students from Years 7 to 11. 

Students receive daily care, guidance and support in their tutor group. This helps to break down social and cultural barriers within school, creates a supportive family atmosphere in the tutor room, and allows learning conversations to take place, both between tutor and student and student to student.

Trophies are awarded on an annual basis to the house with the most house points, the house with the best attendance and the house raising the most for their house charities. House celebration assemblies take place on a termly basis to recognise and reward students’ achievements and successes.

The Guidance Team supports all students as they mature, learn and explore during their secondary years. As they strive to make sense of their world, our ambition is for every young person to leave our care with the tools they need to be successful in life through robust safeguarding, provision of guidance and support, championing excellence in attendance, conduct and academic achievement, recognising and celebrating success in all its forms, and ensuring each young person has fair access to a quality education regardless of individual needs and circumstances.

Our priorities are to:

• safeguard students
• promote academic excellence
• support students who cannot yet manage on their own
• guide students as they learn to make sense of their world
• raise attendance
• reduce exclusions.