Yesterday was ‘Move up day’ for the Junior Prep. This is a big day in the school calendar where the children meet their new tutor and get a brief insight to what the following year will look like. In the senior prep the children will have already met their tutor and most likely been taught by them, however, next year they will develop a whole new relationship with them.
So what does a form tutor do? It’s nearly impossible to create a contained definition of what it is that a tutor does. The role will vary from person to person and from class to class, however, a form tutor’s role is central in both caring for pupils and, crucially, monitoring their progress both academically and socially; encouraging involvement, commitment, and high standards of work and behaviour. The form tutor is active in looking after the interests of the ‘whole child’.
In summary a tutor needs to be an inspirer and morale-booster, listener, counsellor, communicator, problem solver, administrator, nurturer, enabler, monitor of academic progress, monitor of social development, manager of behaviour, praise giver, motivator, team builder and confidant. We expect our tutors to be the ‘champion’ of the child.
A tutor doesn’t have to teach a child, but they will get to know them very well and they should be the first point of contact for both children and parents for pastoral issues. Please remember they don’t just take the register in the morning!
Ian Stazicker – Deputy Head Pastoral
