Miss Rachel Hart

FROM ROEDEAN SCHOOL, SUSSEX

In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Miss Rachel Hart, Deputy Head Pastoral and DSL at Roedean School, Sussex. Rachel spoke to us about the importance of pastoral care in boarding and ensuring each pupil is seen, known and heard to support them to thrive.

Rachel began her career as a PE teacher at Caterham School, where she worked for ten years. “When I was looking for my next steps, I always knew it was going to be in pastoral care.” Rachel told us: “Pretty early on in my career, I felt that’s where I could make the biggest difference.”

Having been educated at an all-girls’ school herself, Rachel jumped at the chance to join Roedean in a pastoral role and return to girls’ education: “I loved school and I saw the benefits of going to an all-girls’ school and what that brought and the kind of opportunities that provided me. I really, really wanted to go back into that sector.”

At Roedean, Rachel leads the pastoral team, including boarding. Of her team and work, she told us: “They’re phenomenal and people who really have the best interests of all the students at the heart of everything they do. So, it’s an honour and privilege to lead that team.” The importance of the community and students at Roedean is also clear: “What makes the job so special is the students, I can’t express that enough. We have really, really impressive students and an amazing place to work.”

Roedean encourages pupils to embrace six core values: “Be happy, be curious, be engaged, be independent, be confident and be compassionate.” Rachel describes the aim of these as to “encourage, empower and engage” students in all aspects of life: “It’s about the highest possible academic achievements for them, but it’s also about making sure that they feel safe and secure, that they’re looking after themselves, each other and contributing to their school and wider community.”

Roedean School was founded in 1885 by sisters Penelope, Dorothy and Millicent Lawrence to give girls the same educational opportunities as boys. Roedean maintains this dedication and passion for educating girls and providing excellent opportunities and believes strongly in the power of all-girls’ education. Having previously worked in co-educational settings, Rachel described: “The thing I noticed from moving from co-ed to an allgirls’ setting is just how articulate and confident the students are. They don’t worry about getting things wrong because they can truly be themselves, they have no inhibitions.” Rachel believes that this setting allows pupils to be themselves and develop their confidence throughout their education. “They then leave school ready to face the world of work - or whatever they choose to do - because they haven’t had the normal gender stereotyping that does, unfortunately but naturally, take place in a co-ed setting.” Beyond academics, the all-girls environment also allows pupils to develop their confidence in a range of settings, Rachel described: “Teaching them how to challenge correctly, putting their opinion across correctly. Our debating teams are very, very successful because they’re confident in their own voice, as the girls go through the school all of the leadership opportunities go to the girls, all the parts in the school play go to the girls.”

As part of the school’s 125th anniversary, Roedean launched the Roedean Diploma. This includes a portfolio of academic, pastoral and co-curricular skills designed to reward pupils for dedication to all three aspects of school and personal life. Through this, girls are not only encouraged to get involved in a wide range of activities, but it also aids in: “Building independence, developing skills and confidence and [...] a strong sense of personal and moral values.” Rachel told us. These ‘soft skills’ are increasingly significant on CVs and beyond school life, so the Roedean Diploma helps support future job applications by evidencing key skills beyond academic success, such as problem solving, teamwork and showing initiative.

The pastoral care at Roedean is based on the principle of “ensuring that all students are heard, have a voice and truly matter.” Rachel emphasises the importance of this in her role and ensuring the wellbeing and happiness of the girls at Roedean: “If there’s a sense of belonging, that’s a huge protective factor in promoting positive mental health.”

Creating and supporting this culture where each girl is seen, known and heard is key to Rachel’s role. As part of this, they have many student reps and school council meetings to address key areas such as boarding and food, as well as open, town-hall style meetings where the whole school community can share their thoughts. The positive impact of this is clear to Rachel: “[Our] culture of wellbeing [is] kind of the proactive, positive pastoral care, but actually a culture of mattering really helps students to develop their identity and their resilience.” Rachel also shared a story of a recent boarding council meeting, which the students asked to run themselves, without Rachel’s supervision. This experience of independently issuing invites, an agenda and taking minutes not only allowed students to feel listened to and supported, but also helped them to develop key skills for later in life.

Boarding is a core part of life at Roedean, with dorms and boarding houses likened to boutique hotels and girls fighting for a sea view. Roedean offers a wide range of options, from locally based flexi boarders to weekly and full boarding options for the school’s global community.

For boarding pupils, the importance of being seen, known and heard is very important for both pupils and parents: “We have a section in our weekly newsletter called ‘The Heads Review’ and we ensure that every single girl across the term is represented in that.” Rachel explained how important this is for the parents of boarders, to let them know what their child is up to and that they are being supported and their successes celebrated. Rachel also makes a point to ensure each pupil knows that they are important: “It’s the big things, but also those little interactions in the corridors like, ‘I saw you in the school play last night, you were fabulous,’ just so they know that their contribution really matters.”

Pupils at Roedean are also able to choose from over 140 co-curricular activities on offer each week, including working with the Royal Veterinary College, sea swimming, abseiling from the i360 and fundraising for charity. These opportunities have a particular impact on boarders, who are presented with new opportunities and plenty of free time and support to make the most of them. Rachel told us: “It’s really special to see our boarders picking up new skills, different things that they might not have had the opportunity to do before.” Pupil-led activities are also popular, with many students leading their own clubs and events to share cultural traditions - from food to dance and music - with the school community. This is key to embracing the school’s diverse community, with over 40 nationalities represented.

Rachel hopes that Roedean will continue to embrace their heritage, whilst also remaining with the times to prepare pupils to thrive beyond their time at the school: “There’s an incredible history of really, really successful women that have come out of Roedean and I think it’s our responsibility to continue that [while] making sure that the provision is appropriate and relevant for what’s needed today, especially as a woman.” Throughout this, retaining the strong pastoral support and ensuring each pupil is supported will remain key, Rachel stated: “When teenagers are seen, known and heard, that’s a great foundation for them then to build on their academics and their co-curricular skills.” www.roedean.co.uk

We would like to thank Miss Rachel Hart, Deputy Head Pastoral and DSL at Roedean School, for giving up her time to speak to us.

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