A strong culture of care
There are many demands and stresses on young people as they navigate their way on the, not always smooth, journey from pre-teen to young adult, and we are here to guide, advise, encourage and support them.
We passionately believe that pastoral support is every bit the equal of academic provision, and is integral to the warm relationships and close-knit community that thrive here here at North Bridge House Canonbury Senior School.
We believe that happy children learn best which is why we are committed to creating a fully supportive learning environment, which builds a sense of connectedness, focus and purpose for each and every individual.
We work in conjunction with parents and guardians to build strong links between home and school, and this starts at the very beginning of your journey with us.
"Absolutely great school, both academically and in terms of pastoral care. It is a very happy school.
- NBH Canonbury Senior Parent
PUPIL WELLBEING IS AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO
We provide a smooth transition.
We know that a stress-free education is a vital component in getting the best out of children, so we have put in place a few simple measures to help with this.
It starts straightaway as our admissions assessment is not a test of attainment - we do not set a pass mark! - but a gauge of your child's potential, to ensure that they will be able to access our curriculum and will be happy in our school environment. We also remove the challenge of entrance exams for pupils moving from one NBH school to the next i.e. those transitioning from Regent's Park Prep to Canonbury Senior. Our goal is to ease unnecessary pressures from every pupil’s academic journey.
Starting senior school in itself can often be a little daunting, which is why we break the ice, initiate friendships and ease our Year 7 students’ transition with an exciting outdoor adventure trip – aimed specifically at team building and confidence boosting – within their very first term.
We understand teens.
We work with rather than against the needs of students, taking an active approach to understanding the journey from teenager to young adult, and how to best support our students with their personal development.
Using evidence-based research, we have implemented a later start time on Wednesdays, to reflect the current findings regarding the teenage brain and, in particular, teenage sleeping patterns.
We have also worked with mental health envoy and founder of ThinkWell, Jonny Benjamin; UCL Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore; and Dr Paul Kelley, Clinical Research Associate in the University of Oxford’s Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, to best support the wellbeing of our Sixth Form students, removing all barriers to teaching and learning and ensuring maximum success.
As a Cognita School, staff, students and parents alike have access to a wide range of wellbeing resources through the Be Well Charter, and events such as Global Be Well Day recognise our daily efforts to support students in every aspect of their growth and development, whilst empowering them to build their own mental health toolkit.
We develop skills to deal with adversity.
Academic success is inextricably linked with physical and mental wellbeing, so every educational opportunity is one to instil the skills which aid our students’ wellbeing.
Through our broad, structured, and carefully designed PSHE programme, we aim to teach students about the facts concerning their growth and development as individuals. We introduce concepts such as respect, liberty and equality to enable them to develop informed opinions and attitudes for themselves about a range of personal, social and moral issues. Our programme of assemblies, guest speakers, awareness events, careers fairs and charity initiatives, give further scope to explore the views of others.
We ensure pastoral needs are met.
We take great pride in the fact that, for parents, what often sets us apart as a school is our unwavering dedication to pastoral care.
From the day a child begins life at NBH Canonbury until the day they leave, every effort is made to make them feel welcome and supported.
The strong bond of trust that is established between pupils and Form Tutors enables free communication in an environment where pupils feel seen, heard, and where they know they are taken seriously. The Form Tutor takes ownership of the pupils within their care, encouraging them to flourish by embracing every opportunity to learn and participate in the numerous co-curricular, sports, music, and art activities provided by the school.
Specialist support is also available from Heads of Year, our on-site School Counsellor, and the SENCo (Specialist Educational Needs Co-ordinator).