Nominate your school for Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Awards
Date published:
There’s still time to nominate your school for the Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Awards.
The Awards recognise school communities that have demonstrated exceptional co-operative effort in supporting the pastoral care of pupils and their families. There will be one award each for the primary and post-primary sectors and in a new development for 2015, an award for the pre-school sector.
The closing date is Friday 13 November 2015 and communities are being urged to nominate now.
Encouraging communities to put forward their school for an Award, Education Minister, John O’Dowd said: “I believe there are many schools that go the extra mile everyday for their pupils. Young people face many challenges and the support that schools provide can prove essential in helping them deal with the difficulties and hardships of life.
“Exceptional pastoral care is not about the everyday support offered by schools. It is about a level of care and support that is over and above what is expected and it is important that we acknowledge and celebrate such work. The 25 nominations received last year show the value that communities place on our schools and I would like to see even more entries this year.”
Schools cannot self-nominate but parents or others in the wider school community can nominate a school that has provided exceptional pastoral care.
Supporting the Awards, Dr Eddie Rooney Chief Executive of the Public Health Agency said: “The Public Health Agency is delighted to be involved with the Derrytrasna Award. Good pastoral care is integral to supporting pupils in terms of their personal and social development, including mental and emotional wellbeing, educational attainment and future life outcomes. I hope that this award will encourage schools to build on the work they currently do to promote positive mental health within the school and across the wider community.”
Applications should be made by no later than 13 November 2015 using the form available on the DE website.
Notes to editors:
1. The Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Award is named after St Mary’s Primary School in Derrytrasna, the school whose exceptional pastoral care inspired the award. Plans for the award were first announced in June 2013 when Minister O’Dowd visited the school.
2. Castlewellan Primary School, St Paul’s Junior High in Lurgan and Malone Integrated College were the 2014 winners of the award, at an event 20th April 2015, held in the Senate Chamber, Stormont Buildings.
3. Whilst there was no pre-school category in 2015, the nomination for Stanhope Nursery School made a strong case and the selection panel felt the school should be awarded a certificate to acknowledge the quality of pastoral care. A Pre-school category is now part of the 2016 Award.
4. The Department of Education’s ‘Education Works’ campaign promotes the value of education. This year’s campaign aims to ensure that parents have information on schooling and that they are aware of the steps they can take to ‘Get Involved’ and support their teenager in achieving good outcomes at school. Watch out for the ads on television, radio and outdoor locations. The campaign highlights the vital role families can play in helping children do well at school and improve their life chances. Visit nidirect for more information or watch the TV ad on the Department’s YouTube channel.
5. See photos from the Department of Education in our collection on flickr.
6. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office Tel: 028 9127 9207. Out of office hours, contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 99 715 440, and your call will be returned.