Pastoral Support Team

Welcome to the Pastoral Support section of the school website, which we hope will be useful for all members of the school community. Within this section, you will find more information about the Pastoral team, the services provided in school and additional support services that you can access. Please click on the relevant tab for further information. 

Who are the Pastoral Support Team and what do they do?

The Pastoral Support Team is currently made up of four members of staff- Mrs Dixon, Stella, Emily and Claire. There are staff available every day during school hours and the team mainly work on a part-time basis.  

The Pastoral Team are based in the Pastoral Unit, which is made up of an office, a small intervention room and larger room for group work and parent sessions. The space has been designed to provide children and their families with a safe and comfortable place to talk about any worries or issues that they may be facing.

The Pastoral team work closely with all members of school staff, liaising regularly with class teachers and teaching assistants to provide support as needed.

Mrs Dixon – Pastoral Lead

Hi, my name is Mrs Dixon and I have been working at Coalway Junior School for around seventeen years. I am a qualified teacher, having taught in all year groups across Key Stage 2 and I am the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). I am also the Interim Deputy Head. I joined the Pastoral Team as Pastoral Lead about 3 years ago and I oversee the day-to-day running of the Pastoral Team. This includes completing work around attendance, timetabling support for our children and making referrals to other agencies for their help. Over my time in teaching, I have been Computing Lead and so have a keen interest in Online Safety and work closely with our Computing lead. I have trained with Active Gloucestershire to become a wellbeing ambassador and am in the process of training to be a play therapist. I feel very lucky to be part of this fantastic team!

Stella Kandinsky – Pupil Counsellor

Hi, I am Stella. I have worked at Coalway Junior School for the past twelve years. Prior to this, I worked in a number of primary schools and was based at Lydney C of E as a student counsellor. 
I have spent all my working life working with children ranging from birth to eleven years of age. 
I have worked in a Mother and Baby home, a day Nursery, A Nursery School for twelve years, which I loved. I have worked in Infant and Junior schools and have been a volunteer for Young carers. I have always been passionate about providing a nurturing role for all children and providing a safe non-judgmental space for listening to children. I have learnt over the years that even a seemingly small concern to an adult may be very worrying to a child. I am a trained counsellor and hold an advanced Diploma in Therapeutic counselling. I have also completed relevant training from Winston’s Wish to enable me to support children and families through bereavement. I am lucky enough to work in a great Pastoral team who are all passionate about supporting the children and families that come to Coalway Juniors. I am always available to talk to should you or your child need some support or signposting to other agencies. 

Emily James - Pastoral Support

Claire Chandler-Brown - Assistant SENCo and Pastoral Support
 

How can the team be contacted?

The Pastoral team can be contacted as follows:

• By dropping into school and asking to speak to someone
• By calling the main school phone number (01594 810271) and choosing option 2. There is an answerphone facility if the team are busy. 
• By emailing Pastoral@coalwayjunior.co.uk
• By speaking to a member of staff in your child's class