Pastoral Research Forum Launches: Sharing Insights and Best Practice

September 19th 2025

On Tuesday, the newly formed Pastoral Research Forum met to discuss pastoral practice. Open to any member of staff, this new space for professional development allows participants to hear fellow pastoral practitioners share their experiences, areas of research they have been exploring, or top tips for achieving successful pastoral outcomes.

To kick off this inaugural session, a group of pastoral leaders came together to share their ideas, tips, and expertise: Will Howell-Harte, Director of Pastoral Education and Research (AEQ), spoke about Niobe Way’s book Rebels with a Cause, which focuses on the developmental psychology of human connection and the social constraints of masculinity, encouraging us not to give in to ‘thin’, reductive presentations of boyhood. Jordan Lewis, Director of Pastoral Character Education and Coaching, delivered an excellent presentation on how to have more impactful conversations with tutees and pupils for positive outcomes, sharing his eight top tips for building connection with pupils. Gavin English, Deputy Head (Pastoral), spoke on understanding the range of personal factors affecting pupils in pastoral situations and the wider pastoral picture of the school.

The next session will be on 26th November and will be a Head of House special edition, led by Karthik Sritharan (Cribb’s), George Anderson (Tyson’s), and Charlotte Philipps (Dutton’s), who will share their 20+ years of combined experience as Heads of House.

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