We believe that children have to be happy before they can realise their full potential. Every visitor to Amherst instinctively feels our deeply cherished sense of kinship: it is here in the warmth of our welcome, in the ready smiles of our pupils and in the atmosphere of purposeful calm. Every member of staff cares for and cares about every pupil, every day. It is no happy accident that our supportive community is fuelled by an impressive ratio of teachers to pupils, a community spanning infancy to adulthood and a core belief that successful education is about the growth and nurturing of the whole person.
Our tutors are the first point of contact in the Senior School and remain with the same tutor group throughout their journey from Year 7 to 11 so that they get to know the pupils and their parents / carers incredibly well. Tutors help to ensure that each pupil fulfils both their academic and personal goals and supports them to ultimately leave us as confident, ambitious and compassionate members of society.
Our Sixth Form tutors are chosen particularly to support with the UCAS and further education applications for students in Years 12 and 13. Overseeing the tutors is a Head of Year 7, 8 and 9, then a Head of Year 10 and 11, and finally a Head of Sixth Form. If the tutor is unable to help or answer a query, they will always refer to their Head of Year. A member of the Senior Leadership Team would always be willing to respond to and support more serious matters.
In addition to our tutor team, all pupils are supported by a caring and experienced team of adults, including Heads of House, our first aiders, our Chaplain, our catering team who ensure that our pupils receive a balanced and nutritious diet and our School Counsellor.
Amherst has a clear set of rules and expectations, based on mutual respect and kindness, which have been designed with our pupils’ safety and well-being in mind. Sometimes pupils do make mistakes and we try to help them to learn from these experiences in a constructive manner.
The safety and well-being of our pupils is always at the heart of all we do.