Pastoral Care & Wellbeing
At London Maths & Science College (LMSC), we recognise that students learn best when they feel safe, supported and known. Our pastoral system is designed to promote emotional, social and mental wellbeing alongside academic progress, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 and DfE guidance on mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges.
We support learners studying on campus in London, fully online and in hybrid programmes.
Our Pastoral Approach
A whole-college approach to wellbeing
Pastoral care at LMSC is not a single person or department – it is a whole-college culture. We aim to:
Build calm, respectful routines in lessons and around college
Notice early when a student is struggling with workload, attendance or health
Provide clear points of contact for support and escalation
Work in partnership with families and external services where appropriate
Key Pastoral Contacts
Who looks after student wellbeing?
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) & Pastoral Lead
The DSL oversees safeguarding, pastoral care and wellbeing across the college, including online safety and mental health signposting.
Each student is allocated a tutor or academic mentor who:
- Is a first point of contact for everyday concerns
- Monitors attendance, effort and general wellbeing
- Holds check-ins around key assessment points (e.g. mocks, exams)
- Liaises with subject teachers, SEND and families where needed
What Pastoral Support Looks Like Day to Day
Everyday support for students
Pastoral care is woven into daily life at LMSC. This includes:
Induction and transition support for new starters, including international students
Regular group or 1:1 tutor sessions to review progress and workload
Staff trained to notice signs of emerging mental health or safeguarding concerns and to follow our referral routes in line with KCSIE 2025.
Clear expectations around behaviour, conduct and respectful communication, supported by DfE behaviour guidance.
For online and hybrid learners, we adapt this model using:
- Scheduled online check-ins and virtual drop-ins
- Individual follow-up where attendance or engagement patterns change
- Clear communication channels (college email, learning platform, agreed messaging tools)
Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing
Supporting mental health
We know that exam pressure, transition to sixth form, family circumstances or health issues can affect mental health. Our role is not to diagnose or replace specialist services, but to:
Safe to talk
Act early
Work with others
In line with DfE guidance on mental health and behaviour, we:
- Train staff to recognise possible signs of distress or mental health difficulty
- Make reasonable academic and organisational adjustments where this supports attendance and engagement
- Signpost to NHS and voluntary sector services (e.g. GP, CAMHS, local wellbeing hubs, helplines)
Online Safety & Digital Wellbeing
Online safety and digital balance
Because many LMSC learners study partly or wholly online, digital wellbeing is a key part of our pastoral work.
Teach online safety and digital citizenship explicitly (privacy, consent, respectful communication, managing screen time, dealing with harmful content)
Follow KCSIE 2025 expectations around online safeguarding and harmful online influences
Provide clear guidance on cameras, chat, and appropriate behaviour in online lessons
Encourage healthy routines around devices, sleep and social media use, drawing on wider government guidance about mental health and behaviour in schools
Attendance, Behaviour and Support
Getting the balance right – expectations and support
We set high expectations for attendance, punctuality and behaviour, because these are closely linked to learning and future outcomes. At the same time, we understand that health, SEND or family issues can affect attendance or conduct.
In line with DfE behaviour and attendance guidance, our pastoral system:
Monitors patterns in attendance and behaviour
Seeks to understand the reasons behind changes, including possible mental health factors
Works with families to put in place realistic support plans
Uses interventions (e.g. study skills coaching, timetable adjustments, counselling signposting) where appropriate
Working with Families
Partnership with parents and carers
Effective pastoral care depends on honest, two-way communication.
Provide regular updates on progress and attendance (e.g. reports, calls, online dashboards)
Invite parents/carers to review meetings around key points such as mocks, exams or transitions
Encourage early contact if families notice worrying changes at home
Explain when we need to involve external agencies (e.g. local authority children’s services, CAMHS, safeguarding partners) and why
Links to Safeguarding and SEND
When pastoral concerns become safeguarding or SEND issues
Some pastoral concerns are part of everyday support; others indicate that a student may need:
Safeguarding intervention
For example, abuse, exploitation, serious self-harm concerns, radicalisation.
SEND assessment or additional support
Where a learning difficulty, health condition or disability is affecting progress.
In those cases we:
- Follow our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and KCSIE 2025 for referrals and multi-agency working
- Follow the SEND Code of Practice for assess–plan–do–review and reasonable adjustments
Students and families will be told clearly which route we are using and what to expect.
If You’re Worried or Need Help
How to get support
Students
If you are a student at LMSC and you’re worried about anything – work, friendships, family, health or safety – you can:
- Speak to your tutor or any trusted member of staff
- Email or ask to see the Designated Safeguarding Lead: info@lmsc.ac.uk
- Use any reporting features on our online platforms (where available)
- Contact Childline (0800 1111) if you want confidential support from outside college
Parents and carers
If you have concerns about your child’s wellbeing:
- Contact their tutor or the DSL in the first instance
- For urgent safety concerns, follow the steps on our Safeguarding page (e.g. calling 999 or the local authority if a child is at immediate risk)
Policies & Further Information
This page summarises our approach. For full details, see:
Key documents
Download links for the most relevant policies.
Developer note
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