Norwich High Prep School Recognised for Excellence in Pastoral Care

Posted on 6th March 2026

Norwich High Prep School is delighted to be recognised for our pastoral care provision by The Week Independent Schools Guide.

We are delighted to share that Norwich High Prep School has been recognised in the Great for Pastoral Care category in the Spring/Summer 2026 edition of the The Week Independent Schools Guide Best of the Best Prep Schools, placing us among the leading prep schools nationally for pastoral provision.

This recognition celebrates the heart of life at Norwich High School for Girls: our commitment to exceptional pastoral care, rooted in a deep understanding of how girls grow, develop confidence, and thrive as individuals.

The Compass Approach

Pastoral care is the heartbeat of our school, built upon research-informed understanding of how girls grow. This commitment is codified in our unique Compass Approach, a bespoke programme focused on four guiding strands: Building Community, Nurturing Confidence, Embracing Challenge and Inspiring Change.

Together, these strands provide a framework that ensures every girl feels known, supported and empowered to be herself.

A central pillar of this approach is our proactive focus on wellbeing, and we know this is important to our community – 42% of our newest families cite our pastoral commitment and focus on wellbeing as their primary decision-making factor.

Base Camp: A Hub for Wellbeing

Launched last year, Base Camp in Stafford House has become a dedicated home for pastoral support. This welcoming space, complete with a unique glass cube for 1:1 parent meetings, offers a private and calm environment for pupils to seek guidance.

The space remains central to our wellbeing curriculum:

  • The Mental Health Backpack: Girls use Base Camp to explore emotional literacy, resilience and practical strategies to navigate life’s challenges.
  • Tea and Talk: Pupils have recently been reintroduced to the room during PSHE lessons with our new Deputy Head, Mrs Tea, and are already using the space for ‘Tea and Talk’ check-ins.

A Whole Community Approach

We believe pastoral excellence involves the whole family. To support this, we have two key initiatives to strengthen our partnership with parents:

  • Wednesday Morning Parent Drop-ins: Every Wednesday morning, we host parent drop-in sessions. These are vital for maintaining open communication links, allowing parents to stay connected with school life.
  • Tooled Up Education: All our families have access to the Tooled Up platform, giving parents a digital library of evidence-based resources to help navigate their daughter’s development at home.

A Culture of Kindness and Connection

Our warm, family atmosphere is strengthened by robust student leadership and vertical relationships. Older girls flourish as mentors and ‘Big Sisters’, while student-led initiatives ensure every pupil feels secure and valued. This culture of kindness allows girls to grow in confidence and truly be themselves.

Staff consistently go over and above, working in close partnership with families to ensure emotional needs are met and concerns are resolved quickly through weekly assemblies and open dialogue. 

Being recognised nationally for pastoral care is a tremendous honour, but it reflects the daily dedication, kindness and commitment shown by our staff and pupils.

“We just wanted to pass on our heartfelt thanks for the support and care she has received in her first three weeks; we couldn’t be prouder of her and it’s so heartwarming to see our little girl again. We have truly missed her character, and we are so very impressed how quickly you, and the school, have unlocked this.”

Prep School parent
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