You will have the opportunity to discuss lots of the issues that may affect you or your friends during PSHE, which is part of the curriculum, and provides help, guidance and opportunities for you to develop academically, socially and individually. If any of the things discussed in the sessions affect you remember that you can always discuss it with your tutor or Head of Year.

If there is something that you don’t think you can talk about easily, you can always use the enquiries form found on this page in the Pupils Portals section. Make sure you clearly mark who it is from but you don’t have to include any details.

The links below are for agencies and organisations that can offer you help outside of school:

• Child Exploitation & online protection centre

• Gov.uk Education Website

• Childline

• Younglivin

• kidscape

• Bullying

• Domestic Abuse

Our excellent pastoral care system will make sure that students' time with us is a happy one. Tutor groups develop relationships over five years enabling productive and caring bonds to develop. Our Heads of Year offer another layer of friendly support, as do all of our teachers. Our prefect system encourages older boys to take an active role in helping younger ones; we believe that everyone has a role to play in the development of others.

Our boys' opinions are valued and at Coombe we give them plenty of opportunities for their voices to be heard. As well as various elected tutor group roles we have a highly active student council which encourages boys from different year groups to give their opinions about a whole range of subjects. These opinions help us shape policy; giving boys a stake in the decision-making process includes them in the positive development of their school.

Teamwork and leadership are essential skills for students to learn. Our structured programme introduces our pupils to these new skills and roles. In the lower years we offer a variety of elected roles within the tutor and House groups. Our peer mentoring scheme and prefects system encourages boys to enjoy new levels of responsibility. From public speaking to sport, many of our extra-curricular activities help our boys develop both as individuals and as part of a team.

Each boy is a member of a house within the school and this allegiance is central to the Coombe experience. This dimension brings a special sense of ‘family’ that is such a positive characteristic of our school. It also adds thriving competition and team-working, enabling boys to develop leadership skills and to learn from their older, aspirational peers as they strive together for the good of the house.

At Coombe we really value the importance of extra-curricular activities and providing opportunities beyond the standard Curiculum. Thats why at Coombe, as well as having the chance to involve himself in a variety of sporting, creative and academic pursuits beyond the classroom your son will be involved in the 'My Journey' and 'My World' projects throughout Key Stage 3. Be sure to check our Extra-Curricular Activities page from our menu bar.

ILLNESS AND ACCIDENTS

If pupils feel unwell or have an accident they must tell their teacher straight away. Normally they will be sent to the school reception where a trained First Aider will take care of them.

If pupils are too ill to remain at school or if hospital treatment is necessary then parents will be contacted to make suitable arrangements.

Under no circumstances should pupils leave the school or go home without permission from a senior member of staff.