At Danesgate Community we are dedicated to the development of each young person, focusing on areas such as independence, self-esteem, resilience, making safe choices and communication. This support allows each child, whatever their needs, the opportunity to engage and enjoy their education.
The Pastoral Care Team ensures that all pupils’ well-being is constantly reviewed and developed, and that strong links are made between school and home.
Kim Mower – Pastoral Care Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead
I’m Kim Mower, the Pastoral Care Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead at Danesgate Community, supporting safeguarding, behaviour management and inclusion across the school. I am passionate about supporting our young people and their families and want all our pupils to achieve their full potential.
As Pastoral Care Manager I try to ensure that all pupils’ well-being is constantly reviewed and developed, and that strong links are made between school and home.
As Danesgate’ s Designated Safeguarding Lead, I will be your first port of call for any safeguarding concerns and may also be in touch with you regarding any safeguarding issues.
Steve Burdett – Pastoral Care Assistant/Behaviour
I am Steve Burdett, I have worked at Danesgate for fifteen years, I have been very fortunate to work with many great members of staff, in different roles around the school. Three years ago, I moved over to the Pastoral team to help support and manage behaviour within school. One of my roles is to deliver the Team Teach Training, not only to our own staff but across the city of York. Joining the Pastoral team was a wonderful opportunity for me to continue my personal development, utilising personal skills in areas within the provision to support both pupils and staff.
The Pastoral team has been very fulfilling for me, every day provides new challenges and an opportunity to learn, Kim, Pastoral Lead, has an organised, empathetic and caring team that provides the support for everyone attending and working on site, inclusive of pupils and colleagues. Ultimately the team upholds the values of the school ensuring practice is child focused and everyone’s well-being and safety is at the forefront of our daily routine. I believe the Pastoral team is vital for the success of Danesgate, the management of behaviour and safeguarding of all are just two of the many roles the team conduct on a daily basis and it is a pleasure to be part of.
James Walker – Pastoral Support Advisor and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
I’m James Walker, and I work within the pastoral team at Danesgate as the Pastoral Support Advisor and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, supporting pupils on a day-to-day basis.
I liaise closely with pupils, families and staff to ensure our young people are supported and have a sense of belonging to the Danesgate community. I am passionate about student wellbeing and strive for the best outcomes for our young people and their families to achieve academically, emotionally and socially.
Clare Eland – Pastoral Attendance Officer
I’m Clare Eland, the Pastoral Attendance Officer at Danesgate Community School. In my role, I support pupils and families to remove barriers to attendance and wellbeing, working in partnership to promote positive engagement, consistency and improved outcomes for all our pupils. Enabling every child to feel safe, valued and have the opportunity to thrive.
To contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):
Team Teach is an accredited, award-winning provider of training in positive behavioural management strategies. The Team Teach approach and philosophy has been developed by practitioners with over 25 years’ experience in delivering respectful, accessible and practical behaviour management solutions. They are the only company of its kind to have received a National Training Award, the highest level of award in the UK. Focused on teamwork and communication, the courses foster more supportive working practices, helping people recognise the needs of the children and adults they work with, offer help where necessary, and be able to make use of support when offered.
At Danesgate we have strived to increase staffing knowledge and supply them with the skill sets to support behaviour management within the school. De-escalation strategies and communication tool kits enable our staff to support individuals that may provide challenging behaviours. We currently have over 95% of the teaching staff certificated at a Level 2 qualification in behavioural management. The strategy of de-escalation that is a core value of Team Teach supports the ethos here at Danesgate, which is cascaded through the whole staff team within the school.
The engaging Level Two course in positive behaviour management is specialised in supporting children, young people and vulnerable individuals with documented special needs or challenging behaviours, and who may pose a risk to themselves or others in medium-risk Education and Health and Social Care settings. It provides an understanding of the causes of challenging behaviour, along with respectful, supportive and practical strategies for de-escalation and crisis intervention.
The following image summarises our Values, which underpin our approach to Team Teach:
Danesgate Community has a very close relationship with the charity York Young Carers, together we aim to provide support for the well-being of individuals that have care responsibilities within the home setting. We work closely with the charity and the staff at York Carers Centre who aim to identify the impact that caring may have on the emotional and physical health, education and life chances of young carers, and provide appropriate, individual and group support.
We support children and young people from the age of 5 to 16 years. Each young person’s situation is different and unique, so we complete an initial assessment which helps us to provide support tailored to individual and family needs.
York Young Carers will provide you with a Parent/Guardian Handbook when any young carer is registered with their service. This provides comprehensive information about what the service offers and their policies.
We employ dedicated staff to provide support to children and young people, who will maintain regular contact with you as the parent or guardian. You can contact us with any questions during working hours on 01904 5555555.
At York Young Carers they have a team of volunteers who support regular events, trips and activities. All staff and volunteers have regular supervision and have been interviewed, DBS checked, and are fully trained in safeguarding and child protection.
Danesgate Community and York Carers Centre is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all children and young people. We believe that the young carers service should provide positive experiences, where young people can mix in a safe and happy environment in and outside of school. To know more about our full safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection policies please get in touch with our Young Carers Champion Steve Burdett.
