Winchmore School

At Winchmore we operate a successful Vertical Tutorial system. Each vertical tutor group consists of twenty four students from Year 7 to Year 11. This means that there are four or five students from each year group in each tutor group. Students belong to one of our six Learning communities named after National and International awards (Turner, Stirling, Mercury, Olivier, Nobel and Olympic). Each Learning Community has a Head of Learning. Members of one family are placed in the same community (although not in the same tutor group). The Heads of Learning, Assistant Heads of Learning and tutors are responsible for the welfare and progress of the students in their care. A member of the Behaviour Team is part of a Learning Community. This arrangement ensures that all students are personally known and supported by a team of staff. There is a 25 minute Vertical Tutoring session three days a week with a programme of structured activities. We believe firmly that the Vertical Tutorial system helps to develop a greater sense of community and belonging and it provides opportunities for peer mentoring and for students to learn from each other. The tutor acts as the first point of contact between home and school. The form tutors work closely with the Head of Learning and the Learning Community team. This team monitors students' progress, attendance, behaviour and general welfare.