Every Child Matters
At Town Close we are committed to ensuring that all of our children thrive in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment. Our small class sizes and strong pastoral network ensures that each and every child is known and valued for their individual personalities, strengths, and interests.
Our mission is to make the most out of every moment in guiding our children to not only become great pupils but more importantly great people. Pupils thrive in a community driven by kindness, mutual respect, and a deep appreciation of diversity underpinned by the values of The Town Close Way.
Pupils benefit from the school's strong sense of belonging and purpose which enhances their confidence, motivation and social awareness. ISI Report 2025
The Town Close Way
The Town Close Way is a set of values that underpins school life and our community, giving a formal framework to the spirit that makes Town Close such a special place.
From Nursery up, our children are aware of the importance of the values of The Town Close Way through their interactions with teachers during learning, across events, Bird Family meetings, form time, tutor groups, house meetings, and through the example set by our community.
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House System: Pre Prep Bird Families
From Reception, the children in Pre Prep are allocated a Bird Family.
The four Bird Families are:
- Avocets (Red)
- Barn Owls (Yellow)
- Kingfishers (Blue)
- Peregrines (Green)
The Bird Families meet regularly throughout each term and have a planned programme for personal, social and emotional development activities. The children are rewarded with bird tokens for kind acts, consideration for others, good manners and for following the Town Close Way. In Year 2, each half term, two ‘Top Birds’ are chosen from each Family to act as a pupil ‘go to’ in the playground. They wear a ‘high vis’ jacket during outside play and proactively look to help and support the younger children, fostering a sense of community, responsibility and kindness. The Top Birds are, also, responsible for counting the weekly bird tokens prior to their Celebration Assembly on Fridays when the token totals are revealed and celebrated.
House System: Prep
A House system across Prep provides a fantastic framework for academic, cultural, artistic, and sporting competition within the Prep Department whilst fostering camaraderie and friendships across the ages. Pupils earn House points for exemplary academic effort and success; positive interpersonal interactions and behaviour; and for following The Town Close Way.
Named after the Norfolk Broads, our Houses in Prep are:
- Barton (Blue)
- Filby (Green)
- Ranworth (Red)
- Upton (Yellow)
The House system helps our children build relationships beyond their own year group, creating a sense of community and belonging across the whole school. Older pupils are given responsibility and leadership roles to support and mentor the younger pupils, while younger pupils look up to their older role models and are naturally more emboldened to seek support and guidance from them, strengthening peer support networks overall.
Pastoral Leads & Tutors
From Nursery through to Year 4, each child’s class teacher serves as their primary point of contact and pastoral lead, ensuring consistent support and a strong, nurturing relationship during these early years.
From Year 5 onwards, pupils are allocated a dedicated tutor who becomes their main pastoral lead. While children will have a class teacher, their tutor is the key adult contact through to the end of their time at Town Close. This structure allows tutors to develop a deep understanding of each child, building strong relationships and providing tailored support.
Tutors maintain a holistic overview of their tutees’ academic progress, as well as their interests, hobbies, and personal development. This ensures that every child is known, valued, and supported as an individual throughout their journey at the school.
School Dog
Bailey the school dog plays a gentle but powerful role in supporting children's pastoral care and wellbeing. His calm presence helps create a welcoming and reassuring environment, especially for pupils who may feel anxious, overwhelmed, or in need of emotional support. Spending time with Bailey can reduce stress, encourage positive social interaction, and provide a sense of comfort that is sometimes hard to express in words. He, also, helps build confidence in children who may struggle with communication, as talking or reading to a dog can feel less intimidating than speaking in front of others.
Bailey is a valued contributor to the nurturing school atmosphere where students feel safe, supported, and better able to engage with their learning.
School Counsellor & School Nurse
A trained children’s counsellor is available to work gently with some of our children, supporting their emotional well-being and helping them to thrive. We always involve parents and seek their consent before any support begins. Counselling sessions are handled with care and sensitivity, maintaining confidentiality while also respecting each child’s right to privacy.
We also have a dedicated School Nurse who coordinates routine health checks for the children and provides an additional layer of pastoral care, offering support whenever it is needed, whether for physical health or emotional well-being.
Safeguarding
Our pupils' safety and wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at Town Close. Fore more information about Safeguarding, please visit our Safeguarding Page.
Safeguarding at Town Close School