National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2025

The Netherhall School, part of Anglian Learning, is celebrating an extraordinary achievement after being shortlisted in six of the eight categories at the prestigious National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2025, with eight finalists — a record number for any single school.

These awards, run by the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE), recognise the people and initiatives that go above and beyond to support young people in their learning, wellbeing, and personal development.

Celebrating Our Finalists

We are immensely proud that our staff and projects have been recognised across such a wide range of categories:

Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year

Sue White – Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

Pastoral Leader of the Year

Chris Woods – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

Pastoral Development of the Year

ReBooT Behavioural Support Unit – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care

Rachel Davenport – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

Laura Stow – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

Sue White – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

Raising Awareness About Pastoral Care

Chris Tooley – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

International Contribution to Pastoral Care

Jemma Kirby – The Netherhall School and Oakes College, Cambridge

This breadth of recognition highlights not only the commitment of individual staff members but also the strength of our whole-school culture of care and support.

Chris Tooley, Principal of The Netherhall School and Oakes College, said: “To be recognised in six categories is a tremendous honour for our school community. It is a testament to the passion, creativity and commitment of all of our staff, who every day put the care of young people at the heart of what they do.

Whilst every school has a pastoral focus, ours is specifically designed around a deep analysis of the needs of our student community.  We train our staff to interpret student behaviour with discrimination, recognising that it is often a communication of unmet need that needs support, rather than punishment, to bring about growth.   Our ReBooT facilities are a great example where students are supported to reflect deeply when things go wrong, considering the impact on others and restoring relationships with peers and staff.

We are thrilled to be part of these awards and look forward to celebrating in October