Pastoral Conference – ReTHINK16

28th Sep 2016

Understanding and embedding self-esteem at the heart of student care

This year’s ReTHINK Conference is aimed at helping schools to understand and develop a whole-school approach to self-esteem.  Continuing the underlying principle of the annual RGS Mental Health Conference – that schools need to be proactive in supporting the pastoral needs of their pupils - this conference aims to tackle the factor at the heart of so many of those issues: low self-esteem.

We are delighted that the government’s former youth mental health champion and founder of The Self-Esteem Team, Natasha Devon MBE, will be opening the Conference and that Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer, author of Self-Esteem for Boys and Self-Esteem for Girls, will give a keynote speech on this issue, as well as run one of our popular afternoon workshops.

Workshops include:
• The perils of perfectionism
• Supporting young people to get better at failing
• Practical strategies to help fear of failure
• Working with primary school children to build self-esteem
• School/Child/Parent – how to work together

This conference is aimed at anyone who has a responsibility for pastoral care in their schools including pastoral deputies, year heads, heads of houses and school nurses. With workshops aimed at children in both junior and senior schools and opportunities to talk with colleagues over lunch, it promises to be a thought-provoking day that will send you away with clear ideas on how to develop great practice in your school and to challenge colleagues to embed improved awareness in their classrooms.

Those of you who have attended the RGS Conferences before will see that we have a mixture of popular returning speakers as well as some new approaches, so there is something for everyone: do consider sending others from your school if you think it is appropriate.  There is a discount for multiple bookings.

Other speakers who will be participating during the day include:
• Nick Luxmoore – School Counsellor and author
• Craig Thompson - Clinical Lead for Northumbria CYP-IAPT Programmes
• Sally Evans – Counsellor and Head of Wellbeing at Newcastle University
• Alice Lee – Chartered Educational Psychologist
• Pooky Knightsmith – Director of the Children, Young People and Schools Programme for Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.

Draft Programme

9.00 Registration and coffee
9.30  Welcome from Dr Bernard Trafford Headmaster Royal Grammar School
9.45 Natasha Devon MBE– Why Self –Esteeem is important
10.45 Break
11.00 Elizabeth Harltey-Brewer – What is Self-Esteem (and what isn’t it)?
12.00 Q&A
12.15 Lunch
13.15   Workshop session 1
14.15 Workshop session 2
15.15  Closing remarks
15.30 Tea and departure

Booking and Travel Information

There is no change from last year.  The price for this one day conference including coffee, a good lunch and tea is:
• One delegate £90 per person
• Additional delegates from the same school £70 per person
• Delegates from maintained schools and academies who are partners of SCHOOLS NorthEast £70 per person

To book a place please email your details to s.ellis@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk (please note that a place cannot be guaranteed until full payment is made).  Please indicate in your email your name, position, contact details and whether you require access arrangements or specific dietary requirements. Proof of a place being allocated will be emailed back to you.

Please send a cheque made payable to Newcastle Royal Grammar School to:
Sandra Ellis
The Royal Grammar School
Eskdale Terrace
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE2 4DX

Newcastle upon Tyne is well served by the East Coast, Transpennine and Cross Country lines and our excellent Metro system will bring you to the school within 10 minutes.  Unfortunately we cannot offer any car parking on site although there is metered parking nearby.~

Should you need to travel to Newcastle the night before, there are a number of hotels in the immediate vicinity most of which offer good bed and breakfast deals.  In previous years The Holiday Inn, Jesmond, has proved to be a popular choice with delegates.  If you quote the RGS Conference you should receive a preferential rate.