Nominate your school for pastoral care award

Schools cannot self-nominate themselves but parents or others in the wider school community can nominate a school which has provided exceptional pastoral care.

The Derrytrasna Pastoral Care Award is named after St Mary’s Primary School in Derrytrasna, the school which inspired the award.

It followed the death of St Mary’s pupil Adele Madden. She had taken ill in 2009 but the eight-year-old loved school so much she continued to go as often as possible up to her death in February 2011.

The awards recognise school communities that have demonstrated exceptional co-operative effort in supporting the pastoral care of pupils and their families. There will be one award each for the primary and post-primary sectors and in a new development for 2015, an award for the pre-school sector.

Education Minister John O’Dowd said: “I believe there are many schools that go the extra mile everyday for their pupils. “Young people face many challenges and the support that schools provide can prove essential in helping them deal with the difficulties and hardships of life.

“Exceptional pastoral care is not about the everyday support offered by schools. It is about a level of care and support that is over and above what is expected.”

Applications by 13 November 2015. More info at www.deni.gov.uk/appdeconsult9/