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ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
What sort of skills are useful for
the role?
Above all else: a sense of humour.
Fortunately, our pupils are tremendous
company and are generally great to be with.
We need to be so many different things:
organised, resourceful, energetic, kind,
approachable, efficient, in touch with teenage
culture, a good counsellor, adaptable, good
at juggling and finding solutions, observant,
firm but fair, a team player, excellent
communicators … the list is endless.
Do pupils appreciate the efforts you
make on their behalf?
For the most part, yes. We generally find
that they have a great deal of respect for us
because they can see how hard we work,
and they know we are working in their
best interests. Unlike any other role in the
School, the Matron post is almost exclusively
pastoral; we do not have a disciplinary role. It
is important that whatever is going on in their
lives, and whatever pressures or disciplinary
processes they are encountering elsewhere,
they have someone to turn to who will
support them through everything and who
will not judge. Every young person needs
someone like that in their lives.
Is the role evolving?
Yes. We have a big influence on the young
people in our care and we take it seriously.
There is now explicit training in counselling,
coaching and mental health available for
most staff, not just Matrons, but given
how much time we spend with pupils, it is
exceptionally useful for us. There is a greater
emphasis on House-based Personal, Social
and Health Education. We play a significant
role in instilling basic values in our pupils, and
every day we have conversations with them
covering all the big life topics: community
living, responsibility, friendships, coping with
stress, identity, sex and relationships. If we
can help steer them in the right direction
and unravel some of these things, then we
are getting things right. We also receive
training in basic triage so we can help with
asthma, hay fever, anxiety – the day-to-day
concerns which fall below the GP’s radar.
If things are more serious, of course, we
can call on our colleagues in the Health
Centre. We are also being offered training
in neuro-linguistic programming: looking
at how we react the way we do in certain
situations and how we can train ourselves
to do things differently: ‘respond rather
than react’ is the current mantra.
‘My House is the best!
We always have a great
time and our Matron is
hilarious. Even if you’re
having a bad day, you can
always rely on her to put
a smile on your face.’
Maddie Catchpole, Avenue
(Dragon)
Cassie Cooper
Left to right: Linda Wang (
d’Overbroecks
), Macy Jilla (
Morna International College
), Pim Kanthamanon (
Heathfield International
), Jacqui Motion, Ella Morris (
Dragon
),
Kitty Dodd-Noble (
Downe House
) and Aliya Jones (
Swanbourne House
)