Pastoral Care

Abbey College Cambridge is made up of eight Houses, with each member of the school community (staff and students) allocated to one House. Abbey Houses are all to do with pride, friendship, team spirit, and competition. The passion a student develops for their House is right at the core of our outstanding pastoral care.

Students of all ages, genders, talents, abilities and nationalities come together united in their desire for their House to be the best, to win house points and secure the prestigious House Cup.

Our Houses are named after Greek or Roman gods, and each House has their own animal mascot.

• Apollo – Pythons
• Athena – Rams
• Hera – Peacocks
• Jupiter – Eagles
• Juno – Lions
• Minerva – Owls
• Neptune – Dolphins
• Zeus – Wolves

The House system means that our students are well supported, looked after, and have the opportunity to grow and develop in a safe and secure environment. Regular House events and activities allow students to build friendships and create a strong community ethos.

Houses operate by a points system. Students represent their House at all times and have the opportunity to earn house points for their schoolwork, contribution around the school, and their involvement in clubs and other extra-curricular activities. The House with the most points at the end of each half term is announced, with an overall winner at the end of the year.

Each House is led by a Housemaster, who is responsible for the academic and pastoral welfare of all students. The Housemaster promotes the ethos of the House and works with the team to create a unique and welcoming community within each House. There are typically 60 students in each House, divided into tutor groups of no more than 15 students.

Watch out for House competitions in college!

Assemblies are a time when the whole college community comes together to celebrate our successes.

As a student you will be participating regularly in assemblies. You could be singing or playing musical instruments as a member of our ‘Abbey Voices’ choir or one of our music groups. Our drama club perform pieces, and individual students may read and present work.

You will be allocated a personal tutor who will remain with you throughout your time at Abbey College Cambridge. Your tutor will be an experienced member of our teaching staff who will provide support throughout your studies. You’ll meet with them daily as part of your tutor group, and then weekly and termly for in-depth personal guidance and feedback sessions.

Every May we host a Traditional Cambridge May Ball, and every December we host a Christmas Ball. Both events are organised by our students, working in conjunction with our pastoral team. Balls provide a great opportunity to celebrate your time at Abbey College Cambridge before exams and everyone goes home for summer or moves on to university.

At the start of each year we also host a leavers’ ceremony to say farewell to our graduating class.
We also hold a yearly Charity Fair. In 2019 our students raised £4,000 for local charity EACH (East Anglian Children’s Hospices). The Charity Fair includes games and entertainment for all staff and students.

Our school has a statutory duty to provide Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), including issues relating to sexual health. SRE is a part of the programme for all students at Abbey College Cambridge. We take great pride in ensuring that the lessons are delivered in a moral and sensitive manner, taking into account the diverse cultures and range of religions at the college. Our school Matron and the Vice Principal Pastoral deliver these sessions alongside experienced specialist speakers.

The SRE programme teaches our students factual information about puberty and sexual health, in the context of inter-personal relationships. We aim to assist students to prepare for adult life by supporting them through their physical, emotional and moral development, and helping them to understand themselves, respect others and form and sustain healthy relationships.

Our Vision for Excellence begins with the words “A community…” and like other schools and colleges we have a Student Council. This is a way for you to make your voice heard, and you will be actively involved in the day to day running of the college, speaking on behalf of your fellow students and helping to improve our college community. You will also get to implement new initiatives and help organise social activities like our May and Christmas Balls.

You can also become one of our Abbey Cambridge ‘Student Ambassadors’ helping out at school events, meeting and sharing your experiences with guests from around the world.

To find out more about the current student positions of responsibility please click here.

At Abbey College Cambridge we offer subject related trips alongside optional social trips that take place at weekends and during holidays.

Every year we offer one trip to Europe and one trip outside of Europe; recent and upcoming trips include Costa Rica, Iceland, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin and the United States.

All of our Compulsory School Aged students play sport as part of their school week. Activities are varied and fun and include: Archery, Football, Ice skating, Badminton, Table Tennis and many more!

Find out more about sports at Abbey College Cambridge.