The Importance of Pastoral Care in Schools

No matter their age, all children have emotional needs. They should feel safe in school and when they don’t, problems can arise. Feeling safe, supported and happy is the very foundation of good education. Without those important feelings being acknowledged, children will not be able to learn effectively.

This private school in London teaches their children the importance of kindness and respect – it begins with the children and the staff and parents are there to support these values. A school with a solid, well-designed pastoral care system is vital for the wellbeing of the children attending.

How to recognise good pastoral care in a school

Pastoral care isn’t as clear cut as some of the things parents are looking for in a school. It’s easy to check out the exam results or the sports facilities – but how can any parent recognise good pastoral care when their child isn’t yet attending the school in question?

It’s important to recognise that pastoral care is not a single thing – it’s embedded in every aspect of how the school carries out its duties. In the aims and values as well as the beliefs. It’s understood on the ground – amongst the pupils and the teachers alike. It means varying things to different people – and that’s important because everyone’s needs are different.

It may mean that there’s an on-site counsellor and that peer-support is well managed and clearly accessible to all children.  It may mean that children can take advantage of older pupil’s experience with mentoring opportunities and also that problems are spotted before they develop into something more troublesome.

Ironing out the wrinkles

All children hit a few hurdles during their education. That’s par for the course and to be expected. Pastoral care is there to help children along the path during the tricky sections. By allowing children to feel safe when they need to seek out help, schools ensure that no child feels isolated but that there is always someone present for them to turn to.

For some children this would be an older, trusted pupil in a position of authority, for others, a counsellor or teacher. The problem patches are nothing more than temporary wrinkles when there’s support in place to iron them out.

How is pastoral care practically executed?

Much depends on a school’s philosophy and culture but usually, the following systems are in place.

• Careful monitoring of each pupils academic and social progress
• Clear dialogue between staff and parents so that staff will be informed of any disruptions in the child’s life
• Regular training for staff to help them recognise health issues before they become a problem.

All children grow and change at speed. Their needs change and their care should change in step with them as they grow.