The Importance of Pastoral Care in Schools

Pastoral care is an important element of school life, designed to support the emotional and physical wellbeing of each student and put child welfare at the heart of the school's agenda. Good pastoral care seeks to nurture each child’s personal and academic development to ensure they are both happy and successful. To help you explore the reasons pastoral care is so important, an independent school in Surrey has shared the following insights. 

The primary function of pastoral care is to maintain the continued safety and wellbeing of students. School staff are of course trained in safeguarding measures, which enable them to spot potential welfare issues and keep students safe, however, pastoral care goes beyond this to ensure that students always have a sympathetic ear to share any problems they are facing. This could include but is not limited to: issues with their home life, mental health problems, social issues or academic strain.
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A pastoral care system is designed to offer support and guidance in whichever area a child needs it and to ensure the issues discussed are monitored and resolved. It maintains a nurturing and supportive environment which advocates the importance of communication and the resolution of issues which could inhibit a students wellbeing or academic progression.

Schools can incorporate pastoral care into their curriculum in the form of topics such as PSHCE (personal, social, health and citizenship education) to help develop students' resilience, confidence and understanding of themselves and their place in their community. Pastoral care promotes personal and social development by supporting each child’s individual strengths and weaknesses whilst helping with any issues they may face.

Developing relationships between students and staff is the cornerstone of good pastoral care as it opens communications and provides insight into any areas that students may benefit from extra support or guidance. This enables students who are struggling or those with additional needs to access further support, ensuring that students of all abilities have the opportunity to excel and succeed.

*Collaborative Post