Pastoral care in school is all about ensuring each and every student is safe. Equally important are happy students reaching their full potential. Teachers have to juggle this while maintaining community spirit. Responsibility for pastoral care is shared between all school staff. With the aim to create a supportive atmosphere where every child feels like part of a wider whole. Rather than one individual muddling through.

It’s undoubtedly a very complicated aspect of school life. Which also requires policies and procedures to ensure every member of staff is on the same page. I have teamed up with a junior school in London to explore the importance of pastoral care further.

Spot Problems Early On

One of the main obligations for a pastoral carer is to monitor the progress of every child. Then deal with any problems as they arise. This could be anything from under performing in a certain subject or a bullying issue. Poor behaviour during lessons needs to be handled appropriately. Ensuring they don’t distract other students or damage their education long-term. You see it is crucial that every child is fully engaged with their learning journey.

Communicate Concerns

While dealing with these problems, it’s also important for pastoral carers to report back to parents who should always be kept in the loop. Ideally parents should extend the same courtesy and inform the school of any changes at home. Anything which might affect a child’s performance or behaviour in class. Your main point of contact will most likely be your child’s form tutor, as they will meet with your child at least once a day. So will be able to monitor their progress, as well as their relationships with their peers.

Keeping Children Safe

Safety and security are another important element of pastoral care, as children need to feel safe at school. The caretaker will usually monitor the boundaries of the school to ensure they cannot be breached. Alongside regularly checking that the fire alarms are working correctly. What’s more, there are typically measures in place to monitor and vet any guests that come onto the premises.

Developing Life Skills

When pastoral care within a school has been successful, every child should graduate with the necessary skills and the right attitude to succeed in the next stage of their life. This doesn’t just mean leaving the school with good grades; it’s also about their ability to deal with challenges, solve problems and generally just be a good member of society. If you happen to have any concerns, either about your child or about the pastoral care provisions at their school, don’t be afraid to get in touch with a member of staff to discuss in further detail.