This is a paid collaboration.
Pastoral care in schools is more than important – it’s absolutely vital. School is an adventure, a journey and quite often, it’s a challenge. This independent school in Cambridgeshire has a strong tradition of providing excellent pastoral care for the pupils attending.
Children go through some of their biggest learning curves at school. It’s here that they learn to study, they learn to socialise and to stick to rules. They make friends, sometimes lose them – and at the same time as all of this, they also have home lives to manage. And home lives don’t always go perfectly.
Pastoral care is there to ensure that when children waver, when they go through those sticky patches, there’s someone there to pick them up and help them along. Without good pastoral care, children can flounder. And parents don’t always know exactly what is going on for their child at school. It’s for the pastoral care team to notice and take action when things do go awry.
What does good pastoral care look like?
Good pastoral care is always present and always available. It may mean that each child knows which staff members can be relied on for emotional support when needed. And it’s a rare child who does not need some emotional support at some point during their school career! Children who need support should feel that they are able to access it when they want to and as often as they want to.
Pastoral care that grows with the child
As a child grows, it’s needs change. From playground scrapes to problems with peers or parents, pastoral care shifts and changes to suit the needs of the growing child. Older children, seniors, can also be a part of providing pastoral care. Mentoring younger students is good not only for those receiving the help but also for those giving it. Your child should always be confident that they can ask for help and know exactly who to ask.
