Last Updated on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 by Lavania Oluban
When we think about schools, the first thing that often comes to mind is academic learning; lessons, exams, and qualifications. But education is about far more than just grades. Children and young people spend a large part of their lives at school, and during that time, their wellbeing, personal development, and sense of belonging are just as important as their academic progress.
This is where pastoral care comes in.
What Is Pastoral Care?
Pastoral care is the support system schools put in place to ensure that every child feels safe, happy, and able to thrive. It’s about looking after the emotional, social, and moral development of pupils, alongside their academic growth.
In practice, this could involve:
• Helping students settle into a new school.
• Supporting children through challenges at home or with friendships.
• Teaching life skills such as resilience, empathy, and self-confidence.
• Ensuring safeguarding and child protection needs are met.
Essentially, pastoral care is about ensuring that students are cared for as whole people, not just learners.
Why Is Pastoral Care Important?
1. Supporting Wellbeing
Children who feel safe, supported, and valued are more likely to succeed academically. Pastoral care provides a foundation of emotional security that allows children to focus on learning.
2. Building Relationships and Belonging
Pastoral systems encourage strong relationships between staff and students, helping children feel part of the school community. A sense of belonging can reduce feelings of isolation and boost self-esteem.
3. Helping with Challenges
School isn’t just about books and exams. Children face a range of challenges, from friendship worries to family difficulties. Effective pastoral care provides guidance and a safe space to talk through these issues.
4. Developing Life Skills
Pastoral programmes often focus on developing skills that extend beyond the classroom—such as decision-making, resilience, communication, and kindness. These skills are essential for children as they grow into adulthood.
5. Safeguarding and Protection
Perhaps most importantly, pastoral care ensures that safeguarding concerns are spotted early and dealt with properly. Staff are trained to identify when a child may be at risk and to provide or seek appropriate support.
How Schools Deliver Pastoral Care
Pastoral care can look different in each school, but often includes:
• Form tutors or pastoral leads who check in daily or weekly with students.
• Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) to protect vulnerable children.
• Counsellors and wellbeing programmes to provide emotional support.
• Assemblies and PSHE lessons focused on personal, social, and moral development.
• Clubs, mentoring schemes, or buddy systems to build peer support networks.
The purpose of pastoral care is simple but powerful: to ensure that every child feels supported, valued, and prepared not only for exams, but for life beyond school. By nurturing the whole child, academically, emotionally, and socially, schools give young people the tools they need to thrive in all areas of life.
Pastoral care reminds us that education is about more than just results, it’s about raising confident, resilient, and compassionate individuals.
