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There are many reasons why the provision of pastoral care in schools is important, but put simply, it provides students with emotional, physical, and academic support. As a result, pastoral care aims to ensure each and every child at the school is happy and able to fulfil their potential. I have teamed up with a senior school in Northwood to explore the importance of pastoral care in further detail below.
First and foremost, it’s worth discussing the key aims of a pastoral care department within a school, as it has various responsibilities. Most importantly, it aims to support teaching and learning and prepares students for their next steps. In other words, it helps to ensure all students are able to perform well academically and achieve their learning goals, by resolving personal and educational challenges. What’s more, pastoral care seeks to create a sense of community spirit so that children feel as though they belong.
One might argue that pastoral care shares several similarities with parenting, as both roles involve looking after children so that they are happy, healthy, and successful. When students experience friendship problems or even bullying, the pastoral care team are there to resolve the conflict. If a child is struggling with a particular subject, the pastoral carers will find a way to help them. It’s important that children feel heard and have someone to turn to if they are feeling sad, stressed, or afraid.
In most schools, children meet with a form tutor at least once a day. Their form tutor usually acts as their main pastoral carer, providing a bridge between school and home life and keeping an eye on their academic progression and relationships with their peers. Parents should try and maintain regular contact with their child’s form tutors so that both parties can inform one another of any concerns or issues.
For more information on the pastoral provisions in your child’s school, don’t be afraid to get in touch with the staff.
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