What is Pastoral Care in Schools?
Pastoral care in schools involves the development of the whole student. This involves supporting each student in their entire school life experience whilst engaging families in the process:
- Academically
- Physically
- Socially
- Emotionally
- Cognitively
To do this, it is essential for schools to take a proactive approach to student wellbeing, carefully planning for the support and success of each and every student.
A considered approach to student growth and wellbeing provides students with a greater chance at success in all school experiences.
A community approach to pastoral care aids students in achieving success, with each student knowing that there are multiple support networks available, depending on their needs at a specific time.
Parental involvement provides students with visibility of both their teachers and parents fostering a positive, healthy relationship, with the students’ outcome and wellbeing at the core.
The quality of a pastoral care program in a school impacts highly on learning and teaching. Students who feel supported in their overall wellbeing are more likely to be successful.
So, educators need to provide a learning environment that shows students that their wellbeing is important and being considered in the classroom and throughout their learning. This could be done through:
- Personalisation of learning tasks
- Activities that are of interest to the students
- Offering them opportunities to take ownership of their learning
- Providing contextualisation of what they are doing, so they can see how it will impact on their future
Having a combination of a positive learning environment and setting realistic, yet challenging goals for students, will support not only their academic development, but also their personal and cognitive development.
It is also important to note that a positive learning climate will be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the educators themselves. Teachers who know their students and have the capacity to form healthy, meaningful relationships will be in a better position to provide quality learning and teaching, benefiting both the teacher and the students, and accordingly, the entire school community.