😂 All I wanted was a wee. One quick trip down the corridor. Two minutes, maximum. Except you work in pastoral.(and we are needed for EVERYTHING 😉) So somewhere between your office and the toilet, you’ve questioned a student out of lesson, been called into a classroom, acquired some lost p

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😂 The logic is absolutely flawless… to them. If you work in pastoral, you’ll know these conversations. You ask what feels like a very straightforward question and somehow end up in a full-scale debate about the precise definition of late, swearing, arguing or lying. And the confidence with wh

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Every pastoral office looks slightly different. Different walls. Different mugs. Different paperwork piled on the desk. But they all have one thing in common… For some children, that room is where they feel safest. It’s where they calm down after a panic attack. It’s where they ask for

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There are moments in pastoral that nobody else sees. The conversation that calms a panic attack. The student who finally asks for help. The child who starts smiling again. The quiet “Morning, Miss” from someone who used to walk past without saying a word. Those moments don’t make headlines

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If you’ve ever worked in a pastoral role, you’ll probably have smiled (or sighed!) reading these. Somehow, it’s become completely normal to: • be everyone’s first stop, • put your own needs on hold, • and still be expected to have the answer to everything. The reality of pastoral work is r

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People often ask what it’s like to work in pastoral care. The truth is, it’s not the big moments that stay with you. It’s the quiet conversations. The child who finally trusts you enough to talk. The student who smiles when they walk into your office. The young person who leaves feeling ju

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There are certain conversations that happen every September. If you’ve worked in pastoral, you’ll recognise every single one. Some children arrive excited. Some arrive terrified. Most arrive with a hundred questions. Sometimes the most important thing we do isn’t solving a huge problem…

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Two weeks into the summer holidays and I’m starting to wonder… How are they doing? Are they eating properly? Is anyone making sure they’re home safely? Has the break helped their anxiety… or made it worse? Then my mind shifts to September. A brand new year group. Who are they?

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People often ask me what a Head of Year actually does. The honest answer? Some days… I haven’t got a clue what I’ll be doing next. In 22 years, I’ve been asked to… 🧪 Carry out a pregnancy test with a 14-year-old student. 💊 Explain what Viagra is to a Year 9 student. (Story time for a

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⸻ “It’s just pastoral.” If you’ve ever worked in a pastoral role, you’ve probably heard those words before. But “just pastoral” means… Supporting children’s mental health. Managing safeguarding concerns. Working with families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. U

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Four years ago, this was just an idea. Since then, it’s been a journey of writing, rewriting, learning, achieving accreditation, and building something I genuinely believe our profession deserves. Now, I’m almost ready to welcome the very first cohort of learners onto the NCFE-Endorsed Level

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For 22 years, I’ve watched pastoral care become one of the most important roles in our schools. Yet one thing has always puzzled me. Teachers can qualify. Counsellors can qualify. Social workers can qualify. Educational Psychologists can qualify. Yet pastoral practitioners often c

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22 years in pastoral care have taught me many things. Over the summer, I thought I’d share a few of them. Not because I have all the answers. But because every child, every family and every colleague I’ve worked alongside has taught me something worth passing on. So here’s Lesson 1…

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For some of you… today is the first day of the summer holidays. ☀️ For others… you’re still in school, still supporting children, and still counting down. Wherever you are today, I hope you take a moment to recognise what you’ve achieved this year. Working in pastoral care can be incredibl

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If you work in a school… this one’s for you. ❤️ Another school year is over. A year of early mornings. Difficult conversations. Safeguarding concerns. Behaviour incidents. Attendance battles. Parents’ evenings. School trips. Sports days. Reports. Assemblies. Phon

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Being a Head of Year isn’t just a job. Over time, you develop instincts that are difficult to explain. You notice the child who’s quieter than usual. You can often tell when friendships have broken down before anyone tells you. You know when “I’m fine” probably means the opposite. An

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While many people are counting down to the summer… These are some of the children I’m still thinking about. The one who has finally found the courage to tell me things aren’t okay at home. The child looked after who we’re worried about when they’re out in the community. The student whos

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The last full week of the school year. Everyone is tired. Students are tired. Staff are tired. Parents are tired. The temptation is to start winding down. But children don’t stop needing us just because it’s July. There are still friendships to repair. Still disclosures to r

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Every day, pastoral teams make decisions that shape a child’s experience of school. Should we apply the sanction now? Or have the conversation first? Is this a behaviour issue… …or a safeguarding concern? Do we monitor? Or refer? Do we give a family another chance to engage?

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Not everything that matters can be measured. Schools should absolutely use data. It helps us identify trends, ask better questions and hold ourselves accountable. But data has limits. It doesn’t record the conversation that stopped a child from walking out of school. It doesn’t measure

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