St Alban's School on pastoral progress

Melody Jones, Second Master and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at St Albans School, on the ways in which pastoral care is evolving in our schools to better support students and families

Schools across the country are navigating several key trends in pastoral care that reflect an increased focus on whole-school wellbeing. Responding to widespread concern, including from parents, schools are implementing visible and evidence-based pastoral structures that tackle teenage mental health, online risks, peer relationships, and academic pressure. Clear communication and structured intervention pathways provide parents with assurance that their child’s school is actively promoting safety and wellbeing.

The focus on mental health awareness is essential. Students between the ages of 11 and 18 face increasing rates of anxiety, social media pressure, and academic stress. Establishing a positive whole-school culture around mental health enables schools to identify any concerns early and encourages students to seek support before issues escalate. Typical multi-tiered support systems may include wellbeing spaces, peer mentoring, and robust PSHEE programmes. Integrating mental health education within PSHEE and tutor time helps us to normalise discussions around resilience and regulating emotions.

Teachers need comprehensive training that equips them to handle complex emotional, behavioural, and academic pressures. It’s helpful to have a significant number of staff trained as mental health first aiders – at St Albans School all staff members receive regular safeguarding updates and training on restorative approaches. Strong INSET frameworks also ensure that teachers are well prepared to detect early signs of distress and then work closely with pastoral leads.

“Collaboration sets consistent expectations and helps parents feel supported in navigating any teenage challenges”

Restorative behavioural approaches promote accountability, empathy, and improved peer-to-peer relationships within the school community. Such methods can de-escalate conflicts and encourage a culture of student reflection around actions and behaviour. Over time, these approaches enhance trust between staff and students, support robust community values, and nurture a more resilient school culture.

School and parent partnerships are vital in fostering a supportive pastoral care environment. Collaboration between home and school sets consistent expectations and helps parents feel supported in navigating any teenage challenges. Schools enhance these relationships through regular updates, transparent behaviour and device management policies and frequent parent events.

As pastoral care evolves, leadership and financial stewardship pose challenges for school leaders. With high thresholds for support from external mental health services, schools frequently find themselves handling complex cases internally. It is no secret that the financial implications of pastoral care have significantly increased over the last decade. There is a greater allocation of teaching time towards tutoring and PSHEE programmes, and extra investment in training. Well trained nurses, counsellors, and mentors add additional staffing requirements. Continual investment in robust IT systems and approaches, and the creation and upkeep of spaces such as wellbeing hubs and gardens, are other typical pastoral additions. 

For schools, these are not optional but fundamental to ensuring positive student wellbeing, which also enables academic and social success. Effectiveness in pastoral care initiatives is measured through wellbeing check-ins, behavioural patterns, and engagement in peer mentoring. But strong pastoral systems lead to improved emotional regulation, higher levels of engagement in both academic and co-curricular activities, and – most important of all – students’ willingness to seek early support.

St Alban’s School st-albans.herts.sch.uk

Further reading: Oakham School on wellbeing in action