Best Practice

Lessons learned: Providing pastoral care during a pandemic

Providing pastoral care this past year has been a particular challenge for schools. One year on from the outbreak of Covid-19, head of year Dave Stephenson reflects on the challenges, successes and lessons learned during the pandemic

Among the debates around the quality of online lessons and when schools should re-open, there has been little focus in the mainstream media on the challenges that pastoral teams have faced.

I am head of year 9 at a large secondary school and, along with a team of 12 form tutors and a deputy head of year, I am responsible for the pastoral care of 255 pupils.

To say that it has been challenging during the past year would be an understatement. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the first national lockdown, I have been reflecting on the pastoral care that my colleagues and I have provided in the last year and the lessons we have learned.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here

Related articles