Journey into Pastoral Care.

Teaching is tough, being in Pastoral is even tougher.....

"Sweat the small stuff and control the controllables"

Behaviour and culture have come to the forefront of most educational conversations, there are many differing views, opinions and viewpoints around how we manage behaviour and develop our culture within our schools. A major part of any successful behaviour policies and shift in culture is the pastoral staff who live and breathe some of the most challenging situations a school-day can offer. It is no doubt one of the most challenging roles within a school but also one of the most rewarding. For my first ever blog, I want to focus on how you can progress into the pastoral care and answer some of the key questions that arise when thinking about moving into this area:

I really want to get into pastoral care – do you think I have the experience?

With behaviour being, at times, unpredictable. How can you be proactive rather than reactive?

I’ve got an interview for a HOY position – what do I need to know?

Pastoral care is a broad and often unforgiving field to get into. If you are thinking it might be for you then you probably already have some idea of the demands and pressure the job entails. You have probably seen pastoral leaders/staff dealing with some of the most extreme incidents in the school. You may also have heard them discuss the awful issues they have to deal with around safeguarding or social care, for example, and the lasting impression these things often have on them. There are such a wide variety of roles available now and I hope the advice I give below would be good experience for finding your way into any of them:

Part One: Standards, Standards, Standards.

One of the most important facets of pastoral leadership is your ability to ‘hold the line’ and insist upon the highest standards in everything you do, from the moment your students walk through the gate on a morning until they make the same journey through the gates on their way home. If you are thinking of stepping into pastoral care you will need to look at any areas you are already responsible for and really unpick the standards you hold within them. Are you consistent with everything you do? Do you strive for the highest standards in everything you do? Are you able to hold students and staff to account when standards aren't being met? Are you a class teacher? Are the standards in your classroom high? Do you ensure that the rules of the school are followed? How do you behave on duty? Do you check uniform as a tutor? All of these are questions you need to start unpicking and answering if you truly want to move into pastoral care.

Remember that as a pastoral leader you are the standard bearer – staff and students will look to you to get things right. If you aren’t already preparing yourself to be this person, and sweating the small stuff, then now is the time to start.

Part Two: Experience.

One question I asked myself before I moved into pastoral middle-leadership was "Do I have enough experience?" I secured my current position in my second year of teaching, some people may consider this to early but when I reflect on my journey up until that point I had a wide range of experiences within different educational settings to draw upon. I completed my NQT year across two very different schools, prior to this I had done two years as a cover supervisor in a challenging school, volunteered within a SEN provision whilst completing my undergraduate degree & took opportunities to complete CPD related to my areas of interest within education. I felt I was ready, took the chance, was successful at interview and have massively enjoyed my three years as a Student Achievement Leader.

Your school will no doubt have some great pastoral leaders with varying levels of experience and a myriad of different backgrounds. If you have a good relationship with any of them why not ask to informally shadow them and offer some support if you have the time. You will develop an appreciation for the demands of the role and the incredibly different tasks a pastoral leader undertakes each day. Speak to members of the pastoral team, ask them about the day-to-day things that happen in the school, talk to them about their journey into pastoral care & take every opportunity that is presented to you to gain as much insight into the role as possible.

Lots of schools have assistant heads of year/heads of house jobs which are always a good entry point into pastoral care, at my current school we have four fantastic, enthusiastic and hardworking members of staff leading our house system. They have made a real difference to house identity, competitions and really brought our house system to the forefront of academy life. If your school doesn’t have one of these perhaps you could suggest it – ask to support one of your HOYs with some pastoral issues when you have the time.

Part Three: Apply for The Job.

For some reason, in education every single application form/pack is different. For every job I have applied for I've had to fill in a bespoke application form requesting all the same details as the previous one. Maybe a standard application form is the next big educational movement.....

They all do follow similar conventions though in expecting you to respond to a person specification and write a cover letter, with perhaps some sort of prompt or direction for your letter. If they do offer this it will likely focus on your experience/vision for pastoral care. The letter gives you a real opportunity to "sell" yourself and get across your vision for the role and the positive impact you could have within that specific school. It's important that you find the right role, the right school and the right team, I can't stress this enough. The school must be right for you! I'm extremely fortunate to work in an academy that is supportive and has allowed me to develop over the past three years, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. It’s important for you to do your research into the school prior to any application and I would highly recommend going to visit the school if you have the chance. Ask questions, network, use social media, Twitter has been great and allowed me to connect with so many other professionals who have helped me, gave me ideas and offered support. Use it!

The best letters will have a focus throughout on why you are not just a suitable candidate for the role but what you have learned about the school and why it is right for you. Aligning your vision and values with the culture of the school are of significant importance in ensuring you can make a sustainable impact and enjoy what you do. I’d always encourage you to ask somebody who knows you well to read your letter, get feedback act on it and then get feedback again. Your letter and supporting evidence should capture ‘you’ and feel both honest and representative of who you are. Statements should be backed up with evidence of how you achieved them, what was the impact? Why/how did you introduce it? What was key? What leadership styles did you use? How did this positively impact on your students? If you can include facts and figures to support this further, I'd encourage you to include them. You want to show the person reading that you are both reflective and strategic. Once you're happy with your application........Apply.

I've always wanted to start some sort of blog but have probably never had enough courage to actually go through with it. What's the worst that could happen?

I hope the above is of some use to someone! I’m hoping writing a regular a blog will be another extension into the educational social network but will perhaps be more of a source of reflection for me as a teacher and middle leader rather than for anyone else. Future posts will likely be a mix of reflections on my own practise, areas of particular interest and other relevant educational conversational topics.