Make a big school feel small
The original meaning of the word Pastoral is ‘related to the keeping of sheep or cattle’. Within this type of farming, the role of the shepherd is central. They protect their flock from external dangers such as wolves or bad weather. They also protect the sheep from self-inflicted dangers such as becoming lost or eating the wrong kind of food. The shepherd cares for each individual sheep and knows them by name. They live alongside and observe their sheep, noticing changes in behaviour or condition and taking appropriate action for the good of individuals and the flock. The shepherd uses their power for the benefit of the sheep, controlling their movement and environment and ultimately deciding what is best for them. Finally, older and more experienced shepherds identify, mentor and develop the next generation to continue and evolve their work.
It’s easy to see why the word is appropriate for use in schools. Pastoral care involves protecting children from external and self-inflicted damage and knowing and caring for each child as an individual. It means getting alongside and getting on with children so that subtle changes in behaviour are noticed and acted upon. Ultimately, pastoral leaders must plan and shape as much as they can of the school experience for the benefit of students.
Every child must have the opportunity to realise and achieve their social, cultural and academic potential, irrespective of their background. Critical to this is making a big school feel small. The challenge of large, possibly expanding, comprehensive and multicultural schools is to ensure that everyone feels safe, valued and confident to express themselves. To me the three most important areas to focus on to achieve this are shared values, consistent systems and innovation.
Successful schools share values which unite their community around ideas of care, achievement and discipline. However, formulating a set of school values is the easy bit. Bringing them to life is harder. Are they merely a strap line for a letter head, or do they inform all that the school does? Make sure that your school’s values imbue every element of school life and are automatically recalled, understood and put into action by all members of the community, at all times.
To achieve this deep adoption of shared values requires all staff and students to feel involvement in their initial formulation. Actions then need to be taken across the academic and pastoral systems. Academic reports, pastoral praise and rewards, assemblies, behaviour tracking, attendance should all be expressed in terms of the school values. Be strategic, collaborative and unrelenting in emphasising the importance of agreed values, making sure they pass into the everyday language and automatic actions of the school.
Shared values build the excellent relationships that lie at the heart of successful schools and consistency is key in making a big school feel small. Relationships cannot be left to develop haphazardly as relying too heavily on personal qualities rather than organisational beliefs can lead to inconsistency and unfairness. Pastoral care that depends on individual relationships alone can be damaging, particularly in a multi-cultural setting. Unconscious biases come into play which may, quite rightly, be perceived as unjust favouritism. Be clear that kindness, hard work and aspiration for all students are the non-negotiable bedrock of all the relationships on which the school depends. Model these expectations in all interactions with students, staff and parents. Being clear on the values of the school and consistent in applying them, creates a potent sense of belonging to a community which makes a big school feel small.
In addition to shared values, consistent systems are crucial in supporting students. Systems that are clearly understood and consistently applied are needed so that everyone knows ‘how we do things round here’ and there are no loopholes for students (or staff) to fall through. Any system is only as good as its weakest part and maintaining consistent approaches is crucial in preserving the school’s DNA. Rewards and sanctions need to be simple, motivational and consistently applied without bias. Be ‘restless’ for improvement. Systems cannot be allowed to become stale so quality assurance processes are needed that triangulate behaviour, attendance and academic outcomes. Question data and processes in an atmosphere of mutual respect and shared goals. Change is an inevitable part of life in a successful school so support staff in making this happen.
Finally, oversee an innovative pastoral system that is nimble and adaptable to changing circumstances. Schools are varied and unpredictable places by their nature, so whilst it is important to have simple and consistent values and systems, it is also important to develop an environment in which staff can innovate and be creative in meeting the unique needs of individuals or small groups. Modern schools need to develop staff who have breadth as well as depth of experience. Encourage staff to be professionally curious and spread themselves across the pastoral and academic spheres. Collaborate on developing leadership programmes that facilitate academic staff working on pastoral projects and vice versa. This can also be done on a smaller scale by encouraging teaching and non-teaching staff to become mentors for example. In my experience, using student nominated ‘trusted adults’ is a brilliant way to connect with difficult to reach students. By developing a ‘no-blame’ culture and collaborating with leaders from across the school I would encourage innovation from the pastoral team and wider involvement in pastoral initiatives from general staff.
Finally, it’s worth saying that this kind of vision is not a definitive version of what the future will look like and it can’t be achieved by any individual working on their own, no matter how many hours they put in per week. It is a collective endeavour and must be open to change as personnel and circumstances dictate.
In summary, use your pastoral system to create a large school which feels small. A community where every child can realise and achieve their social, cultural and academic potential, irrespective of their background. To achieve this, focus on embedding shared values, consistent systems and innovation. In this way you will create the team of dedicated, pastoral shepherds that your school and community deserve.
