Pastoral support
What is Pastoral support?
Pastoral support refers to the care and guidance that
schools put in place to look after students’ social, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Pastoral care ensures that pupils are emotionally healthy, feel safe, and are socially connected. It works alongside an academic focus to support the whole child.
This support can include anything from anti-bullying initiatives and mental health services to mentoring programmes and positive behaviour interventions. In essence, pastoral care builds a bridge between students’ personal challenges and their ability to succeed in school.
Every three minutes, a child in England is referred to mental health services—that’s more than 500 children each day. These figures highlight an urgent reality: students are facing increasing emotional and psychological pressures that go far beyond the classroom. As a result, schools are increasingly readjusting their role, not just as places of learning but as vital support systems for young people. Pastoral support lies at the heart of this shift. More than a set of services, we see a commitment to ensuring every child feels safe, valued, and equipped to face challenges—academically, socially, and emotionally.
Why is pastoral support important?
In 2023–24, NHS referrals for children’s anxiety in England more than doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, with over 204,000 children aged 17 or under referred due to anxiety—up from 98,953 in 2019–20. This surge equates to nearly 4,000 referrals per week, underscoring a significant mental health crisis among the youth.
The rise in anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns among children and young people has put pastoral support in the spotlight.
Here are a few key reasons why pastoral support matters:
- It supports mental health - Pastoral services offer a safety net for students who may be struggling silently. Whether it’s through mentoring, emotional check-ins, or group support, these systems can make the difference between a student thriving or becoming overwhelmed.
- It improves behaviour and attendance - Students who feel cared for and respected are more likely to engage with school. Pastoral care can reduce exclusion rates, improve punctuality, and increase overall attendance.
- It boosts academic performance - When young people are mentally and emotionally supported, they’re in a better position to focus, learn, and thrive. Pastoral care removes barriers to learning that may otherwise hold them back.
- It creates a safer, more inclusive environment - Pastoral support encourages diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect. It ensures vulnerable students or those with additional needs don’t fall behind in their education.
- It helps with life skills - Pastoral programmes often include sessions on resilience, self-regulation, empathy, and communication; skills that serve students far beyond the classroom.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
At Ashcombe, we strive to actively promote positive emotional health and well-being throughout the school. Within our school ethos, we promote a safe and open culture where children can talk about their feelings and experiences and learn in a fail-safe environment. Our talk buddy system works successfully and staff are quick to pick up on children who may need additional emotional support. We understand that at times, pupils and their parents/carers may experience issues affecting their emotional health such as anxiety, stress, depression, bereavement and loss, eating disorders and self-harm. All members of our team have had Mental Health training and have access to a wide of support groups which may be of benefit to you and your family.
What is a Learning Mentor and what do they do?
A Learning Mentor supports children to help remove any barriers they may be experiencing which affects their learning. A Learning Mentor can also support children’s parents and carers with any issues that are affecting the family’s home life or in supporting their children.They can provide 1:1 sessions or group sessions of support. They work with children for different reasons and the help that is offered depends on the needs of the child. They support families with concerns and issues around their child.
Some of the support offered to children includes:
- Staying safe
- Managing Feelings
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Worries
- Attachment
- Emotional Literacy
- Bereavement & Loss
- Bullying
- Behaviour
- Eating disorders
- Self-Esteem
- Confidence
- Self-Harm
- Friendship issues
- Mental Health
- Domestic abuse and the impact on the child
The Learning Mentor is able to refer and signpost to different services for more specialised support if requested.
- Early Help
- School nurse
- Children’s behaviour
- Attendance
- Finance and welfare
- Parenting
- Alcohol and drug use
- Domestic abuse
- Anxiety and depression
- Any issues or concerns that are affecting family life
Meet our pastoral team
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| Chantelle Thompson, Pastoral Lead & Deputy DSL | Karen Selway, Learning mentor & parent support advisor | Lorraine Francis, Learning mentor & parent support advisor | Christina Young, SEMH learning mentor & intervention worker |
Useful Links
Mental Health Support Teams - Online Parent/Carer Session: An Introduction to Anxiety
What is it? This session covers: What anxiety is, when it is useful, when it becomes unhelpful, and what keeps anxiety going. Our body’s response to anxiety focusing on our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviours. Providing strategies for managing and overcoming anxiety.
Who is it for? Helpful for parents and carers whose children may be struggling with mild anxiety. When are they? 22 & 26 January. Sessions will be run at 12pm-1pm and 4pm-5pm on both dates.
Click here to sign up