Northampton High School
An adaptive approach to pastoral care
Rebecca Kneen
Deputy Head Pastoral
Northampton High School
In the landscape of modern education, pastoral care has emerged as an indispensable element in nurturing the holistic development of our pupils. More than ever, as we navigate the complexities of our dynamic world and what some might term ‘the escalating teen mental health crisis’, the signifi cance of eff ective pastoral support in UK schools cannot be overstated. T e UK is currently grappling with a worrying rise
in teen mental health concerns. Anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide ideation are increasingly preva- lent among adolescents, with factors such as academic pressure, familial stresses and social media usage exac- erbating these challenges. On top of this, local authori- ties often struggle with inadequate funding and access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS.
T e result is that schools are left to shoulder a dispropor- tionate burden in supporting students’ mental wellbeing. We can blame multiple things for the position we fi nd
ourselves in: social media, the cost of living crisis and the instability of geopolitics, to name a few. But perhaps a more valuable outlook is to look at what we can do to move forward positively, rather than dwelling on things that individually, we cannot change. Here at Northampton High School, we certainly do
not claim to have all the answers but, in the absence of sufficient external support, we recognise that we are being called upon to fi ll the void in prioritising the mental health of our pupils. T is shift places a greater emphasis on the provision of robust pastoral care within educational institutions and is blurring the lines between parenting and educating. Not only must we create environments for individual academic progress to be made on a daily basis, but we are also required to foster opportunities for pupils to develop resilience, empathy and emotional intelligence. We, like many schools, recognise the critical
importance of comprehensive pastoral care in nurturing our pupils. Empowering them to take risks with their learning, sparking intellectual curiosity and promoting collaboration with their peers, as well as developing their independent thinking and their perseverance when things
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