Educating the whole child: leading pastoral care in a Catholic school to deliver its mission

This research project sought to identify in what ways and to what extent a distinctive strategy for pastoral care contributes to the education of the students in a case study Catholic school (for ethical reasons the fictitious name of ‘St Clare’s’ has been adopted). A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used in order to collect data on the perceptions of teachers currently working in a Catholic school. The aim was to discuss the nature and effect of pastoral care from a Catholic perspective. It explores the relevance and prevalence of pastoral care in a specific context and the subsequent depth of understanding of the teachers working in this context. It sought to identify whether or not it is possible for pastoral care to help uphold Catholic educational values in an increasingly market-driven society. This study concludes that pastoral care is an essential part of the successful achievement of students and the effective realisation of their talents in becoming global citizens. It advocates a strategy, which unites the academic and pastoral sides of education more actively in order to achieve this.