It’s a timely reminder. While we parents pore over league tables and prize glittering grades, what matters most in today’s anxious age is surely how schools care for the whole child. After all, academic success cannot truly flourish without emotional resilience. These six independent schools place pastoral care at the core of their ethos.
Schools That Make Care Their Core
Wellington College, Berkshire
Already a pioneer in pastoral innovation, Wellington was the first UK school to introduce wellbeing lessons, embedding mental health and resilience into the timetable almost two decades ago. Its latest move – the creation of a Chair of Compassion – cements its role as a thought-leader in caring for young people navigating cancel culture and harmful influencers. Its Wellbeing programme is ‘based on the principle in Virtue Ethics that there are habits, skills or virtues of living well as humans and that over time, with the right encouragement, we can hone those skills so that our lives become focused on the pursuit of the good: both for ourselves and others.’ Beyond this, pupils benefit from a highly supportive house system, an integrated wellbeing centre, and a whole-school culture of empathy and openness. Discover more.
Epsom College, Surrey
Consistently recognised among the UK’s best for pastoral provision, Epsom takes a collaborative approach, with teachers, house staff, and parents working in lockstep. The result is a community where each pupil is deeply known and carefully nurtured. Emotional support is balanced with high academic expectations, but never at the expense of a child’s wellbeing. They say, ‘We believe the purpose of a school is to build character, not simply to teach children how to pass exams. The phrase ‘a rounded education’ is used so often it almost becomes cliched – but for us it’s a guiding philosophy and is the reason why character development is a core strategic objective of the College.’ Unsurprisingly, the school has repeatedly earned top accolades for pastoral care, ensuring that young people thrive not only in results but also in confidence and character. Discover more.
Tonbridge School, Kent
Tonbridge has long been admired for its emphasis on personal development. Its house system ensures that boys are supported within a smaller, family-like structure, while its pastoral philosophy stresses kindness, humility, and resilience. The school offers a wide programme of mental health support, from counsellors to a mindfulness curriculum, recognising that emotional literacy is as vital as intellectual rigour. As one pupil notes, ‘It is a skill which I can use throughout my life. I enjoyed feeling good after doing it. I enjoyed feeling calmer once I had finished, and more content as well. It enabled me to be able to focus on the present moment, without worrying about exams, results and homework.’ Tonbridge parents often cite the pastoral culture as one of its greatest strengths, quietly underpinning the school’s academic reputation. Discover more.
Marlborough College, Wiltshire
Marlborough, alma mater of the Princess of Wales, balances its stellar academic reputation with a pastoral framework that is unusually forward-thinking for such a traditional school. Each pupil belongs to a house community that provides continuity and support, while a team of counsellors, nurses, and chaplains offer a safety net when times get tough. The school’s pastoral culture emphasises both compassion and independence, preparing pupils for university life and beyond with emotional resilience to match their intellectual training. Discover more.
St Mary’s School, Ascot NO PIC
A leading Catholic girls’ boarding school, St Mary’s places pastoral care at the very heart of its ethos. Rooted in its spiritual tradition, the school fosters a culture of kindness, service, and support that extends well beyond academics. A house system fosters a family feel, while girls are also assigned their own tutor with whom they meet regularly about their academic work, but also informally across evenings and weekends too. Staff work hard to create a nurturing environment where girls feel safe, heard, and able to flourish. Parents consistently praise its balance of discipline with warmth, producing young women who are not only academically capable but also grounded, empathetic, and resilient. Discover more.
Radley College, Oxfordshire
Radley’s model of care is deeply personal: its strong boarding ethos means that boys live within tight-knit house communities, guided closely by tutors who know them well. The school provides round-the-clock support and its commitment to building character alongside achievement is visible in everything from chapel life to its emphasis on service and responsibility. Parents are reassured that Radley boys grow up not just ambitious, but emotionally intelligent and socially aware. Discover more.
