The Masters in Pastoral Care in Education is your route to gaining specialist knowledge and skills for a pastoral role in an educational setting.
Whether you’d like to achieve a Postgraduate Certificate, a Postgraduate Diploma, or the full Masters in Education, select this study programme to further your understanding of a wide range of pastoral challenges within your setting, such as mental health, wellbeing, additional needs, and more.
There is the possibility to bring in credits achieved through previous studies as Recognition of Prior Learning. Please see this page for further information.
Our postgraduate programmes are developed, delivered and assessed by Real Training, awarded and quality assured by Middlesex University.
Programme and module leader
Katie Hickin MEd Programme Lead
Katie is the strategic lead for our five MEd Programmes. She has worked within educational settings for a decade as a teacher, a SENCO and a member of the Senior Management Team. She has a Masters Degree in Educational Research Practice from the University of Cambridge.
During her time spent as a SENCO and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, Katie put in place strategies to support pupils in the school with EAL and led a specialist unit for pupils with complex needs, including physical disabilities.
Why study for your Masters in Pastoral Care in Education with Real Training?
Benefit from access to practicing educational psychologists who will equip you with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in your unique setting.
Our postgraduate programmes are developed, delivered and assessed by Real Training, awarded and quality assured by Middlesex University – rated in the top 5 Times Higher Education Young Universities in 2023.
Feel confident in leading pastoral provision within your school or setting
Begin creating real change for the students in your care from the onset
Tailor your programme to focus on an area of specific of interest, for example, Mental Health, or gain understanding of a broad range of pastoral issues, so that you can best support your students
Be tutored by experts within each area of study
Gain a qualification focused on pastoral provision to boost career development and progression
Meet the wellbeing needs of your students and their families
Develop and embed professional practice via the application of enhanced skills and knowledge
Establish improved practices and policies using the findings of published research and via critical analysis of the evidence base for pastoral support
Understand and utilise different models of partnership, with an understanding of the place of power and ethics in listening to and understanding children, parents and carers
Programme details
How will you benefit?
Add real value to your educational setting
Bring expertise in-house and save money.
Develop practical skills, tutored by experienced professionals.
Access a wealth of practical resources, academic research and interactive materials to support you.
Develop your confidence to support the most vulnerable and complex children in your school effectively.
Start implementing improvements to provision and practice from the start of the course by following our practice-led learning approach.
Develop real competence
Use efficient and effective online learning with embedded activities that relate to actual case studies.
Take part in self-paced study time of up to 25 hours based on HCPC proficiency standards.
Embrace a supportive online community with tutor-supported learning.
Enhance professional expertise
Demonstrate your competence with confidence.
Develop a good working knowledge of the law in this area.
Work effectively alongside families and professionals to support young people.
Make a firm contribution to developments and initiatives.
Build your own knowledge and skills, which you can then share with colleagues and implement across your setting.
Learn on the job
Harness your day-to-day professional experience and work with your tutor to develop your skills.
Theories, reflection, and activities will help you to explore aspects of your own and others’ practice.
Engage with flexible e-learning
Study online and integrate your learning into your working day.
Fit your studies around work and life commitments
Take part in engaging modules that draw on a broad range of learning tasks and practical experience.
Work closely with your peers and dedicated tutors online.
Experience mentoring and work placements that really complement your learning.
Access Campus Online, our sophisticated online learning platform which offers the latest technologies: video and multimedia content, case studies and problem-based scenarios, directed reading, structured learning logs, online discussion, online questionnaires, peer evaluation and student forum.
Attend optional webinars with subject matter experts. These are recorded and uploaded for you to access at a later date if you aren’t able to attend live.
Study modules in your own time and pace
Benefit from total flexibility for your studies. There aren’t any live sessions so you won’t need to interrupt your working schedule or arrange cover.
Access your course materials anytime, as long as you have a good internet connection.
There aren’t any internal assessment deadlines (just a final submission point), so you can organise your workload according to professional and personal commitments.
Choose to book for just one module initially, or map out your entire programme, it’s up to you.
Connect with your peers
Interact with your peers using our advanced learning platform and our unique student forum.
Share best practice and seek advice from your peers and tutors online.
We will ensure that you never feel lonely or unsupported in your studies.
Liaise with experienced tutors
Enjoy dedicated specialist support from a broad range of experienced tutors, many of whom are working in educational settings so are familiar with the challenges you face.
Work with a learning coach, professional tutor and received dedicated support from the tutor team — made up of experienced SENCOs, SEN consultants, school leaders and educational psychologists (EPs).
Who is the Masters in Pastoral Care suitable for?
This programme is suitable for a wide range of staff members, but would be particularly suitable for those working as an Inclusion Manager/Lead, a Pastoral Care Lead, a Head of Year or the Senior Mental Health Lead.
What qualifications are available?
Choose from our core, recommended and optional modules to achieve the required number of credits for your chosen qualification.
To achieve a Postgraduate Certificate in SEND and Inclusion: Pastoral, you’ll need to gain 60 credits
To achieve a Postgraduate Diploma in SEND and Inclusion: Pastoral, you’ll need to gain 120 credits
To achieve the Master of Education in SEND and Inclusion: Pastoral, you’ll need to gain 180 credits
Modules that make up the Masters in Pastoral Care
Explore our modules
For all exit awards from the Pastoral Care programme, delegates will need to complete at least 60 credits from the following core modules:
If you’d like to achieve a Postgraduate Diploma or MEd in SEND and Inclusion: Pastoral, your 120 credits must include one of our enhanced application and reflection modules which are:
To complete the full MEd, the Enquiry-Based Practice (60 credits) needs to be your final module and your chosen research project for this module must have a pastoral focus.
Optional modules, which can be chosen for this programme, up to 60 credits:
Our courses are delivered through Campus Online, our unique provision for online learning.
Campus Online allows you to study at your own pace, without the need to travel, or commit to particular dates or times. Log in to access your study materials, contact your personal tutor for support, connect and network with other delegates and make use of the extensive resource library.
You can easily track your progress throughout the course and submit your work and evidence of assignments for feedback.
How will you be assessed?
CCET
You will need to produce:
Multiple-choice questionnaires on the purpose and types of assessment and statistical principles.
A paper on the statistical principles that underpin psychometric tests.
A critical review of an educational test in line with European standards.
A test paper on intelligence testing and discrimination.
Video evidence of test administration competence.
A comprehensive written report of an assessment, including test scores from at least 2 administered psychometric tests.
Video evidence of competent oral feedback to a client or the client’s parents/ carers.
AAC
You will need to:
View content to familiarise yourself with the JCQ regulations and the Equality Act, Form 8 and file note completion and online application for exam access.
Complete multiple-choice questionnaire on JCQ regulations, principles, exam access application and the Equality Act.
Complete a practice, formative Form 8 assessment for one of two given case studies.
Assess a suitable student without a medical need or EHCP using appropriate test/s, anonymise and upload correctly completed and scored examiner forms.
Complete and upload a summative, anonymised Form 8 for that student.
Am I eligible?
You will need to hold an undergraduate degree to study the Masters in Pastoral Care in Education .
You will need to be working in an educational setting for this programme. If you aren’t currently working in an educational setting you will need written permission from a senior member of staff to regularly access a setting.
Please note: Some of our modules have specific eligibility requirements. Please check the course pages for more information.
Are you based in an international setting?
This programme is available online and can therefore be completed anywhere in the world. The programme content is designed and written with both UK and international settings in mind.
Please click here for advice on payment options and other information relevant to those studying outside of the UK.
Choose a start date that suits you
Cohorts begin in January, May and September.
The next cohort begins on 15 September 2024. Book and enrol before 15 September 2024 to join our next cohort.
How much does it cost?
We offer a flexible range of fees to suit your finances. Please refer to the module pages to see the cost of each individual module.
The cost of a PGCert with Real Training (made up of 60 credits) varies, typically you could expect it to cost between £2,495 + VAT and £2,990 + VAT.
The cost of a PGDip with Real Training (made up of 120 credits) varies. Typically, two 30 credit modules and one 60 credit module will cost approximately £5,485 + VAT.
The cost of a Master of Education in SEND and Inclusion: Pastoral with Real Training (made up of 180 credits) varies. Typically, two 30 credit modules, and two 60 credit modules – including the obligatory Enquiry-Based Practice module – will cost £7,980 + VAT.
To find out the exact cost of your chosen pathway, visit the module pages linked above.
How long does it take to achieve the full Masters in Pastoral Care in Education?
It depends. Most delegates tend to complete the programme within 3-5 years. It usually takes a year to complete a module, however some delegates will choose to study 2 modules at a time. It also depends if a delegate has existing credits that they can bring into the programme.
Delegates may be able to bring in credits they have achieved with another provider. If you think this could apply to you, find out more about Recognition of Prior Learning.
You are able to take breaks between the modules if need be, however, as long as you return to complete the programme within 5 years, your credits will remain valid.
What other Masters programmes does Real Training offer?
We offer a number of Masters programmes, enabling you to develop specialist skills in SEND, pastoral care or leadership:
The next cohort begins on 15 September 2024. Book and enrol before 15 September 2024 to join our next cohort.
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