ABSTRACT
Not many would disagree that the process and quality of nurturing has a great influence upon the building of a child’s character and its future. Section 1 of the Education Reform Act 1988 (ERA) places a statutory responsibility upon schools to provide a balanced and broadly based curriculum which:
• promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and
• prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. (DES, 1988)
The integration of the knowledge, skills and attitudes in the foundation subjects and the cross-curricular aspects of the National Curriculum clearly demonstrate the importance placed upon the development of the whole child. If the aim of the school is to prepare the child for adult life, pastoral care and careers guidance must remain a central concern of the whole-school curriculum. It is essential to remember that a school is a community in which children live, learn and grow into individuals who can achieve and participate in a pluralist democracy.
