Careers Guides

Becoming a Pastoral Support Officer

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The Role of a Pastoral Support Officer

The role of the Pastoral Support Officer involves setting appropriate boundaries for students who have additional behavioural needs, and may exhibit complex barriers to learning. As a result of your strength of practice you will support other staff in their development in these areas. 

Pastoral Support Officer Skills & Requirements

You can start a career as a Pastoral Support Officer by obtaining a relevant qualification such as a Level 2 SEN Teaching Assistant. Each course, qualification and provider will have their own entry requirements for these courses. If you’d like to know what the requirements are for our SEN Teaching Assistant course then click here.

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Pastoral Support Officer Salary

The average pastoral support officer salary in the United Kingdom is £23,609 per year or £12.11 per hour.

Entry level positions start at £21,364 per year while most experienced workers make up to £27,899 per year.

Pastoral Support Officer Working Hours

As a Pastoral Support Officer, you will normally work 37-40 hours a week plus term time.

Pastoral Support Officers will often benefit from school holidays. 

The summer term stretches from the end of the Easter break to mid-July.


It includes a half term week long holiday in late May.


This is usually the busiest time, with later students sitting their GCSE’s.

The academic school year starts in early September, with the term stretching till Christmas.


The winter term is a half term holiday, usually a week long at the end of October.


Most schools have a 2 week end of term holiday stretching over New Year and Christmas.

This is the spring term and stretches from early January to Easter.


Easter usually falls on a different weekend each year, so the end of term two-week break can be either early April or late March.


This term also included a week-long half term break, usually in mid-February.

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Pastoral Support Officer Career Progression

If you’re looking to earn a higher salary as a Pastoral Support Officer then you should look into acquiring additional skills and knowledge that will be useful in the job. Having the right supporting qualifications is going to help you to be considered for higher level positions or a better paying job in a new workplace.

Having a qualification in safeguarding is useful in any setting where you’ll be working with children or vulnerable people. You could also look at a course in understanding autism or getting your first aid qualification. With supporting qualifications you will be seen as a more valuable potential employee and will be more likely to get those higher paying jobs, as well as being considered for higher level positions as you progress.

You could also train for a career in social services, the probation service, youth work or education welfare.

Ready to start your journey?

We offer both Level 2 and Level 3 Courses & Qualifications. Some of these may be eligible for government funded learning meaning you could study for free subject to eligibility.

Here's how to get started: