Re-engineering the Horizontally Challenged Pastoral System

The writers, as Section Manager and head of an inner‐city school under Special Measures, describe the school’s approach to the re‐engineering of its pastoral system from a horizontal, year‐based system, to a semi‐vertical ‘family’ system. The article explores the reasons for the change, the planning process and the outcomes and suggests ways of implementing successful change over a short time‐frame.