Whilst one may feel that schools operate in a market where league tables drive choice, the statement made by Johnson (1990, quoting Petch's (1986) survey of 1000 parents) that "the majority of parents who are exercising choice on behalf of their child are doing so from a humanistic rather than technological perspective, being less concerned with measurable criteria than with the creation of an atmosphere supportive of the child's well being" still resonates. The well-being, maybe even happiness of a child, will be paramount in many parents' and carers' minds. An effective system of pastoral support is seen to be an important factor in the development of such a supportive atmosphere. Even though the majority of secondary schools have a pastoral system organized around heads of year, much of the literature concentrates on academic middle management and those involved in managing the pastoral well-being of pupils have been somewhat sidelined. This article is based on interviews with four heads of year from two different schools and is an attempt to describe how the pastoral role is integrated into the overall structure of the schools involved--the roles they take and the interactions in which they are involved. The interviews also explored the responsibility that they have within the framework of performance management and professional development.