Pastoral care is the term used in education in the United Kingdom to describe the structures, practices and approaches to support the welfare, well-being and development of children and young people. This article takes a historical perspective and charts the shifts in priorities that pastoral care practice has taken over the past 50 years. The purpose of the overview is to challenge the notion of a common discourse or shared understandings. The article goes on to look at "care" as a concept and to underline the need for an increasingly multi-agency staff with different cultures, language and priorities to establish what is meant by care and pastoral care in schools and beyond, with a view to a greater understanding and more effective working practices.