The article will consider the challenges that pastoral care in education faces to ensure that it continues to make a positive contribution to the learning experience of children and young people living in the 21st century. It will discuss how in recent years the purpose of education has been questioned by writers and the implications this may have for developing effective pastoral structures and systems and for the priorities of staff in their pastoral roles in the future. It will reflect on why there has been a need for pastoral care in education and why it is needed to support the academic achievement and personal development of children and young people in the future. The article will examine the important contribution pastoral care makes to the socialisation process and how this has been highlighted by the experience of the pandemic. In conclusion, four recommendations are made about how pastoral care in education can respond to the challenges of the 21st century and ensure that children and young people are provided with the support they need to succeed in their education, face the challenges of the modern workplace and in their future lives and make a positive contribution to society.