Nurturing School
The concept of nurture highlights the importance of social environments – who you’re with, and not who you’re born to – and its significant influence on social emotional skills, wellbeing and behaviour. Children and young people who have a good start in life are shown to have significant advantages over those who have experienced missing or distorted early attachments. They tend to do better at school, attend regularly, form more meaningful friendships and are significantly less likely to offend or experience physical or mental health problems.
The nurturing approach offers a range of opportunities for young people to engage with missing early nurturing experiences, giving them the social and emotional skills to do well at school and with peers, develop their resilience and their capacity to deal more confidently with the trials and tribulations of life, for life.
Whole-School Approach
A Nurturing approach towards learning promotes healthy outcomes for pupils by responding to their emotional needs. The process is supported by The Six Principles of Nurture (see diagram). The approach to Nurture ensures that every child in the school has the opportunity to flourish in their education. Whether a young person enters the education system with early childhood trauma, or experiences it during their time in education, we work to measure and support the social, emotional and mental health of all children, so no child falls through the cracks.
Nurture Groups
Participants in the Nurture group attend the Nurture Room. Each group is run by two members of staff. Groups vary in size depending on the individual needs of participates. Nurture Groups are a school-based intervention, the aim is to replace missing early experiences by developing positive pupil relationships with teachers and peers in a supportive home like environment. The Nurture Room has a relaxation space, kitchen space and a study area.
Effective Nurture Group practice follows the six principles of nurture. Our assessment tool, the Boxall Profile determines which pupils would require to be in the Nurture Group based on their social, emotional, and mental health needs.