Thornhill Primary School Introduction to Thornhill Nurture Group Veronica Lucas, Julie Whyte, Krystal Whyte, Charlann Sharpes and Sarah Barclay Nurture Group Team

Aim of Session To introduce Nurture Groups as an intervention tool for inclusion.

Nurture Groups Introduction Why run a Nurture Group? What does a Nurture Group look like? What happens in Nurture Groups Rational for Nurture Groups Which children will benefit from being in a Nurture Group? Principles of a Nurture Group Relationship between Nurture Group and wider school Relationship between Nurture Group and parents What Ofsted said Outcome of Nurture Groups Useful information Questions

Introduction Devised by Marjorie Boxall and Marion Bennathan (Educational Psychologists )in 1970’s in Hackney. Small supportive class in a mainstream setting Based on a holistic view of education: emotional, social and cognitive. Now popular in many LA’s and outlined as good practice in government publications and by Ofsted Evaluation demonstrates a range of positive outcomes for the children, parents and the whole school.

Why run a Nurture Group? The purpose of the Nurture Group is to enable children to engage with and access the curriculum in their class. To provide a flexible and preventative resource, which is responsive to the particular needs of the children attending our school. To provide ongoing assessment and support for children showing signs of emotional, stress and behaviour difficulties with the aim of enabling the child to access the curriculum and participate fully in school life. To provide a secure and consistent environment where children can learn by : re- experiencing pre-school nurture from two caring adults who actively work towards their successful integration into their mainstream class. To help children to learn to behave appropriately, use their curiosity constructively, improve their self-esteem and develop their confidence through close and trusting relationships with adults. To work in partnership with class teachers and parents to enable consistency of approach, both at home and at school.

What does a Nurture Group look like? 8-10 children, 2 adults (usually 1 teacher, 1 TA or 2 Nurture Trained Leaders) Four afternoons, using the fifth afternoon for planning 2-4 terms but remain part of their class Language, emotional development and communication is the most important focal point in a Nurture group Parents are consulted by letter before their children are placed in the Nurture group. Regular communication with parents is vital for the progress and wellbeing of each individual child.

What happens in a Nurture group Group activities to develop communication, social and emotional literacy skills. Informal activities, snack time, creative tasks and play. Formal activities, –The snack time provides platform for developing communication and sharing feelings. –Topic based learning –Team building- two nurture groups working together –The Nurture Group children join their peers for activities each day, and will also take part in the mainstream class if they have visitors or go out on trips. –Communication between the parents, class teacher and Nurture Group staff needs to be constant. Staff meetings, PPA, written records and parents evenings.

Butterflies Timetable

The Butterflies Room Kitchen Area

Cosy Corner Working Area

Wall Displays

Visual Timetable Construction Area

Role Play Area Behaviour Board

Home Corner

Rationale for Nurture Groups Sufficient emotional, social and cognitive development in the earliest years is the product of adequate and attentive early nurturing care – Attachment Theory A tie of affection which exists between child and caregiver and which leads the child to seek comfort from and feel safe in the caregiver’s presence.

Rationale for Nurture Groups Children may not have experienced full range of play activities and early learning experiences or experienced these within the context of an attentive nurturing relationship. This is not to make judgements about children’s up bringing but to understand that child development is complex and impacted by many factors.

Which children will benefit from Being in a Nurture Group? Children who are very restless, cannot listen, behave impulsively or aggressively Children who are withdrawn and unresponsive Children who have difficulty relating to adults and peers Children who find it difficult to express their emotions Children who appear to be underachieving and find it difficult to access the curriculum The key tool for schools is the Boxall Profile. It is used to measure a child’s level of emotional and behavioural skills, highlighting areas for intervention and to evaluate progress made.

Principles of a Nurture Group All Nurture Groups adhere to the six principles set out by the Nurture Group Network 1.Children’s learning is understood developmentally 2.The classroom offers a safe place 3.Language is a vital means of communication 4.Nurture is important for the development of self esteem 5.All behaviour is a communication 6.The importance of transition in a child’s life

Relationship between Nurture Group and wider school In September, the children remain in their class for the first three weeks, to establish relationships, routines and to find their place within the class Boxall profiles are completed with the child’s previous teacher The nurture team plan for each session with input from the class teachers Importance of sharing progress and success with class teacher, peers and whole school The Nurture children are expected to take part in all aspects of school life e.g. assemblies, break times, school trips, visitors and privilege time When independent learning has been reached, a staggered reintegration is discussed with the class teacher

Relationship Between Nurture Group and parents To help the parent get involved with our nurture group we: Invite the parents in to meet with us, before their child starts in Nurture Host coffee afternoons once per term, so the parents can see what their children have been working on and to ask questions Offer time at the end of the day to meet with a parent if there are any problems Ask parents to fill in a nurture questionnaire and comment on their child’s progress

What Ofsted Said T he school has spent some extra funding on a nurture group for a small number of pupils who find school hard to manage and they make very good progress. Pupils with behavioural and emotional difficulties are successfully helped through the well-targeted support of the nurture team, and a specialist team devoted to supporting pupils identified with these needs. (Jan 2011) Nurture groups and emotional literacy programmes are effective in helping pupils adjust well to school. All staff pay clear attention to the equality of opportunity of all. This is an inclusive school where children are very successfully encouraged and supported to play their full part. (Jan 2011) Teachers and other adults manage behaviour very well and, as a result, pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school. Disruption to learning is very rare because all staff follow the good procedures. Pupils who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties improve their behaviour quickly because they are so well supported. The nurture group is especially effective in helping pupils who find managing their own behaviour difficult. (Nov 2012)

What Ofsted Said Continued ‘Nurture groups – A shining example of brilliance with evidence to show impact over time. SIP Visit November ‘14’

Outcomes of Nurture Groups Helps children re-establish good relationships adults and begin to see school as a place to experience success Improves behaviour, attainment and attendance rates (Arnold, Boyd and Cooper, 2001) Longer-term benefits of early intervention-enhancing resilience e.g. promoting regular school attendance and positive friendships Positive impact on whole school ethos (Arnold, Boyd and Cooper, 2001)

Useful information Bennathan Marion Boxall Marjorie, Effective Intervention in Primary Schools, Nurture Groups, 2 nd edition, David Fulton Publishers 2000 Bishop Simon, Running a Nurture Group, Sage Publication 2008 Lucas Sylvia, Nurture Groups in Schools, Principles and Practice 2 nd edition, Sage Publications Ltd 2010 Plummer Deborah, Helping Children To Build Self-esteem, Jessica Kingsley Publication Ltd 2001 Sonnet Helen, Nurturing Success, LDA 2008

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