Our Nurture Provision directly supports our mission of ‘Inspiring Excellence for All’, ensuring we continue to strive to meet the needs of all the children in our care. Secure in the belief that unconditional positive regard is the most powerful mechanism for change – together we will work to achieve strong academic and social outcomes for all.
Why Nurture?
A message from Kevin Kibble (CEO of Nurture UK)
‘Sometimes children need extra support to help them with their learning, making friends and growing into confident and successful individuals. Nurture groups can help provide that support for children and parents to give them the skills they need to do well at school, and deal more confidently and calmly with the trials and tribulations of everyday life.’
At Tudor Academy, we believe that nurture groups, alongside a whole school nurturing ethos, can have a real impact on all pupil’s wellbeing, not only on children with SEBD/SEMH needs but across the whole school population, by making everyone feel safe, heard and valued.
What is a Nurture Group provision?
Nurture groups are a short-term, focused intervention for children with particular social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, which are creating a barrier to learning within a mainstream school. Children attending the nurture group remain an active part of their main class, spending appropriate times within the nurture group according to their need, and typically return full time to their own class within two to four terms. Activities in the nurture group include emotional literacy sessions, news sharing, nurture breakfast/snack time and regular curriculum activities.
How are children identified for Nurture Group provision?
Children are identified as needing additional support in school through observations made by staff and parents alongside discussions with the children themselves. The children often find it difficult to form trusting relationships with adults or to respond appropriately to other children making them not yet ready to meet the social and intellectual demands of school life. SNAP B and Boxall Profile assessments are completed and social and developmental targets are identified in order to focus the provision to meet the needs of an individual child.
Where does Nurture Group provision take place at Tudor Academy?
Children are immersed in an accepting and warm environment that helps replace missing/distorted early nurturing experiences and helps pupils develop positive relationships with both adults and peers. We have developed a learning space, which incorporates smaller classrooms in The Hub and The Nest. The Snug promotes a cosy area to talk whilst The Hive encourages a release of energy through a carefully guided exercise circuit and The Sensory Room provides a sense of calm, promoting space to self-regulate behaviours.
What are the benefits of a Nurture Group provision?
Underpinned by the six principles of Nurture, we aim to ensure our children are successful in achieving the following outcomes:
What impact can a Nurture Group provision have on parent-child relationships ?
Nurture groups also have a positive impact on the parent-child relationship (Pyle 2015), with children being more affectionate and communicative at home, and parents feeling more confident in being able to help their children (Ofsted 2011). At Tudor Academy, we believe parents are essential in developing the whole child. We actively engage in daily catch-ups with parents (with the class teacher or nurture group adults at the start of the day at Nurture Breakfast or end of the day pick up). Children’s targets are shared and explained with progress celebrated. Additionally, parents are supported in their own self-development through parenting courses such as ParentGym and Families Connect.
