What is Nurture?

Nurture. It's a phrase that many of us within education have heard. We may have met, observed or even supported individuals running nurture groups. But what is nurture and why is it so important?

Nurture is a concept rooted in supporting social and emotional development in children. Many children who will benefit from nurture provision experience social and emotional literacy difficulties due to special educational needs (SEN), early childhood experiences or trauma, and/or attachment issues due to their experience as a Child Looked After (CAL - those who are in foster care or have been adopted). It is in increasingly popular programme used in schools, pupil referral units, special education and beyond because of the marked benefits that studies have repeatedly shown such as better academic performance, meaningful friendships, better attendance, reduced health problems and significantly lower rates of committing criminal offences (Lucas et al., 2006). It enables them to experience the nurturing relationships they may have missed out on during early childhood. It is underpinned by six principles.

1. Children's Learning is understood developmentally

It is not helpful to respond to children's progress by stating what they "should" be able to do for their chronological age. Instead, progress is measured in terms of development using the Boxall Profile Handbook. Each step is celebrated as a success and children are judged 'as positive, non-judgemental way.

2. The classroom offers a safe base

The classroom is intentionally set up in a way that contains children's anxieties. The way this occurs will differ from setting to setting and mainly depend on the children themselves. Many children in a nurture group find changes anxiety-inducing and have poor self-image due to their early childhood experiences. Therefore, before learning can begin, those basic needs of security and acceptance need to be met. Consequently, nurture provision is based on consistency, routine and a mix of formal and informal learning underpinned by the social and emotional aspects of learning.

3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing

Nurture emphasises secure relationships and the development of social and emotional skills. Adults and children participate in reciprocal activities such as reading and play, where everything is verbalised. It's not about the speed of the journey but the fact that children get there, with each step actively noticed and celebrated.

4. Language is a vital means of communication

Language is not focused on words themselves but as a means of expressing and vocalising emotions. There's a mix of informal and formal learning opportunities including shared meals that facilitate this development as well as creating a safe space for children to communicate through behaviour where they lack the expressive vocabulary. This is also where the zones of regulation come into play.

5. All behaviour is communication

All children sometimes express their needs through behaviour. Whether it's excitement, confusion or anger, it's sometimes hard to emotionally express them using words. As adults, we have to keep an open, accepting and curious mind in helping children to manage their behaviour and self regulating. We have to ask ourselves "What are they trying to communicate through their behaviour?". This helps staff to respond in a calm and nurturing way, particularly on those harder days where we feel a little more tightly wound.

6. The importance of transition in Children's lives

Children are frequently making transitions every day. From school to home. From class to break. From inside to outside, and so on. CAL and SEND children find these especially tricky and at times, distressing. These transitions are important and require adult support for children to transition as smoothly as possible.

How do children become part of a Nurture Group?

Children who have been identified as having Social, Emotional and Mental Health issues (SEMH) will often be referred for further support, and this may include a nurture group or nurture activities run by a specialist teacher, support worker or learning mentor. Their needs are assessed as part of a multi- agency approach and using Boxall Profiles. These could be a post in and of itself. In a nutshell, it's a two strand assessment checklist of development that identifies the strategies and support children need to fulfil their potential.

How does a Nurture Group work?

Nurture groups are run to help and support children with their social and emotional development. The staff involved model nurturing, positive relationships with one another as a pattern for the children to follow and use a range of formal and informal learning strategies to facilitate this development.

Further Reading

I hope you have found this post helpful and you're able to take away some information about Nurture. Of course, as educators we're all on a learning journey and so I think it's only right and fair to signpost you to some fabulous resources that will give you a lot more detail and information

Nurture UK - nurtureuk.org

Norfolk Nurture Hub - norfolknurturehub.org

SEN Local Offer - localoffer.bradford.gov.uk