Nurture
What is the purpose of our Nurture Group?
Nurture Group provides children with experiences that promote good development and help them to make trusting relationships with adults or to relate appropriately to other children so that they can settle in school.
Our Aims
- To use professional assessment to develop individual nurture plans
- To provide an intimate and safe environment, where children will experience targeted socio-emotional and behavioural interventions from two dedicated staff
- To provide a relaxed and purposeful environment, free from mainstream classroom and curriculum pressures
- To build trusting and collaborative relationships with children, parents and teaching staff
- To provide an environment that supports and listens to children in order to meet their individual needs
- To develop the self-esteem, confidence, social skills and independence that will allow children to integrate successfully into their mainstream class full time
How it works at Hardwick
Our Nurture Groups have between 6 and 8 children, and take place in our Rainbow Room. Our Rainbow Team staff plan and deliver our Nurture Group provision.
There are two Nurture Leaders at Hardwick Primary School. Mrs Oliver leads provision for our Early Years and Key Stage 1 children and Mrs Yates leads provision for children in Key Stage 2. They are both are fully trained to assess children, then plan and deliver Nurture Groups.
The Rainbow Team work alongside the Head of School, Mrs. Sandhu. We liaise closely with class teachers to ensure that children maintain relationships in class whilst attending their Nurture Group.
Children are collected from their class they and are returned to their class at the end of each session. We provide a carefully routined session, where there is a balance of teaching and learning, affection and structure within a home-like atmosphere.
Which children benefit from Nurture Groups?
Nurture Group placements are recognised to be beneficial for children who present as:
- Restless, cannot listen, behave impulsively or aggressively;
- Withdrawn, isolated, rejected and unresponsive and have difficulty making relationships and relating to others;
- Whose known early or recent history suggests that they may be at risk of exclusion and/or developing mental health difficulties.
Before children begin their Nurture Group experience the class teacher and Rainbow Team carry out an assessment. Focus areas are identified and become targets on the child’s ‘Nurture Plan.’ These are shared with parents / carers and are reviewed each term.
How long does a child spend in the Nurture Group?
Children attend one half day Nurture Group session. They spend the remainder of the time in their classroom. During the session the staff act as role models in everything they do and say in front of the children. The relationship between the adults is explicitly supportive and considerate, providing a role model which children observe with interest and begin to copy. Each session has a ‘snack time’ as food is the most fundamental expression of care. Children will have much opportunity for social learning and will help staff to prepare and serve food for the group. As children learn, academically and socially, they develop confidence, become responsive to others, learn self-respect and they take pride in behaving well and in achieving.
Copies of our Nurture Group Leaflets can be found below