Nurture groups are specialised classes led by teachers within regular schools. They provide tailored support for students who face social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Nurture groups use evidence-based techniques based on research. The programmes offer an inclusive, short-term intervention customised to each student's needs. This targeted support enables long-term benefits.
The main goal of nurture groups is to address the social, emotional and academic requirements of individual students. The programmes help students remove obstacles that hinder their learning and development. By providing a nurturing environment, students can build confidence, relationships, and coping abilities. This allows students to engage more effectively in school and learning.
Nurture groups focus on each student's unique needs and challenges. Some students may struggle in a regular classroom environment. However, in the small setting and individualised approach of nurture classes, they are given space to thrive. This promotes their overall wellbeing and educational progress.
Classes are run by specially trained adults, who can help children improve their self-esteem and confidence. They achieve this by offering a slow-moving, supportive environment based on routines. This school based learning environment will provide pupils with a learning foundation. From this, they can move on to permanent and full-time placement in a mainstream classroom. t.
The teaching team follows the main six principles:
The Educational Psychology Service has successfully launched nurture groups in several North Somerset primary and secondary schools. These were well received by the Department of Education (DfE) and Ofsted.
We appoint a Senior Educational Psychologist to supervise the implementation of nurture groups. They provide this via group supervision of nurture leads. The Senior EP also provides strategic support to senior leadership teams. This is to ensure that the six principles of nurture are embedded as whole-school approach.
“I would like to say how grateful I am that [my child] has had this opportunity to attend [nurture provision]. This has helped him feel so confident and proud of himself".
“The [nurture provision] has provided a consistent, calm and most importantly safe environment for my son. With the consistency of the two teachers in the nurture provision he has been able to establish attachments which has been essential to his feeling safe in school”.
“This calming environment and the routine have been able to help him regulate but most importantly learn (…) Where school had previously felt unsafe the nurture provision has been an essential part of him settling in and being happy in a new school environment”.
“If they had had something like this when I was at school, things could have turned out differently for me”.
If you are interested in setting up a nurture group or finding out more about how the Educational Psychology Service can support you, please email Dr Victoria Biu.