Nurture Groups

1
Nurture Groups

• An outline of the Nurture Group at
• Marlborough Primary School

2
Theoretical Basis

• Attachment theory
• Affective techniques
• Behaviour management
• Adapted curriculum
• Accelerated learning

3
What is a Nurture Group?

• Since 1992 Marlborough Primary, has provided
• a Nurture Class to cater for a number of KS2
• children who require a high level of individual
• support. This small class of between 10 and 14
• pupils formed an effective way of supporting
• pupils learning and behavioural difficulties.
• The aim was, and remains, to provide a
• significantly lower pupil/teacher ratio than in
• other classes and so provide for a range of
• special educational needs. Criteria for entry to
• a nurture class may include any one or more of
• the following difficulties moderate learning,
• specific learning, speech and language,
• behavioural, emotional, social, immaturity and
• great reticence in larger groups.

4
Whos in a Nurture Group

• Intervention is currently with children at years
• 3 and 4. The Nurture Group has been a
• particularly effective strategy for inclusion
  with
• those children who have experienced serious
• social problems. Children who have come from
• conditions where it has not been possible to
• meet their minimum developmental needs.
• Children who frequently present in school as
• withdrawn, sad, afraid to attempt work or to mix
• with other children or they are aggressive to
• other children, unable to follow class routines
• and unresponsive to the efforts of their
• teacher to help them overcome their
• difficulties. The Nurture Group enables normal
• teaching methods to be adapted to help such
• children effectively.

5
What Happens in a Nurture Group?

• Genuine long-term learning takes place in an
  environment
• where the learner is able to take risks to risk
  being
• wrong and feel safe enough to reinvest the energy
  to try
• again. The Nurture Group creates a safe and
  secure base
• from which the learner can begin to practise and
• consolidate aspects of development that may have
  been
• missed along side many of the key skills of
  learning. It is
• an environment where the young learner can try
  again.
• Where their self-esteem is built up through
  structured
• Circle Time activities, where focused catch-up
  tasks are
• used to bring the pupils on and where powerful
  teaching
• and learning techniques such as the Literacy and
• Numeracy strategies engage them in creative and
  critical
• thinking. It is important that children
  experience
• success. Pupils in the Nurture Group are
  stretched and
• extended through involvement in community
  projects.
• Parents and carers are engaged as fully as
  possible. The
• pupils are exposed to a process of regular target
  setting
• and review.

6
Facts Figures (1)
Comparative SEN Figures for Marlborough Primary
Nurture Group (Jan 2000)
Source DfEE http//www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics/DB
/SFR/s0155/index.html Marlborough Primary SEN
Register.
7
Facts Figures (2)
Comparative attendance and FSM (1998)
8
Facts Figures (3)

• Nurture Group profile
• Spring 1999

9
Facts Figures (4)

• Spring 2000 Y5 cohort
• (last years Nurture Group)

10
Facts Figures (5)

• Nurture Group profile
• Spring 2000

11
Is it OFSTED proof?

• At Key Stage 2 the pupils with a Statement of
• Special Educational Need are taught in two small
• classes designated as 'nurture' classes. Although
  
• suitable equipment for information technology is
  not
• provided, the pupils have full access to the
  National
• Curriculum and religious education. They learn
  well
• and are effectively taught. They make good
  progress
• with the key learning skills of reading, spelling
  and
• number. Their work is normally well planned,
• appropriately challenging and taught at a brisk
  pace.
• The classes are managed outstandingly well and
• support staff are effectively deployed.
  Individual
• needs are assessed accurately the work set is
• generally satisfactorily matched with the
  abilities
• and needs of the pupils and Individual Education
  
• Plans are well constructed and used effectively,
• particularly in the nurture classes.
• (Marlborough Primary School OFSTED Report 1996)

12
Where next...

• The nurture group has offered unique
• way for Marlborough, a school in an
• area of high social deprivation, to
• successfully manage the tension
• between social inclusion and the
• raising of educational standards. It is
• our hope to see the principle of
• Nurture Groups developed and
• extended across the City. We would
• like to use the Nurture Group to
• explore ways of bringing children
• back into mainstream education. It is
• hoped that in the future we can
• include children from Special Schools
• into the Nurture Group and, in time,
• feed them back into a mainstream
• classroom. We would like to support a
• truly inclusive education system
• within Plymouth LEA.