Nurture
‘A child learns best when they have strong self-esteem, a sense of belonging and resilience’
The Nurture Groups started at Christ Church in 2015 and the range and care has grown from there.
Each small group attends the nurture room which is decorated to create a welcoming and relaxed environment, here each child can feel safe and secure, helping them develop their individual needs further.
The Purpose and Philosophy of Nurture.
Nurture Group re-visits early learning skills, it promotes and supports the children’s social and emotional development.
There is a lot of research evidence that shows children’s learning is most effective when they have a sense of emotional well-being, good self-esteem, and a feeling of belonging to their school community. It helps to develop their maturity and resilience.
The philosophy of the Nurture Room is drawn from the principles established by the work of Marjorie Boxall, and exemplified by ‘The Nurture Group Network’, for more information please see www.nurturegroups.org. Christ Church draw on these principles, the SEAL curriculum and adapt these to meet our whole school PHSE ‘SCARF’ Curriculum. Giving each individual child more focus on their developmental needs.
Who can attend the Nurture Group?
Nurture is open to any child in school. They can attend for a variety of reasons, for example:
-friendship difficulties
-quiet, shy, withdrawn
-struggling with listening to others or joining in
-low self-esteem
-disruptive towards others
-new to school
-difficulties accepting losing a game
-finding it hard to share or take turns
-bullying
-poor relationships
-bereavement
-family illness or break-up
How will the Nurture Group help my child?
The Nurture Group will help boost self-esteem and confidence, it provides children with extra help to support them with improving their social skills and independence. Helping them understand themselves more and develop socially and emotionally.
How often will my child attend?
Children attend 1 session a week for either 45 minutes (year 1) or 1 hour (years 2-6). These sessions run over 2 terms and children will not miss out on any special events like trips, special visitors, or special assemblies.
An afternoon in Nurture.
The Nurture Group sessions cover many areas including emotions, self-esteem, worries, changes, friendships, listening skills, compliments, goals, and achievements.
The session begins with a check in, where the children choose either the feeling fans or Blob Tree to share how they are doing. Followed by an ice-breaker activity, core activity, reflection with snack and drink, then relaxation.
Nurture Group enables children to form positive attachments with others, to make the right choices and to understand why they make these choices, to know they have a voice and that their voice is important. It helps children to build their self-esteem and to be resilient and reflective.
If you wish to discuss the Nurture Groups further or feel that your child may benefit from attending a group, then please contact a member of the Pastoral Team.