Posts by Cressida Wyer
The Princi-PALS: Introducing the Six Principles of Nurture to children
From Deepi Dhaliwal | Deputy Headteacher at Lorne Street Primary School in Glasgow
At nurtureuk, the Six Principles of Nurture underpin everything we do.
Through our training courses like the National Nurturing Schools Programme, we ask schools to define and explain the Six Nurture Principles to pupils, parents and carers, staff and other stakeholders, to ensure they are embedded and understood across the whole school community. Pupils often translate the Principles into language or concepts that resonate with them, and we have seen some brilliant examples of this over the years.
Whilst thinking about how her pupils, at Lorne Street Primary School in Glasgow, could embrace the Six Principles of Nurture, deputy headteacher Deepi Dhaliwal created a fantastic resource to help other educators introduce the Principles in a child-friendly way.
Each principle is brought to life via a group of friendly characters. Do you want to meet the Nurture Princi-PALS?
A whole-school approach to nurture using children's voices
1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally, with Leo Learning
Leo Learning teaches that everyone has unique abilities and needs. Teaches should use Leo to encourage children to reflect and compare on their own appearance and abilities. What might help Leo Learning and us all to learn? Think: respect, quiet, equipment, etc.
2. The classroom offers a safe base, with Sara Safe
Sara Safe teaches children what safe means and how this might look different to different people. Use Sara Safe to encourage pupils to share what makes them feel safe and why, and what does safe feel like?
Follow-up activities on designing ‘safety glasses’ and the ‘I feel beary safe’ task.
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing, with William Wellbeing
William Wellbeing helps us to describe different emotions, and encourages children to give examples of ones that they have experienced. You can use him to discuss self-care strategies for wellbeing when bad emotions arise.
4. Language is a vital means of communication, with Luna Language
In The Six Principles of Nurture, Luna Language helps children to express how they feel with the right language. Children are encouraged to share their thoughts with others, with reasons for their answers.
With Luna Language, teachers can emphasise that all feelings are okay, and language helps to communicate our emotions in a positive way. Try asking, who is your favourite person to talk to and why?
5. All behaviour is communication, with Broadie Behaviour
Broadie Behaviour is helpful in explaining that there are parts of life that we can control, and parts that we cannot. With Broadie, we can recognise the situations that can trigger us or others to behave negatively.
Broadie Behaviour teaches us that everybody has worries, but it is how we manage these worries and look after ourselves that matters. We don’t, worrying can result in concerning behaviour such as anger, stress, or sadness.
Broadie Behaviour comes with Circles of Control activity sheet and a Worry Monster template for children to complete.
6. The importance of transitions in children’s lives, with Tory Transition
With Tory Transition, we can help children to plan their weekly routine and demonstrate a positive approach during times of change. Tory Transition helps children to understand that life is filled with ups and downs, and sometimes things don’t go our way. Can the children think of a time this has happened to them? Tory Transition highlights how planning can help us feel prepared for change and ready for the unexpected.
Each Princi-PAL has its own learning plan, resources and additional activities to support educators to explain the Six Principles to pupils in their own setting. You can download this brilliant resource from Deepi Dhaliwal for free below.
From Deepi Dhaliwal | Deputy Headteacher at Lorne Street Primary School in Glasgow
NEW DATA: Severe school absences are linked to rising unemployment in young people
Recent data from the Department for Education (DfE) reveals that a staggering 1.49 million pupils miss 10% of their lessons, a rate nearly double the pre-pandemic level of absenteeism in 2018/19. This while unemployment in young people is at a peak.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has also found that 103,600 were not in education, employment or training (NEET).
My 5 key takeaways on the findings:
A slight improvement in persistent absences
The persistent absence rate (pupils missing 10% or more of their possible sessions) has gone down to 20.0% in 2023/24. The fall was reflected across all school types, with the largest improvement in primary schools, where the rate dropped to 14.6%. Department for Education data shows that Year 6 pupils who attended nearly every day were twice as likely to achieve the standard in reading, writing and maths compared to persistently absent pupils, so it’s worth celebrating the success of efforts to re-engage younger pupils.
However, the fact that a quarter of secondary school students are still persistently absent is concerning. Missing just 10 days of year 11 reduces the likelihood of achieving grade 5 in English and Maths by around 50%, and the high absence rates in key stage 4 highlights the scale of the challenge ahead in closing the GCSE attainment gap.
A growing concern for severe absenteeism
While persistent absenteeism has slightly declined, severe absenteeism (pupils missing 50% or more of their possible sessions) rose to 2.3% equating to 171,000 pupils. The rise in severe absenteeism was observed across all school types, indicating that at the sharp end of the attendance crisis, more pupils are disconnecting from education at all key stages.
This trend is particularly concerning because pupils who attend just 50 to 55% of the time are twice as likely as pupils who are severely absent to achieve their expected grades. With severe absence rates now triple the pre-pandemic rates from 2018/19, there is a moral and social justice imperative to support the pupils that are at the highest risk of falling behind academically, disengaging entirely from school, and eventually becoming NEET.
The impact on young people's future prospects
The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that for 16-17-year-olds, the not in education, employment or training (NEET) rate stands at 4.6%, due to legislation requiring them to remain in education or training, but this rate spikes as soon as they turn 18.
In the 16-24 age group, 837,000 were NEET in England. This continues an upward trend of unemployment in young people since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis suggests over 1 in 6 of those NEET currently report having a mental health condition.
Even those in work raise the importance of their social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) with over two-fifths of those young people already in the workplace perceiving that their mental health is a barrier to their progression.
How absences in schools contribute to NEET rates
Pupils who miss large amounts of school struggle to catch up on missed work. They also miss out on opportunities to improve resilience and motivation by non-participation in extra-curricular activities and space to build solid relationships with their peers. Over time, this can result in low levels of transferable skills needed to succeed in the labour market such as communication, teamwork, and problem solving. This can make it harder for them to secure and thrive in employment, particularly in a competitive job market where adaptability is key.
Illness was the most common reason for absence in 2023/24, highlighting a vicious cycle where physical illness often leads to missed school, which in turn leads to isolation, anxiety, and low self-esteem, and other mental health issues that impact academic and life outcomes.
So how do we tackle the rising NEET rates and reduce school absences?
To reduce NEET rates and address the attendance crisis, early intervention is a crucial first step to equipping pupils with the skills and resilience they need to make the most of life and reduce unemployment rates in young people.
We at nurtureuk have always championed a graduated approach to improving outcomes. Given the rising incidence of mental health conditions among NEET young people, prioritising SEMH measurement using tools such as The Boxall Profile® and developing a whole school approach that supports all students, especially the most vulnerable students is key to ensuring that those that are most likely to become persistently or severely absent are supported with tailored interventions.
Around one-third of pupils do not feel like they belong at their school, according to the Department for Education. For students struggling with attendance, alternatives such as nurture groups could help re-engage them and keep them on track. Nurture group staff within schools tend to develop superior knowledge of the young person, leading to better support for parents towards ensuring access to relevant external services.
As we approach summer term, these findings by the Department for Education are a wake-up call for all stakeholders to prioritise the reforms that will foster the development of inclusive schools where young people feel safe and happy. An accountability system that values inclusion, SEMH and wellbeing is crucial if we want to tackle the attendance crisis and develop a more balanced education culture that promotes good mental health and improved life outcomes.
Insight & Research Manager | nurtureuk
Government funded Senior Mental Health Lead training
A pioneering programme to support mental health in schools is reaching a conclusion as its Department for Education funding comes to an end.
As an accredited provider on the department’s Senior Mental Health Lead training framework, nurtureuk trained school leaders and practitioners over the full length of the funded programme, which supported schools in England to access quality-assured training.
This intensive training programme equipped educators with the expertise and skills needed to champion mental health and wellbeing within their educational settings by creating a more nurturing school, or by developing use of the Boxall Profile® Online assessment tool in their schools.
"This programme represents a significant investment in the mental health of our young people," said Tom Ryan, Director of Products and Services at nurtureuk.
"Senior Mental Health Leads who’ve completed our training are equipped to drive positive change and create a lasting impact on the wellbeing of their school communities."
While this funded programme is now at an end, nurtureuk remains committed to supporting schools in prioritising the wellbeing of their pupils. Our products and services are designed to support schools in creating healthy environments where pupils can succeed, feel engaged and want to be in school.
Why do schools need mental health support?
Children are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing like never before, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. We've seen a huge impact on children and young people's social, emotional and mental health needs. Plus, teachers have reported an increase in anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, and school refusing.
Mental health training in schools, along with a whole-school nurture approach, is effective in supporting children back into school and establishing safe spaces.