Belfast Boys’ Model School is located in North Belfast, Ballysillan.
This secondary school has a strong reputation for supporting young men from challenging backgrounds, focusing on raising aspirations, improving educational outcomes, and fostering personal development.
Belfast Boys’ Model School, Northern Ireland
School context
Belfast Boys’ Model School is a secondary school serving 1,130 boys. Situated in a predominantly working class area, there is a high level of social and economic disadvantage in the community. Approximately 52% of the students qualify for free school meals.
The school has historically struggled with high levels of exclusions, low levels of attendance, and poor engagement from students. Over the past couple years, there were over 1,000 days of suspensions each year for all year groups.
The Troubles still have a lasting impact on the school and wider community due to the social deprivation. Many pupils are coming from areas that are affected by intergenerational disadvantage and trauma. This has made parental engagement challenging, with many families having hostile perceptions of school and a general apathy of education - a hangover from The Troubles.
Their nurture journey
Belfast Boys' Model School looked to nurture to help support their students' complex needs. They recognised that their children faced significant social, emotional and economic challenges that were barriers to them thriving within a school environment.
Academic success was not enough, they decided. They wanted to create a school culture rooted in care, connection and understanding with pupils. A place where they feel safe and valued.
“A nurturing approach allows us to do this, as well as allowing us to respond better to behavioral and emotional needs, while building strong relationships in order to give our pupils the tools to succeed.”
School context
A positive impact on attendance has been noted as a consequence of adopting a nurture philosophy. Pupils with low primary school attendance have improved their attendance after being involved in the nurture programme.
There has also been an improvement in engagement with the school from parents of pupils involved in the nurture group, and overall the school has improved relationships with parents.
Overall, there has been a reduction in suspensions this academic year due to the overarching nurture approach. They are currently tracking to have less than 700 suspension days in this academic year - a marked improvement on previous years.
The nurturing approach has brought significant benefits to staff as well as pupils. It has helped create a more positive, understanding school culture where staff feel more equipped to manage behaviour, build relationships, and support the emotional wellbeing of students.
Nurturing interventions
Since adopting a nurturing approach, Belfast Boys' Model School implemented a range of initiatives to better support students' emotional wellbeing and learning needs.
Mental health and wellbeing
They set up a year 8 nurture group. This is a targeted group which operates three periods a day, providing additional support to help students transition smoothly into secondary school.
Weekly mental health assemblies have become the norm. These promote awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage open conversations around wellbeing. The school also introduced Pastoral Periods for every year group, timetabled sessions which focus on key life skills such as managing stress and emotional regulation.
Pupils can act as anti-bullying and wellbeing ambassadors who can signpost peers who are struggling to staff within classes. From this, support packages are put into place by staff.
Inclusive and safe space
All classrooms within the school display positive messages that focus on the relational learning culture and promote positivity.
Belfast Boys’ Model School’s vision is to "Make Model Men" that have respect, integrity, and commitment. Therefore they are actively teaching the boys through weekly pastoral periods to be ready, safe, and respectful in their behaviours.
There are a range of regulation and breakout rooms that allow children to regulate, feel safe and address any challenges that they may have in their school life. As part of their REACH nurture project, there is a nurture classroom, a kitchen, and a regulation room.
Parental and community engagement
The nurturing approach has significantly strengthened school relationships with parents by building trust, improving communication, and creating more meaningful partnerships between home and school.
Key developments include:
- Parent Engagement Officer: Daily home visits provide vital support to families, particularly those dealing with school refusal or parenting challenges.
- Parent Group Sessions: By hosting regular group meetings and bringing in external providers to cover topics like mental health, online safety, or behaviour strategies, they're empowering parents with knowledge and a supportive community.
- "Phone Call Thursdays": Weekly positive phone calls from teachers help shift the tone of home-school communication, celebrating pupil successes and reinforcing a collaborative relationship with families.
These initiatives have helped parents feel more connected to the school, more confident in their role, and more engaged in their child's learning and wellbeing.
The Boxall Profile®
Belfast Boys' Model School uses the Boxall Profile® on select groups of pupils and it has been a valuable tool in helping identify and respond more effectively to the social, emotional, and behavioural needs of pupils.
Through the assessments, they gain a deeper understanding of individual students by highlighting underlying difficulties that may not be immediately visible through academic performance or behaviour alone.
By using the Boxall Profile®, they are more able to pinpoint specific developmental and emotional needs, tailor interventions to the pupil, and track the impact over time.
“The Boxall Profile® has strengthened our ability to offer targeted, early interventions, ensuring that no pupil slips through the cracks.”
Embedding nurture across a school is a journey, but one that leads to stronger relationships, better outcomes, and a more compassionate school culture, say Belfast Boys’ Model School.