Our policy work

We’ve spent decades working to influence the education agenda, and we’re excited that 2022 will see a renewed focus on this area of our work. 

We’re going to be talking to politicians and policy-makers across the UK, presenting the evidence for nurture’s success in tackling some of today’s biggest issues in education and social exclusion. 

What do we want?

It’s simple: we want governments to adopt a nurture approach for the education of every child and young person in the UK. This means: 
A girl standing in front of a diagram

Recognising that nurture is integral to addressing pupils’ social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

boy scratching head with question marks above him

Recognising that nurture is a key part of the solution to school exclusions, and reflecting this in government guidance, policy and regulatory frameworks.

A young girl dressed as Snow White in a nurture group class

Making nurture a key part of all teacher training programmes and mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers who are already qualified.

Child looking through a magnifying glass

Providing funding for UK schools to implement a whole school approach to nurture. 

 

One boy and two girls sitting together at school

Why is this so important?

Today, ever more children and young people are affected by social, emotional and behavioural difficulties that hinder their progress and limit their life chances.

We also know that in our current education system, a huge proportion of students are not receiving the support they need to thrive, due to a lack of awareness, funding and suitable training.

No child left behind

The problem is particularly acute for disadvantaged pupils: without the right support at school, they can fall into cycles of low achievement, develop behavioural difficulties, and are put at greater risk of school exclusion. 

We believe that every child should be supported to make the most of their education, and that an unequal start in life shouldn’t mean an unequal chance to learn. 

The diagram on the right is from our Now You See Us report.

A graph showing SEMH support for school children
Male teacher sitting and talkig to his students

Why is nurture the solution?

We’ve spent over 50 years developing tools and resources that remove students’ barriers to learning and help them to be the best they can be. 

There is strong academic evidence that this approach works: nurture groups, nurturing schools and the Boxall Profile® enable teachers to identify and address pupils’ needs and provide them the skills and resilience they need to thrive both in school and beyond.

Policy news

Labour Party Conference – An Inclusive Approach to Tackling Exclusions and the School Absence Crisis

By Arti Sharma, CEO, nurtureuk  Nurtureuk hosted its first fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this month and how heartening it was to be in a room…
Four school children and a teacher standing next to eachother

A powerful portrayal of the need for nurture

Serious violence, gang membership and sexual exploitation – the final report from the Commission On Young Lives (COYL) paints a horrifying picture of the growing risks for vulnerable young people. …
A group of school children walking

nurtureuk and Tender to deliver new inclusive education programme in London

nurtureuk and Tender are delighted to announce their roles in a transformational new programme aimed at tackling school exclusions in London. The charities have been named as joint delivery partners for the…
Photo of a female teacher and school children sitting at a table at school

An important step in the right direction – new behaviour guidance is a welcome shift

New guidance that highlights the importance of a whole school approach to behaviour is now in force in schools in England.  The advice, published by the Department for Education (DfE),…
A female teacher helping a boy with his work at school

The importance of a whole school approach – welcoming new guidelines on wellbeing in education.

New guidelines on wellbeing in education have highlighted the need for a whole school approach to social, emotional and mental health (SEMH).  The guidelines have been published by the National…
Commission on Young Lives logo

Supporting all young children to succeed at school: nurtureuk responds to COYL report

A series of stories about young children being repeatedly failed by the education system make for some shocking reading. The tales have been included in a vital new report launched…