I was introduced to nurture groups in the early 2000s in an article in a professional teaching magazine in the staffroom. At the time I was PSHE lead at a large urban infant school with 3 classes a year group and a real mix in terms of catchment area.
The article focused on nurture groups and the use of The Six Principles and the use of the Boxall Profile®, It explained the core of nurtureuk’s work: to support schools to improve the educational, social, emotional and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people within a nurture approach.
This article prompted me to further investigate the work offered by the ‘Nurture Group Network’ (as it was formerly known before becoming nurtureuk) in relation to the needs of our infant school.
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The need for nurture in our school
We had children who were not ready for school, ready for learning and who struggled with peer relationships and turn taking, and as a result, were not prepared to learn due to gaps in their early development. Many had not attended any formal early years provision, making the infant school their first exposure to an educational setting for both them and their parents/carers. In particular, school playtimes were an immediate issue which created many challenges across all year groups and this was an area we wanted to focus on to be able to improve.
Nurture offered a possible way forward, however we had no extra funding and lacked suitable space and staff so a designated nurture group was not an option. Thinking out of the box, alongside my Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups training course (which I subsequently attended and was fortunate enough to get funding from the Local Authority to attend), I looked at other ways of integrating the vision of a nurture group with The Six Principles of Nurture and Boxall Profile® in a financially manageable way which could impact all the children in the infant school, over time. I considered the playground.
The nurturing playground
My tutors at the University of Cambridge course ‘Understanding the Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups’, Eve Boyd and Ray Arnold were clear that it could not be called a nurture group as this was not what it was, but that the nurturing input I was seeking to create at playtimes could be identified as a ‘nurturing playground’, and so as a result our nurturing playground was created. It was a 25 minutes daily planned nurture intervention at morning play and although it was not a traditional ‘nurture group’, it used many of the principles in its set up and operations.
How to a create a nurturing environment for school playtimes
When setting up the nurturing playground, the following considerations were taken into consideration, which are linked directly to the Six Principles of Nurture:
1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally
Cater to all ages and abilities:
Designing inclusive playground games to be accessible for children of all ages and abilities in the infant school. Our playground games were simple to learn and could be used in the main playground, after reintegration, taking into consideration the mix of children and their identified needs.
2. The classroom offers a safe base
A safe environment:
The nurture playground was free from hazards and potential dangers. It was separate from the main play area and access was gained through an out of use cloakroom room with a door onto a small play area, which we converted into a cosy room and created a safe base for the children during the session.
Consistent supervision:
We had two trained members of staff to ensure the safety of children and to be the role models for the session. These staff developed good relationships with these children and would often be sought out in times of need. As PSHE lead, I planned every session and the plans were available to all trained staff who covered the room and I was available for ongoing support. We had a ratio of one adult to 6 children, as a traditional nurture group.
Positive relationships:
Encouraging positive interactions and building strong relationships between children and adults. We had consistent adult (two adults) cover in the room, which was planned in advance.
Clear and consistent expectations:
We established clear rules and expectations for behaviour that aligned with the school rules.
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
Creating meaningful play:
Creating a bright environment, by refurbishing the old coat room (fresh paint, nice colours, curtains and bright materials akin to a home environment) where children could relax, enjoy learning playtime games, and have fun! These games could then be taken from the nurturing playground into the mainstream playground.
Encourage creativity:
Nurture activities provided opportunities for creative expression and discussion through daily storytelling with the adults. Picture book stories would be read during the snack time, when children sat on their own cushion (to make their space clear) in the circle and discussions took place about the story and the pictures.
Let kids take a risk:
Letting the children test and repeat skills until they have mastered them.
4. Language is a vital means of communication
Encourage and support:
Providing ongoing encouragement and support for children's efforts and accomplishments during the play session and also during the snack and story/chat session. Recognising when things go right and wrong and using clear simple language to support the children to resolve issues and tackle new challenges.
Engaging activities:
Offering nurture activities that promote cooperation, communication, and problem-solving within the inclusive playground.
5. All behaviour is communication
Designated quiet areas:
Creating a safe space where children can relax and decompress. An atmosphere more like a home environment than a school setting.
Recognition that new challenges can result in different behaviours:
Some children were able to embrace the new games easily, whilst others exhibited behaviours that demonstrated they found them and the environment challenging. Staff were trained to support these children as required.
6. The importance of transition in children’s lives
Establish routines:
Creating a sense of structure and predictability to help children feel safe and secure, following the same lesson plan format and daily routines.
Your nurture playground: Lesson plan
The daily sessions followed the same planned format:
Length
Selection
Nurturing Playground: 25 minutes
Class teachers select one child and one buddy (a good role model) from their class. The identified child has identified struggles and has been selected for this short term nurture intervention - usually half a term, using the Boxall Profile®.
The group operated with 2 adults to 12 children in total (six were the designated children, each with their buddy)
The nurturing playground based its ethos on The Six Principles.
Progress would also be monitored of the selected child with their Boxall Profile® assessment.
Welcome
Playing a game
Adults x 2 modelling the game
Sitting in a circle (on a cushion) in the nurture room saying good morning to each child and to the group.
Discuss the game selected that day, using a laminated sheet and explain/recap to the group the rules and then play the game ideally outside in the small nurture playground which the nurture room opens onto.
The two adults having explained the game play alongside the children and model how to play and react. They use clear and simple instructions and are aware of the needs of the group.
The intention is that the game is learnt by the group and transferred onto the main playground. Main playground staff are aware of the games and encourage further play.
At the end of the game the group wash their hands and return to the room sitting on their cushions.
Snack time
A snack monitor (on rotation) hands out the fruit asking the question: Would you like a piece of fruit? The answer being Yes please or No thank you.
Story time
Whilst the children snack, one of the adults reads a colourful storybook, a different story each day encouraging listening and learning and prompts questions, so the children chat linked to this and other matters that they want to raise.
Discussion
The group story chat and snack session allow the children to respond to the morning or something from home in a calm, happy, safe environment.
These sessions were often very useful as the children felt safe to discuss a broader range of things, including what they were worried about.
Staff kept a nurturing playground log book to log any issues raised, to be followed up immediately or for monitoring.
How we transformed school playtimes
The nurturing playground became an established part of the life in our infant school and proved to be successful, teaching children social skills through playtime games and strategies to use in the main playground and improve playtimes. School play also became an opportunity to develop good relationships with the adults who led the sessions. This bond with key adults meant that the children knew that if they were struggling in school, they could approach them for support in school.
Children attended the nurturing playground with their buddy for a set period of time, their progress would be monitored and when ready, they would return to the main playground, freeing up the space for another child and their buddy.
Reflecting on my Theory and Practice Nurture Group training, this nurturing playground would now be classed as a ‘nurturing intervention’ as described in nurtureuk's graduated approach, emphasising the children’s capacity for growth of social and emotional skills. It is possible to recognise that many of the features of the nurture approach are characteristic of what is now seen as strategies for educational inclusion and one which is still very valid and necessary in education today to allow children to learn and flourish in school.
Victoria Norris
Delivery Manager | nurtureuk