What is nurture?
Nurture is an evidence-based way of helping children develop vital social skills, confidence and self-esteem. The nurture approach enables teachers to identify, understand, and address the social and emotional needs that create barriers to learning, helping schools improve behaviour, attendance and attainment.
Through a nurturing approach to education, we can create positive learning environments built on positive relationships, so that every child and young person feels like they belong.
We believe that inclusion is the goal in schools, and nurture is how we get there.
Get started with nurture
The Six Principles of Nurture
Our approach is guided by the Six Principles of Nurture which underpin all our work with schools and educators. Thousands of schools across the UK have been trained on the Six Principles of Nurture and have transformed their school culture, relationships, policies, and community based on these principles. They include: Learning, Safety, Wellbeing, Language, Behaviour, and Transitions.
The Six Principles of Nurture build on a relational approach to learning, ensuring that every child and young person feels safe, supported, and understood by staff, including our most vulnerable pupils and pupils with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
Our National Nurturing Schools Programme provides whole-school training and schools are awarded for successfully cultivating safe, calm, inclusive environments where all children can achieve, belong and thrive.
Nurture in the classroom
We offer schools a range of support to address pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs in the mainstream classroom, or in your nurture group or inclusion base. From physical tools and resources in our Shop to nationally recognised live training courses, we can support inclusive, high-quality teaching.
Join our next training cohort to become a qualified nurture practitioner.
The Graduated Approach to Nurture
The Graduated Approach to nurture begins with early intervention and identification of needs via the Boxall Profile®. A Whole-School Approach integrates nurture throughout an entire school community to improve outcomes for all children, particularly effective in improving behaviour, boosting attendance, raising attainment, and reducing exclusions.
Nurturing interventions and nurture groups add an extra layer of support by addressing barriers to learning and developing essential social skills, resilience, collaboration, and engagement with learning.
Nurture Plus is an extended form of the traditional nurture group approach designed for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils who require more dedicated support to engage positively with learning.
