Evolving Provision at Hensall Primary School

At our school, we recognise that our children join us at varying stages of development and have differing needs. We believe in inclusivity, welcoming all children and families to visit our setting, and this is something that we are proud of and will continue to offer. We recognised that the needs of children nationally are changing, particularly emotional and social needs, and this is no different at our school. Therefore, we have worked with families to evolve our practice to ensure that all children receive a quality education. Since June, we have been working with the Local Authority to house a Nurture Hub within our school which our children can access plus visiting children from other schools. Nurture Hubs support children throughout the school with their social, emotional and mental wellbeing. Our Nurture Groups are smaller than a usual class size and the children begin attending full time and then transition back into a class over a period of 3-4 terms. They remain in contact with their base class during playtimes and visit lessons during the week. Nurture principles are based on Attachment Theory – the idea that developing positive relationships with family, peers and other adults from an early age facilitates healthy development. Nurture practices aim to give children the social and emotional skills to do well at school and with peers and develop their resilience.

The Nurture Hub at Hensall School

Our Nurture Hub is a happy, safe place where children have the opportunity to grow, become engaged and be successful independent learners. We operate a well-planned structure, and ensure predictable routines, which helps the children to feel safe and secure with familiar trusted adults. We work on consistency, positive reinforcements and praise, boosting confidence, self-esteem and improving the children’s social skills. This is very similar to our whole class approach; the difference is that the Nurture Hub has no more than 2-3 children in it at one time, in order to offer bespoke support. Our Hub offers child-centred activities that enable children to learn through play as well as carefully planned classwork that meets the children’s individual needs. The aim is to help the children to attain the highest level of achievement of which they are capable and to be able to function successfully within their mainstream class. Our Nurture provision is run by two practitioners, who work for the Local Authority as Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) practitioners. They are supported by the Head of School, Rachel Lindley, and line managed by Suzanne MacDonald, Executive Headteacher, who is a qualified Nurture Practitioner.

The Principles of Nurture

1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally Planned activities within the nurture group reflect the developmental stage of each child in the nurture group. Nurture practitioners meet regularly with class teachers to discuss the children's learning, emotional needs and their progress.

2. The classroom offers a safe base The nurture room provides a bridge between home and school, a warm and friendly environment where children feel emotionally safe and secure.

3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing With a growing self-esteem, children will be more able to face the challenges of everyday life, to solve problems and to tackle new experiences.

4. Language is as a vital means of communication Great attention is paid to the use of language with high levels of child/adult interactions, everything is explained and explored.

5. All behaviour is communication The children learn acceptable ways of communicating their likes, dislikes and feelings. There is an emphasis on achieving targets within a supportive environment.

6. The importance of transition in children’s lives Managing transitions is a key feature of our Nurture Group, preparing the children for day-to-day events and changes to the usual routines.

Reasons children might attend a Nurture Group

Low self-esteem

Find it hard to listen to others or join in

Family illness or break up

Bereavement

Find it hard to share and take turns

Find it hard to settle into class

Friendship difficulties

Find it hard to accept losing a game

Quiet, shy, withdrawn

If my child attends the Nurture Hub, does this mean my child is ‘ naughty ’?

No, and we don’t use that term in our school. In fact, our Nurture Hub is central to our school family; it is celebrated in the same way as every other class. Children are not mini adults, and we don’t believe in branding children as naughty. Children develop at different rates and have different needs and we help them to evolve and learn in order to become the successful adult who enters society at 18. To support with this, the sessions in our Nurture Hub are designed to help the children to manage situations and increase their skills, becoming more successful learners. The aim, over a period of 1 to 4 terms, is to successfully reintegrate the children back into class.

How do I access nurture support for my child?

In school, support for our children begins with internal pastoral support, such as ELSA, leading to external input. Once these options have been accessed, a move to access the Nurture Hub may be the most appropriate next step. Children are not put in the Nurture Hub for time out or as a punishment - the Hub is the final, planned next step, which is a long-term move for children to support them to access their educational entitlement. This is done through a triangulated meeting between the class teacher, Head of School, SENDCo and parents and is only considered with parental consent