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This week, we’ve joined with charities, schools, parents and educational professionals across the UK to support Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week. Around 50% of people who have lifetime mental health problems first experience symptoms by the age of 14, and the awareness week has highlighted the importance of providing support early on in life. 

This year’s theme of #growingtogether encouraged people to share stories of how they have grown, and who helped them along the way. It helps us to celebrate people like Robin Lee, founder of Wilds Lodge School in Oakham, whose passion to see every child flourish with their education led to many of his pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties receiving the support they desperately needed. 

Robin, like many other education professionals, championed the nurture approach to improving the mental health of his pupils. Here at nurtureuk, we’ve made it our mission to improve the social, emotional, mental health and wellbeing of all children and young people across the UK. 

Through our graduated approach to nurture, we ensure that every child in the school has the opportunity to flourish in their education, and has access to the support they need, when they need it. Whether they enter the education system with early childhood trauma, or experience it during their time in education, we work to support the social, emotional and mental health of all children, so no child falls through the cracks. 

Children’s Mental Health Week has emphasised the importance of providing this crucial support for children and young people. But how do we know if the support is working? How do we measure the improvement in their social, emotional, mental health and wellbeing?

The Boxall Profile® Online is an assessment tool that enables staff to assess and track the social, emotional and behavioural development of children over time. It provides staff with an overview of the needs and how to respond to them – both in the classroom and with specific nurturing interventions. 

The unique tool supports staff to develop their observational skills to include early identification of difficulties, and provides the opportunity to create individualised targets and interventions, as well as practical strategies and techniques for the classroom to help children and young people achieve their full potential. 

The Boxall Profile® is now used by over half of UK schools that assess their pupils’ mental health. To find out more, please visit www.nurtureuk.org/what-we-do/the-boxall-profile. 

Today marks the start of Children’s Mental Health Week and the theme of this year’s campaign is #growingtogether.

Recent figures from charity Place2Be, which runs the week, show that one in six children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying to bereavement. 

Schools have a vital role to play when it comes to supporting and managing children’s social, emotional and mental health needs. But teachers must fulfil this huge responsibility while also delivering the curriculum and ensuring all children achieve academically. So, what can they reasonably do?

The answer is nurture.

Nurture can transform children’s lives. It is improving the life chances of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children, but it also helps those who have mild to moderate social, emotional and mental health needs, and keep them well hidden.

Nurture allows children to connect with others, to build important relationships, and to develop a sense of self-worth. It helps them learn, play and communicate – and it is enabling children to thrive. We know this because teachers and parents tell us so. They tell us that their classrooms are calmer, their children are happier, and that their schools are more successful because of nurture.

The nurturing approach offers a range of opportunities for children and young people to engage with missing early nurturing experiences, giving them the social and emotional skills to do well at school and with peers, develop their resilience and their capacity to deal more confidently with the trials and tribulations of life, for life.

It can mean a specific set of activities for certain groups of children, or it can be developed as a whole-school approach that prioritises wellbeing. 

The concept of nurture is rooted in attachment theory and neuroscience. It highlights the importance of social environments and their significant influence on social and emotional skills, as well as wellbeing and behaviour. A nurturing ethos in an education environment is empathetic, structured and fair for all.

This week, we’re taking the opportunity to talk about the benefits of nurture and show education professionals how they can help ensure all children flourish and learn. 

Find out more about how your school can integrate a nurturing approach to education on our website. 

One of the most effective ways to support pupils with their social, emotional and mental health needs is by implementing a whole-school approach to nurture. The perfect example of a school that has embedded a whole-school nurturing culture is Wilds Lodge School in Oakham. This school has created a strong ethos which has been developed by the staff and they have focused on building meaningful relationships with the pupils. This is the vision that the founder of the school, Robin Lee, had in mind when he opened the school in 2007.

Sadly Robin passed away earlier this year, but he has left behind a great legacy at Wilds Lodge School, having had a very positive impact on the lives of pupils and their families. Robin put an equal emphasis on the educational, social and psychological development of pupils. He received an MBE in 2010 for the fantastic work he did over the years with children who have Special Educational Needs (SEN). Robin was a keen advocate for nurture and he wanted every child to have the opportunity to flourish with their education. The school family misses him deeply but his legacy will continue to live on at Wilds Lodge.

Wilds Lodge School is an independent specialist boarding and day provision for boys aged between 5 and 18 who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Every pupil has a Statement of SEN or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The main needs of pupils who have SEN at the school are social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Moderate Learning Difficulties.

Nurtureuk’s CEO Arti Sharma and Consultant Training Officer, Claire Wilson, were recently invited to visit the school for the grand opening of Robin’s Nest, the school’s new nurture building, named in memory of Robin Lee. Arti later commented “I wanted to say a huge thank you for inviting nurtureuk to the launch of Robin’s Nest. I had such a great time with the teachers and children and feel very privileged for being able to see first hand such a fantastic school. It was truly amazing, Robin would be proud of what the team at Wilds Lodge have created and I applaud each and every staff member for the nurturing environment they have created for those lovely children.”

Wilds Lodge Nurture Group Coordinator, Cherida Gibson, is responsible for leading the nurture groups at the school and she works closely with every child to ensure that their needs are met. Cherida is trained in the Theory & Practice of Nurture Groups programme and she also holds a certificate in Therapeutic Play. She uses the Boxall Profile® assessment tool to assess pupil’s social and emotional needs, as well as supporting the classroom referral and transition process.

Cherida commented: “’Robin was an incredible person, who’s vision has led to so many children and young people with SEMH difficulties getting the support that they so desperately needed. Robin was always the biggest supporter of our nurture provision, and I was so proud to name the new building ‘Robin’s Nest’ after him in September. We will be forever grateful for everything he did for us at Wilds Lodge School, and we will ensure that we continue the amazing work that he started.”

Nurture is all about supporting and valuing children, and helping them to overcome barriers to learning. This is what is being achieved at Wilds Lodge School thanks to the passionate and highly-experienced staff. The 6 Principles of Nurture is at the heart of everything they do and they have ensured that every child has the necessary access to the support they need. To see more information about the nurturing approach at Wilds Lodge, please take a look at their website by clicking here.

The Inclusive Multi Academy Trust, Watford, has become the first Trust of schools in the UK to receive the National Nurturing Schools Award for all three of its schools. The award is achieved by schools once they successfully complete our National Nurturing Schools Programme and achieve recognition of their high quality whole school nurturing approach.

The Inclusive Multi Academy Trust consists of three primary schools, including Beechfield School, Cherry Tree Primary School and Laurance Haines School. Laurance Haines School was also the first school in the UK to achieve the honourable award in 2017 and in March 2021 achieved another first by being the first school in the UK to be re-accredited with the award.

We recently interviewed the CEO of The Inclusive Multi Academy Trust, James Roach and three Pastoral Leads, Nicola Furey, Alison Hayward and Jennie Raynard to discuss what winning the award means to the school communities and to talk through the impact nurture has had across their schools. They answered the questions below collectively.

You are the first Trust to have all schools accredited with the National Nurturing Schools Award, how does that feel?

Wonderful, it’s been a long journey which started when we were a single school, the school converted into an Academy and then an Academy Trust of three schools. It’s been the foundation that has helped form our Trust and has provided genuine opportunities to collaborate. The National Nurturing Schools Programme gave us a framework to work against, which allowed each individual school to grow their bespoke pastoral provision but also enabled us to ensure all three schools were receiving the same quality of input and therefore the same quality of outcomes. It has helped to form our identity and has enabled us to truly become fully inclusive.

What level of impact has the nurturing programme had on your schools? For instance, in terms of pupil engagement, reduced exclusions and parental relationships?

As a community it has brought us closer together, this has been particularly evident in the recent lockdowns. Parents see us as a safe base and they come to the school for help in the first instance because they know it’s going to be there. Through our Parent Voice meetings, coffee mornings and open door policy, parental engagement has really improved over the course of our journey. Pupils know there is always someone in school to speak to that will help and support them. It hasn’t eradicated exclusions but there are far less across the Trust as whole, which is owing to our nurturing ethos and practice. Because of the Six Principles of Nurture there are many more steps in place to support children and their behaviour which has also contributed to the reduction in exclusions. As a Trust we really are putting our children, parents and their families first.

What do the pupils think about nurture?

Nurture has become a part of their vocabulary now, they know what it means, they celebrate it, they understand it, they’ve made it their own and most importantly they expect it. Across the Trust pupils have developed the principles to really mean something to them individually as well as underpinning the ethos of their school.

What would you say were the biggest challenges in adopting a nurturing approach?

Buy-in from some staff was a challenge initially, however we have found in our recruitment of new staff we actively seek to appoint staff that can adopt our nurturing culture and likewise new members of staff join us because of our nurturing ethos. It’s a continuous journey that we feel has to keep moving forward and developing even after completion of the programme. It’s a culture that we will carry forward in everything we do.

How do the schools work together to embrace nurture as an academy trust?

Collaboration across our Trust is one of our strengths and comes from the Trust down. Our schools are very different and individual but they all adopt the same core values. Our nurturing journey has really helped form our identity as an Academy Trust. We have support from our Trust board financially to protect the work that we do pastorally and with our nurturing culture. It’s a Trust and school priority and is part of our development plans each year as well as sitting as a target on each staff member’s performance development.

What recommendations would you make to any schools or academy trusts interested in adopting a nurturing approach? And how can they overcome challenges they may face in engaging staff and parents?

You need someone that is passionate and will be an advocate for the role who will receive full support and backing from Leadership and Management to shape the culture of the school or Trust. Advocates in every key stage and area of the school are really important. Starting with small things, getting buy in and building on them was key. Nurture needs to be on the school and Trust and agenda at every level.

We had amazing support from our assessor Wendy Roden at nurtureuk, she was genuinely invested in helping our schools and this was key to our success on this journey. We received a personal approach from nurtureuk and will continue to work with them as we continue with our journey to build upon what we have achieved so far.

From all of us at nurtureuk we would like to extend our congratulations to The Inclusive Multi Academy Trust for achieving the National Nurturing Schools Award for all three of its schools. They thoroughly deserve this award and we will continue to work with them to support their nurture journey across all three schools in the future.

Since September 2020, nurtureuk has been working with the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) as part of their Inclusion in Schools project. Ultimately the main aim is to achieve better outcomes for children and young people by helping to reduce violent crime in the county. Emotional and wellbeing support is also provided by the VRU which is what is at the core of everything we do at nurtureuk.

So what exactly is the Kent and Medway VRU? It is an essential partnership between the police, local councils, health service providers and a wide range of other agencies. They all work together to lift vulnerable young people out of crime. This leads to safer communities whilst allowing young people to achieve better outcomes at school and later in life.

Our collaboration with the Kent and Medway VRU has been met with a lot of praise, particularly from staff members of the VRU itself. We have kindly received the following evaluation from Emma Price who is the VRU coordinator for Kent VRU:

“The VRU have been working with nurtureuk since September 2020 having commissioned them to provide a bespoke package to schools centred around nurture approaches but which incorporated a programme to raise self-esteem and aspirations of both pupil and parent.  The aim of the work is to reduce school exclusions, increase student engagement with their school community and to help parents and school professionals to collaborate in how children are supported and understood.”

“Throughout the commissioning process, shaping the programme thereafter and delivery of the project itself, working with the nurtureuk has been positive.  They have shown an ability to forge meaningful relationships both with the VRU and the schools involved and to respond to changing demands and priorities. Communication has been easy and regular throughout with the VRU and all schools have their own single point of contact. Schools have valued the support that has helped them develop their critical thinking and have spoken highly of the skills of nurtureuk consultants who are helping schools to reshape or grow nurture-informed practice.”

“The project was launched at a challenging time for schools and nurtureuk have been flexible in how they have trained and supported school professionals which has allowed schools to remain engaged with the programme. 90% of schools on the project are keen to continue to work with nurtureuk to create a long term change to the culture and approach to supporting their students and, as schools move out of lockdown, are planning with nurtureuk to design bespoke responses to student needs. The VRU are planning to recommission nurtureuk for the coming year so that change can become fully embedded within the schools currently receiving their support. As an approach to change and enhance a whole-school ethos, some of this work is now being used to inform the wider Local Authority approach.”

Here at nurtureuk, we provide significant support to schools regarding violence reduction methods. We offer a variety of virtual training sessions that are part of our Nurturing Kent project. The training sessions help to build a more inclusive environment in schools with improved attendance and engagement from pupils of all ages. There are also regular webinars and workshops that Kent and Midway VRU run, for more information regarding these events please visit their website at https://www.kent-pcc.gov.uk/vru.

We look forward to continuing our work with both the Kent and London VRU. It is an exciting time at nurtureuk as we are looking at branching out to other areas in the UK to work with their violence reduction units as well. We strive to support as many young people as possible both inside and outside the school environment. By collectively working together, we can achieve this goal.

It is with a heavy heart that the world says farewell to Melissa Moczulski. Mel was a dedicated and passionate nurturer and together with Rose Cope, benefitted from and gave a lot back to the wider nurture community at nurtureuk’s training and annual conferences. Here, Rose shares some memories and thoughts from the parents and pupils who Mel worked with over the years. 

I was honoured to be her close friend and her colleague. We journeyed as a dynamic duo to gain Nurture School recognition for the school we worked at together. Her dedication to the pupils and families that she worked with could never be doubted and their thoughts and appreciation have been gathered to share with the family.

“She was the loveliest of souls, kind, caring and fun loving. She always had a kind word to share and some wise advice.”

“I have honestly never met anyone like her, oh Rose this is just so wrong, a huge hole in so many people’s lives, such an infectiously happy, positive force of nature……how can she just be gone?”

“She was an amazing person who did so much for Adam and Aaron. I have told them and they are so sad for her. Thinking of you and all of the others whose lives she touched (there must be so many out there).”

Parents from Kingsdown and Ringwould CEP School

Mel made time for everyone, each individual held a place in her heart. With the training and support we received from the team at nurtureuk we felt we had met kindred spirits. The nurture conferences were a highlight of the year, great connections and lifelong friendships were forged. Mel had a wonderful spirit and way of making everyone she met feel valued and cared for. She never really understood her own value and as with so many empathic people showed great humility.

“Our school community are devastated at this news and our thoughts and prayers are with Mel’s life partner, Pete and her two children.”

“Inevitably this will have a profound impact on many of our students.”

“Miss M. was a wonderful woman and one of the most caring people I have ever had the pleasure to work with.  As the Pastoral Support Manager for Year 7, she treated the students as if they were part of her extended family and she greeted everyone with a smile and positivity.  My lasting memory of Mel will be of a loving woman who made me laugh with every single interaction.”  

“She was perfect for the role” – Mr MacLean (Headteacher at Christchurch Academy)

Mel was the most wonderful wife and mum, and instilled a strength of character and resilience in her children, which I know will enable them to overcome any adversity they meet. Her boundless energy and passion for life was tangible and not forgetting how multi-talented she was with interpretive dance, creative activities and gymnastics.

“Many staff members will be wearing bright colours today in memory of our precious Miss M.  She was always a vibrant lady, in outfit and personality.  It seems only fitting that we remember her in a way that would have made her laugh.”

Christchurch Academy Dover where Mel worked when she passed.  

I was sent this from a kind friend and I know it would have made Mel laugh.

Dear Mel

You may not know this but the trillions of atomic particles that are you were once part of a great star in the night sky- until it went supernova, exploded & scattered you across the universe. Since then you have assembled & reassembled many times. You’ve been a droplet of water in the ocean, all manner of living organisms & at least a billion of your atoms once belonged to Alexander the Great and Beethoven – whilst a fair few belonged to a turnip. But it wasn’t until your birth that the conditions of the universe were deemed perfect for every one of those particles to be meticulously assembled to create you. All the energy you’ve ever given out, every vibration and bit of heat that ever left your body will continue forever, warming & touching the lives of those around. So you see, you are immortal & when you’re gone, well, you’re not really gone at all; you’re simply a little disorderly again. For a while.

Love Rose

Nurtureuk want to thank Rose for collating these words to share with you all.

Thank you Mel for all you did to support the children and young people in your care, as well as sharing your passion and knowledge for nurture with the wider community as a workshop leader at our Summer Schools. Rest in Peace.

With schools closed during another national lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic and most learning moving to online platforms, these new teaching and learning methods present a steep learning curve for all teachers and practitioners, not least those giving nurturing support to vulnerable pupils. Since the very first nurture groups were introduced into educational practice, almost half a century ago, practitioners have adapted and developed the traditional working method of the “classic” nurture group structure in response to the needs of their pupils, and the availability of resources in their particular settings. These adapted nurturing structures were firmly based on the 6 principles of nurture, but also considered the unique conditions, resources and individual goals of their schools or settings. I would argue that the needs of the moment require us to employ similar creativity and initiative as those nurturers of the past, and to adapt our nurture practice to try to reach our students remotely.

The first principle of nurture – the classroom offers a safe base – is a good starting point for us to work from. Rather than being a physical place, such as a classroom or home, the secure base, as described in the literature, is actually provided through a close relationship with one or more sensitive and responsive attachment figures who meet the child’s needs and to whom the child can turn to as a safe haven when upset or anxious. In other words, the emotional connection created between adult and the child (teacher and pupil) is the secure base, and through this connection the child develops the deeper connection with their physical environment. By creating regular opportunities for connecting and checking in with your nurture pupils in online sessions, you will be continuing to develop the trusting relationship already established with your pupils in the classroom.

Just as the nurture classroom is always consciously planned and arranged “to create an educational experience that is rooted in feelings of emotional security”, so arranging your physical space where you will host online nurture sessions so that it looks homely, comfortable, safe, and will encourage secure attachment and promote the principles of nurture. Given that many of you will be hosting these sessions from your own homes, this may not be as difficult to achieve as it is in a physical classroom.

Here are my top 5 tips to help you create a nurturing online teaching environment:

1. Arrange sessions in advance, giving pupils clear notification of when sessions will occur and how long they will last. Providing this as a printable timetable, will allow for printing off and display in their homes.

2. Sessions should ideally take place at the same time each day. or on a named day if offering weekly sessions. This will help the pupil feel more secure and help them to establish a clear routine.

3. Arrange the room where you will host the session so that it appears comfortable and homely, using furniture, lighting and soft furnishings (cushions, blankets, etc). that convey these feelings. Including some familiar items from their regular classroom would be great if this is possible. Consciously include significant objects that may evoke interest and discussion, e.g., a toys/figures related to topics you will be exploring, books, items that are significant to you from your home, etc.

4. Make sure that the room and each of the significant items is displayed in the same way for each session to create a sense of familiarity and safety.

5. Create a routine format or structure that is used for each online session, e.g. greeting song/poem, followed by weather discussion, followed by show-and-tell, followed by nature exploration session, followed by drawing, followed by goodbye song/poem. These routines could follow a similar format to your classroom sessions to ensure that they are suitable for your pupils ages and stages and curriculum requirements.

Other resources that may help:

Books:

• Nurture Groups in school and at home, Cooper and Tiknaz (2007)

• Nurturing Success, Helen Sonnet (2008)

• Attachment in the Classroom, Heather Geddes (2012)

Activity sheets:

• https://www.twinkl.co.uk/search?term=nurture

Nature activities:

• https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/categories/children-and-families/

• https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/kids-nature-activities-sel…

Arti Sharma has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of nurtureuk.

Arti has been a trustee at nurtureuk since May 2018, and was the former Deputy Chief Executive for youth social action charity City Year UK. At City Year UK, Arti led all of the charity’s external facing activities including school sales, recruitment, partnerships, public affairs, communications and development. Arti’s background in marketing and communications spans multiple not for profit and commercial sectors, and she notably created the British Council’s ‘Study Work Create’ campaign. Arti is also an ACEVO Leadership Fellow Winner.

Nurtureuk’s Chair Susan Henderson OBE said: “Replacing our CEO Kevin Kibble was always going to be a challenge, but we are delighted to welcome Arti Sharma as Kevin’s replacement. Arti began her career as a teacher and has also had extensive experience of working in the charity sector.”

“Arti is very familiar with the work of the organisation having served as a trustee. She shares the values that underpin the charity and is committed to our mission to ensure that all children and young people have a positive nurturing experience. She will be a powerful advocate, particularly given the uncertain environment that so many children face as a result of the pandemic. The trustees and staff welcome Arti as our new CEO.”

On becoming nurtureuk’s new Chief Executive, Arti said “I am delighted and humbled to have this incredible opportunity to lead nurtureuk in its next chapter.”

“Having had first-hand experience of bereavement at a young age and knowing the subsequent impact it had upon my early school years, I strongly believe children from any background have the right to a safe and nurturing environment to be the best they can be.”

“I’ve been passionate about the betterment of children and young people throughout my career and I am looking forward to progressing the incredible legacy nurtureuk has built. I am fortunate to be joining the charity at a time when its reputation and influence is growing, and I want to see its impact continue to expand. I look forward to building on the many achievements nurtureuk has delivered and I can’t wait to meet all the team and get stuck in!”

Nurtureuk’s outgoing Chief Executive Kevin Kibble who is due to retire at the end of June is instead undertaking a maternity cover role during the current Covid-19 pandemic. “I’m sad to be leaving nurtureuk and its brilliant staff and trustees after almost eight years and have thoroughly enjoyed leading a wonderful charity through a period of dynamic change and growth. I’m really excited to see what more the charity is going to do to support vulnerable children under Arti’s leadership and wish her every success in the role.”

Arti will begin her work as nurtureuk’s Chief Executive in July 2020.