Creating a nurturing environment

Information about the school/provider

Clase Primary School is a community primary school situated three miles north of the city of Swansea and one mile from the town of Morriston. There are currently 311 pupils on roll, including 36 part-time pupils in the nursery.  The school has 12 classes and four specialist teaching facilities for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties. 

The average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals over the last three years is 55%.  This is well above the average for Wales of 18%.  The school has identified around 50% of its pupils as having additional learning needs, well above the national average of 21%.  Currently, 11% have a statement of special educational needs.  Many of these pupils are in the four specialist teaching facilities, with only a few in mainstream classes. 

Very few pupils come from a minority ethnic background.  Very few pupils speak Welsh at home.

The headteacher has been in post since September 2010.

Context and background to the practice

Clase Primary School has a strong ethos of promoting pupil wellbeing and this is at the heart of all aspects of school life.  The school has embedded a nurturing culture and supports all pupils effectively, particularly the most vulnerable learners though approaches rooted in attachment theory, neuroscience and trauma informed practise.

The nurture setting ‘Y Cwtsh’ was established in 2011 and has evolved into a bespoke, multi-faceted provision incorporating the principles of a nurture group, the Thrive Approach, Forest Schools (Cwtsh in the Forest) and school gardening / animal care (Cwtsh in the gardens).  Nurture provision now extends across the school and is enhanced by a robust programme of family engagement tailored to meet the needs of all pupils and their families.  The school refers to this as the ‘Cwtsh Approach’.

The provision is led by a senior teacher with appropriate training and run by highly-trained support staff, two full-time practitioners and two part-time, who work together to share their expertise.  Staff strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for the pupils they support in terms of their personal, social and emotional development, readiness for learning and progress in learning.  Pupils are identified through teacher observations, professional discussions and rigorous analysis of relevant information.

Description of nature of strategy or activity identified as effective or innovative practice

The nurture provision was initially established to meet the needs of early years pupils. The setting was developed in line with nurture principles and continues to provide intensive support to foundation phase pupils.  However, the provision has been extended and refined, using a range of approaches, led by the emerging needs of the targeted individuals being supported across the school.

The range of provision includes:

• ‘Cwtsh in the Nursery’, which runs every morning to provide early, effective support for identified pupils and their families with a focus on developing positive relationships, as well as engaging parents to build positive relationships and trust with school and any signposted outside agencies.
• ‘Cwtch in the Cwtsh’, which has been developed to meet the needs of key stage 2 pupils.  A fulltime practitioner, based within the setting, runs sessions for groups or individuals, depending on their needs.
• ‘Cwtsh breakfast’ and ‘Cwtsh check-ins’ run in the foundation phase and key stage 2 for identified pupils.  The session provides an opportunity for pupils to check-in and share and problem solve any issues that might impact their readiness for learning, giving them the best start to the day.  Information shared during check-in is used to support these pupils throughout the day, identifying times where they might need additional support or alternative provision, for example, a quiet adult-led activity at playtime.
• ‘Cuppa at the Cwtsh’ is a play-time drop-in facility for key stage 2 pupils.  A member of the nurture team is always on hand to chat to the pupils and to support problem solving.
• ‘Cwtsh in the Forest’ and ‘Cwtsh in the Garden’ are used by identified groups of pupils from key stage 2 who are able to attend two forest schools sessions each week.  Pupils within the foundation phase nurture setting enjoy ‘Welly Wednesday’.  Part of the outdoor learning provision includes planting, growing vegetables, caring for the school chickens and working within the outdoor classroom/polytunnel.  Nurture groups regularly work towards projects engaging the wider community.
• ‘Cwtsh in the classroom’ is used effectively across the school to ensure that pupils develop resilience and coping strategies through routines which promote co and self-regulation, including regular opportunities to practise breathing and learning to recognise and control the physiological effects of emotional dysregulation.

What impact has this work had on provision and pupils’ standards?

The progress that individual pupils make is carefully tracked throughout the year.  Ongoing teacher assessments and relevant information gathering from the Cwtsh demonstrate that nearly all targeted pupils make very good progress in terms of their wellbeing and learning.

All learning environments are a safe space to support pupils who are emotionally dysregulated or pupils who need time and a place for them to understand and consider the impact of their actions when making choices.  This has had a positive impact on all the pupils that need this support in terms of readiness for learning.

The school has established valuable ways of engaging parents and carers to form positive relationships with the school and any outside agencies.  The school has worked proactively to engage families in fun activities they can do together, which often have had positive impact on those participating and the school.  Projects such as the gardening project ‘Growing Together’ engage family members across the generations.

Effective relationships with outside agencies such as the Family Partnership team and TAF in Schools provide targeted support for families in crisis.  

How have you shared your good practice?

The school has shared its practice with other schools in Swansea through open days and school visits.  The school has also run a successful coffee evening for all staff and relevant outside agencies to share good practice.