Developing pupils’ skills through nurturing

Information about the school

Ysgol Maesincla is situated in the area of Maesincla in the town of Caernarfon, Gwynedd.  There are 269 pupils on roll, including 30 part-time nursery age pupils.  Slightly more than 31% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.  This is significantly higher than the national percentage of 18%.  The school has identified slightly more than 34% of its pupils as having additional learning needs, which is significantly higher than the national percentage of 21%.  

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

Work to track pupils’ wellbeing, which includes working with various agencies, has identified that a significant percentage of the school’s pupils have aspects of vulnerability in their lives.  As a result, a variety of emotional, social and behavioural needs have a great influence on pupils’ ability to achieve to the best of their ability.  

In order to respond to this situation, the school decided to incorporate a number of ‘Nurture Groups’ as an established part of the class structure and operating around the Six Principles of Nurture.  Provision in these groups is based on individual pupils’ assessment findings and balancing the need to develop individuals’ social and emotional skills, and more specific needs.  These pupils are also given good opportunities to practice and reinforce these skills in their mainstream classes, in addition to periods of ‘transition’ support from the nurture groups’ teaching staff.

Considering the nature of the school and the barriers to learning that pupils’ face, a decision was made to go a step further by identifying provision that could benefit pupils in all classes.  The six principles of nurture have now been expanded successfully across the school, and the culture of a ‘Nurturing School’ is at the heart of the school’s vision. 

Description of nature of strategy or activity

Four nurture groups have been established.  Two for the foundation phase, one for pupils in Years 3 and 4 and one for pupils in Years 5 and 6.  There are up to 12 pupils in every group, and they spend around half of their timetable in these groups.  All members of the teaching staff within the nurture groups have received appropriate training to fulfil the teaching requirements within the nurture groups.

A wide variety of information is used in order to select the pupils that would benefit most from provision, including relevant assessments, pupil questionnaires, wellbeing assessments and indicators, in addition to teachers’ knowledge of pupils’ specific situations.  During their time in the nurture groups, assessments are administered every term in order to identify ‘diagnostic’ and ‘developmental’ strands to be targeted, and track progress. 

The learning environment within the nurture groups is homely and pleasant, and has been developed purposefully with the nature of needs in mind.  The class timetable is at the heart of the success of every session, and familiar daily routines reinforce the sense of belonging and develop pupils’ communication, co-operation and interpersonal skills, for example by using a ‘greeting circle’ (cylch cyfarch) at the beginning of every session, daily opportunities to record and discuss feelings, and mindfulness sessions.  A timetable for preparing, serving and eating snacks together is a good opportunity for pupils to weave life skills and social skills into more traditional aspects of the curriculum, such as practising grammatical patterns, measuring, weighing and sharing a variety of foods.  Specific periods have been set aside for daily individual support work, and everything is aimed specifically at the ‘diagnostic’ or ‘developmental’ strands that have been identified as needing attention.  Skills that are developed at an individual level include pupils’ ability to identify, describe and respond appropriately to various emotions, concentration skills, communication skills, analysing and problem-solving skills.  A careful eye is kept on developing pupils’ self-confidence and self-image, but also on their ability to transition successfully back to the school’s mainstream classes.

The school takes advantage of opportunities to involve parents in class activities as often as possible.  The best examples include the ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, which are good opportunities for parents to observe, co-operate and emulate the teaching staff.  Parents are given special invitations to join the classes to celebrate successes and special occasions.  

The combination of deploying teaching staff carefully, and specific periods for experienced teachers to provide support, has ensured the best opportunities for pupils to reinforce their new skills when transitioning to the mainstream classes.  As a result, there are frequent opportunities for all members of staff to familiarise themselves with the style of the nurture groups and ensure enough consistency in the context of their classes.

Those aspects of the nurture groups that are considered to be most productive have been embedded successfully across the school.  After looking evaluatively at pupils’ experiences against relevant aspects of the six principles of nurture, a number of important developments were identified from which every pupil would be very likely to benefit.  Examples include the use of a visual daily and weekly timetable, and opportunities for all pupils to express and discuss their feelings.  There are calming areas (Corneli Cŵlio) in every classroom, and most pupils use these effectively.  Short and purposeful mindfulness sessions have been included in the class timetables after every lunchtime.

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

• An analysis of pupils’ assessments in the nurture groups has found that most pupils make very sound progress against the ‘developmental’ and ‘diagnostic’ strands after two terms of being implemented.
• Teaching staff in the mainstream classes see important differences in the ability of most pupils who attend the nurture groups to cope with the usual class context, including standards of behaviour, their ability to concentrate, their willingness to co-operate and also their resilience and perseverance during difficult periods. 
• Other indicators, such as questionnaires and standardised wellbeing assessments, support the view that pupils are more content and more eager to apply themselves fully to learning, and that they have a positive attitude to school life in general.
• A significant increase in the school’s attendance percentage over a five-year-period.
• A significant decrease in the number of exclusions over a five-year-period. 
• Regular, successful engagement with parents ensures a positive home-school relationship, and this is reflected in annual parent questionnaires.
• Internal and external training has ensured that all members of staff have a sound understanding of children’s early development, and therefore the reasoning behind a wide variety of needs and behaviours.  As a result, members of staffed are very well-equipped to help and support pupils.
• Nearly all pupils make sound progress, or better, across a range of curricular areas.

How have you shared your good practice?

The school has taken advantage of opportunities to work with the local authority when developing the structure of the school’s nurture groups, including joint investment in training and a willingness to share effective practices with other schools and practitioners.  The school receives a number of visits to the nurture groups, and there is recognition within the consortium that the school prioritises pupils’ safety, wellbeing and inclusion effectively.

‘Nurturing School’ workshops have been held, which detail the expansion of the nurture group provision across the school, and an open invitation was given to primary and secondary schools, the consortium, the local education authority and the school’s stakeholders.  Visitors were led around stalls, which provided a presentation and practical examples of implementing the six principles in a school context.

The school was invited to present the ‘Nurturing School’ workshop at the National Assembly as part of a day to promote aspects of wellbeing in schools.