SEND and Inclusion

A Calm Space for Anyone

Huge thanks to our wonderful PTFA for their generous donation to help resource this learning space.  

Nurture Principles Unpacked 

In a school context, Nurture is about the social environment you are in - Who you are WITH, rather than Who you are born to. 

The social environment influences social and emotional skills, wellbeing and behaviour.  In SMRP School, Nurture supports children who have experienced missing or distorted early attachments.  Strong, early attachments are the bedrock of how future relationships are formed.

1  Children's learning is understood developmentally

Start with where the child is, not where the adult thinks they should be.  We have an accepting attitude towards all children whatever their age and stage of development.  We celebrate progress from every individual starting point.

2  The classroom offers a safe base

Organising the classroom space and the way it is managed, helps children contain anxiety.

Strong yet flexible daily routines, a specific place for personal items, understanding how the day unfolds through visual timetable or cues, trusting relationships between adults and children all help to establish the idea "I belong, I am safe here." 

3  Nurture is important for the development of wellbeing

A significant part of Nurture is listening - really listening, and responding. 

Children need to be noticed and acknowledged both for effort and achievement.  Noticing can be by using words (eg "That was hard for you, thank you for persevering") or by eye contact and smile, or an agreed appropriate hand signal.  Nurture can be as simple as paying full attention, playing a game together, spending time in a child-chosen topic of conversation, not hurrying interactions.  

4  Language is understood as a vital means of communication

Language is a way of putting words to feelings and emotions. 

At SMRP School, we teach children greetings with our Wonderful Welcome, words to name emotions, turn-taking in conversations, respecting another person's point of view, how to disagree politely.  Our curriculum teaches the acquisition of vocabulary.  Words bring thoughts to life. 

5  All Behaviour is Communication

When adults understand that children's behaviour is a way of communicating their feelings, adults respond differently to challenging behaviour. 

We ask ourselves "What is this child trying to tell me?"  We respond with Acceptance of where they are, and Empathy - "I'm sorry this is hard for you.  I wonder what's happening for you?"  "I can help you." 

When the child senses that they are understood, then they can begin to move beyond the current difficulty.  The adult makes the link between the child's internal and external worlds.

6  Transitions are significant in the lives of children

Transition is a process, not an event. 

During the school day there are many transitions!  Coming to school from home, going out to play, moving between the different spaces around our school.  Then there are the big transitions - changing year group, leaving primary school, and managing change in family life.  Familiar School Adults help children to manage changes in school routine or to work with a different adult.  The key is good preparation and support. 

The Intent, Implementation, Impact Statement tells you:

• Intent - What we think Nurture is, and what we want it to look like at St Mary Redcliffe Primary
• Implementation - What and How we plan and provide Nurture
• Impact - What has happened or may be expected to happen, as a result of what we planned and provided

Terms in the Statement:

SDQ - Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.  A set of statements which can describe a pupil's behaviour.  These help staff to consider what the needs are and how to meet them.

Boxall Profile - a resource to support staff in working out where social, emotional and behavioural needs are, in a class of pupils.  The Boxall Profile gives strategies for simple and effective interventions as part of the learning environment:  eg give a child an extra few minutes of uninterrupted attention to check in with them, or schedule whole class moments to pay attention to feelings and teach self-regulation strategies or learn how to have brain-breaks, or practise deep breathing.  

The Boxall Profile Manual p14 says:

Children and young people lacking early nurturing experiences commonly exhibit challenging behaviours such as acting out or social withdrawal that prevent them from successfully engaging with teachers and peers, often leading to failures in learning.

The Boxall Profile provides entry points into the child's world, allowing teachers to think about what lies behind the difficult behaviour and understand what the child's real needs might be.  Once missing skills are identified, staff can put in place targeted and individualised interventions to help the child or young person develop the skills they are lacking.