Here at Ladygrove we believe that……A child learns best when they have strong self-esteem, a sense of belonging and resilience.
Our Nurture group is run from the Rainbow Room. Mrs A and Mrs Pennant work together to create a secure, calm, nurturing environment for the children to reach their full potential. This is achieved by following the six principles of Nurture.
We believe that each child is a unique individual. We work alongside the children to support them to overcome their barriers to learning, which will enable them to reach their true learning potential. Work can be tailored to their learning needs to encourage a confident, independent child. Staff respond to the children in terms of their developmental progress which is assessed through the Boxall Profile. The support is underpinned by a non-judgemental, accepting attitude from all staff.
We often find that some children struggle to focus in a large classroom as they can often be over stimulated by the environment. Our Nurture room offers a calm quiet space where the children can feel safe and secure. We operate a predictable routine with support of a visual timetable which offers opportunities for the children to develop strong relationships with both staff and peers.
In our Nurture group we listen and respond to the children and their needs. This is achieved through shared activities such as play, reading, talking about events and exploring feelings and emotions. Children respond to being valued and thought of as individuals. We notice and praise small achievements. “Nothing is hurried in Nurture group”.
“Language is more than a skill to be learnt, it is the way of putting feelings into words”
Nurture children often act out their feelings as they often lack the emotional vocabulary to express how they feel. In Nurture we put empathise on providing opportunities for the children to express themselves. This is achieved through our welcome, snack time and circle times. We encourage the children to use words rather than actions to express how they feel.
We aim to explore why a child is struggling to manage their behaviour, by looking beyond the action and unpicking the reason behind it. Understanding what a child is communicating through their behaviour enables the staff to respond in a consistent, calm manner which will not provoke a negative response but allow the child time to process and respond in a positive way.
Children can often find transitions a real challenge. The Nurture room enables the child to manage these transitions in a positive way. A change to routine can be extremely difficult for these children and we are able to support this through preparation for the next step.
The Rainbow room is an extension of the main classroom and the planning runs alongside the teachers planning to ensure consistency of the curriculum. The children are encouraged to transfer their skills back into the classroom to ensure there is a smooth transition. The room is also an extension of our SEND provision and we work alongside outside agencies to ensure the best possible provision.
