Nurture
The Principles of Nurture
1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally – the foundations of learning begin at birth and develop via a close relationship with an adult. Independence develops through dependence. Social empathy as well as learning develops from being thought about, valued and encouraged. Staff should always respond to each child at whatever emotional or social age they appear to be, with the appropriate degree of control and nurture. The quality of this response enables the child to move on. Children’s developmental progress can be assessed through the Boxall Profile. The Boxall profile is a series of questions covering various aspects of a child’s social and emotional development. It provides a clear and personalised picture of a child’s areas of need.
2. The classroom offers a safe base – there is structure which is predictable, adults who are reliable and firm and can set boundaries without being punitive. Children see adults working together and supporting each other. This provides security and reassurance. The Nest environment offers a balance of educational and domestic experiences aimed at supporting the development of children’s relationship with each other and with the staff.
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing - nurture is listening, being responsive, remembering and engaging in reciprocal, shared activities such as play, having meals, reading, talking about events and feelings. Children respond to being valued and being thought of as individuals. This involves calling the children by their name, noticing and praising even small achievements.
4.Language is understood as a vital means of communication – Language is more than a skill to be learnt, it is the way of putting feelings into words. Often children ‘act out’ their feelings as they lack the vocabulary to ‘name’ how they feel. Informal opportunities for talking and sharing such as being welcomed into the classroom at the beginning of the day, conversations over lunch or at playtimes are as important as the more formal lessons teaching language skills. Sometimes modelling from adults is needed to extend conversations and encourage imaginative play this helps to understand the feelings of others.
5. All behaviour is communication – Understanding what a child is communicating through behaviour helps staff to respond in a firm but not-punitive way by not being provoked or discouraged. If the child can sense their feelings are understood this can help to diffuse difficult situations. The adult makes the link between the external/internal worlds of the child. This principle underlines the adult response the children’s often challenging or difficult behaviour. ‘Given what I know about this child and their development what is this child trying to tell me?’
6. Transitions are significant in the lives of children – A nurturing approach helps the child make the difficult transition from home to school. However, on a daily basis there are numerous transitions the child makes, e.g. between sessions and classes and between different adults. Changes in routine are invariably difficult for vulnerable children and need to be carefully managed with preparation and support.