For more information about Nurture Groups, please see the Nurture UK website. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Buckinghamshire Nurture Team at nurturegroup@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

About Nurture Groups

Nurture groups were first devised by Marjorie Boxall in the early 1970s.

They consist of small ‘classes’ in mainstream schools for pupils with social and emotional needs. The Nurture programme is a targeted intervention for children and young people who may have ‘missed out on’ early family / home experiences that promote positive development. The aim of Nurture is to enable children to better manage without the support of the nurture group within 2 to 4 terms.

The Six Principles of Nurture

1. Children's learning is understood developmentally
2. The classroom offers a safe base
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
4. Language is a vital means of communication
5. All behaviour is communication
6. The importance of transition in children's lives

The six principles of nurture were developed by educational professionals Eva Holmes and Eve Boyd (1999).

Background and theoretical underpinnings

Nurture is underpinned by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Attachment theory. The practices within Nurture groups are based on building positive and affirming attachments with children.

Through these attachments, practitioners are able to alter how children view themselves so that they develop a clearer understanding of themselves and are more able to regulate their responses to stressful situations.  Nurture practitioners model appropriate behaviour and social skills to children and provide a ‘secure base’ within the school setting.

Educational Psychologists’ involvement

• Providing initial training to school staff wishing to become Nurture practitioners and refresher training to existing practitioners
• Offering supervision sessions each term to existing Nurture practitioners
• Offering CPD events to Nurture practitioners to continue their knowledge and skills development

Boxall profile

As part of the programme, Nurture practitioners should assess pupils with the Boxall profile before joining a Nurture group and at the end of their time in the group. The Boxall Profile is a two-part assessment tool designed to track the progress of cognitive development and behavioural traits of children and young people through their education.  It identifies the levels of skills the children and young people possess to access learning.

In setting up a Nurture group, schools will now need to set up an account to access the Boxall Profile online.