The Nurturing Programme for Schools
Schools
The Nurturing Programme provides an excellent framework for building children's social, emotional and behavioural skills across key stage 1, 2 and 3 and in special schools.
- It encourages an emotionally healthy environment for both adults and children,
- It offers personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) that reflects Curriculum 2000 guidelines for Key Stage 1 and 3.
- It gives a framework for citizenship education
- It supports the aims of the National Healthy Schools Standard
- It is endorsed in the DCSF Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum
- Family Links and the Nurturing Programme are mentioned in Ofsted reports for Oxfordshire schools.
The Nurturing Programme for schools runs for 10-weeks each term using the circle time format. Extension activities allow for continued development of social and emotional skills within the wider curriculum.
The Programme topics and activities are clearly set out in 4 age-appropriate handbooks:
- Handbook One - Foundation Stage
- Handbook Two - Years 1 to 4
- Handbook Three - Year 5 and above
- Transition Handbook - Years 6 and 7
No lesson planning is required beyond being familiar with how to facilitate the activities, and preparing simple materials each the session. The Classroom Handbooks are supported by additional resources for use with children and students, including 'The Nurturing Game'.
All staff in primary schools receive a 2 day training which promotes a consistently positive ethos within the school. The training as a team, including both teaching and non-teaching staff helps build an emotionally safe environment for all pupils.
The Nurturing Programme can influence life throughout your school, to get an idea of how, click here to view an example of how the Nurturing Programme can effectively inform a consistent whole-school policy on relationships and good behaviour. This example is used with the kind permission of Pegasus Primary School, Oxford.
 Transition settings
The transition from primary to secondary school has been identified as a highly vulnerable time for children, and many do not progress academically during the first year at their new school. Family Links believes that, to overcome this, children need to be well prepared for the emotional and social change, and schools need to be equipped to support children using strategies familiar to them from their primary schools.
As both research evidence and personal experience testify, the transition from primary to secondary school is a key event in any child’s life. This handbook acknowledges the transition as a process which requires careful preparation from Year 6 of primary school. It provides a 2-year programme of circle time sessions for Year 6 and Year 7 groups to facilitate comfortable and confident transition.
Social skills and emotional literacy can help prevent the disruptive behaviour that arises when difficult feelings go unnoticed – wherever they may manifest themselves on the continuum between aggression and withdrawal. This in turn can increase students’ capacity for effective learning from the outset of their secondary school lives. The Year 6 and Year 7 schemes of work in this handbook reflect National Curriculum guidance for PSHCE and will work best when both the feeder primary and the secondary school are trained in and committed to using the Nurturing Programme.
The 2 day training at key stage 3 is layered to the needs of year 7 tutors and support staff.
Are you interested in bringing the Nurturing Programme into your school? Click here to find out more about schools training.
Early years settings
Staff in early years settings receive a 2 day training tailored to their needs in supporting very young children.
Click here to find out more about training in early years settings.
Benefits of the Programme
The Nurturing Programme for Early Years settings and Schools offers:
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a consistent, whole-setting approach that encourages an optimum environment for teaching and learning
- greater understanding of children's feelings and the behaviour that follows
- a model that enhances consistency and teamwork among staff
- effective strategies for encouraging responsible behaviour and managing challenging behaviour
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