The Woodland 

 

Here at Spire Junior School we are very committed to the health and well-being of our children. We understand that every child is unique and have different needs that deserve to be met. That is why we are very passionate about our nurture group – The Woodland. 

Our nurture group is a focused, short-term intervention for a small group of children (usually 8-12 children) which aims to support their social, emotional, mental health and coping strategies in order to better access their mainstream school provision. 

The nurture group environment is designed to be welcoming and safe, to support pupils in developing relationships with their peers and teachers, to develop self-esteem, and to have greater understanding and ability to express their emotions. 

The Woodland Group has a planned routine to provide a predictable, reliable structure in which our children feel safe and cared for, so that they begin to trust the adults, form relationships to enable them to explore and learn. 

Our nurture group allows the children to participate in the group by taking turns, waiting, making choices, completing tasks and tidying up. This gives the children the opportunity to make sense of their experiences, to feel some control over their environment and to internalise some control over behaviour. 

We have a visual timetable at nurture as a reminder of how the session will go, which is supportive to the children and will help them feel secure and understand what is going to be required of them at any given part of the nurture session. The Woodland timetable stays the same at all times so that the children can understand the importance of routine and eliminate any anxieties about what is expected from them. 

The Woodland Timetable 

1. Good News – sharing proud moments and achievements with their peers. This promotes positive self-esteem and confidence. 

2. Working Together – working as a team and learning important social skills such as: listening, sharing, turn taking, patience and perseverance. 

3. First Job – Working independently on a given task. Allowing children to be imaginative and creative. 

4. Second Job – Working in pairs to complete a small task. This teaches a child how to listen, co-operate and communicate successfully with their peers. 

5. Circle Time – A great opportunity to express themselves in a safe environment whilst learning crucial skills such as speaking and listening. 

6. Snack Time – Time to interact in a relaxed environment with no demands. An opportunity to learn good table manners. 

7. Story Time – Time to unwind and regulate before returning back to class. 

8. Praise and Rewards – Positive praise for each child about something that they have achieved today or should feel proud about. 

 

Why We Run Nurture: 

Nurture Groups have been proven to be beneficial because they: 

• Offer a range of opportunities for children, giving them nurturing experiences 

• Improve social and emotional skills to achieve well at school and interact more confidently with peers, 

• Develop their resilience and self-confidence.  

• Develop pupils’ confidence and self-esteem, and they learn to take pride in their work. 

• Help pupils become better at managing emotions and empathising with others, to form more positive relationships with peers and teachers. 

• Increase pupils’ enjoyment of school, and overall attendance. 

• Improve academic performance.