Acorns Nurture Group at Great Linford Primary School
At Great Linford Primary School, The Acorns group is run to support children with social, emotional or/and behavioural needs. Mrs Regan (Nurture Manager) and Miss Vaughan (Nurture Specialist) support children mainly within the Acorns room but also in mainstream class and throughout the school. The Nurture team have had formal training and are experienced Nurture specialists who have an intuitive understanding of children’s developmental needs, enabling them to make relationships at an appropriate level.
The Acorns group is part of the mainstream school provision. Learning and teaching are at the heart of all that we do. Nurture groups are about growth, not pathology. They differ from most other forms of intervention for children who are vulnerable to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties by having an emphasis on the curriculum, what children know, understand and do. Where learning is being hindered, we seek to understand what is preventing development and progress rather than focusing on the problem.
The six principles of Nurture underpin what we do for our children attending Acorns.
Children are identified through discussions with class teachers, SENCo, Head Teacher and Nurture Manager. Children are then assessed using an accredited assessment tool called a Boxall Profile. From this assessment, an Individual Learning Plan is created. The Individual Learning Plan is shared with parents and relevant school staff to ensure that the child receives focussed teaching and is given whatever help is needed to remove any barriers to learning.
Observations are recorded daily and the Boxall Profile assessment is completed termly. Children still attend their year group class for core lessons in the mornings and can attend nurture sessions in the afternoons. The transition back into their year group class is planned for and managed to ensure optimum success. Support is continued during this transition.
The Acorns room is a planned environment, it is a room that is calming and reassuring including a sofa, cushions, cuddly toys and the option for sensory experiences. These include a dark den with sensory lights, a sensory light table and sensory resources for touch and sound. There are also work tables and classroom resources. Toast time is an important part of an Acorns day, we enjoy a snack whilst using our social skills for conversation and building self-esteem Afternoon sessions in the Acorns room include planned activities related to the targets identified from the Boxall profile. These activities include: - speaking and listening, memory, art and creativity, movement and music and outside activities, during these activities we focus on the strengths of the children, building self-esteem and confidence. As well as these activities we focus on the social, emotional and behavioural needs of the children within the group.
At Great Linford Primary School, The Acorns group is run to support children with social, emotional or/and behavioural needs. Mrs Regan (Nurture Manager) and Miss Vaughan (Nurture Specialist) support children mainly within the Acorns room but also in mainstream class and throughout the school. The Nurture team have had formal training and are experienced Nurture specialists who have an intuitive understanding of children’s developmental needs, enabling them to make relationships at an appropriate level.
The Acorns group is part of the mainstream school provision. Learning and teaching are at the heart of all that we do. Nurture groups are about growth, not pathology. They differ from most other forms of intervention for children who are vulnerable to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties by having an emphasis on the curriculum, what children know, understand and do. Where learning is being hindered, we seek to understand what is preventing development and progress rather than focusing on the problem.
The six principles of Nurture underpin what we do for our children attending Acorns.
- Children’s learning is understood developmentally
- The classroom offers a safe base
- The importance of nurture for the development of self-esteem
- Language is a vital means of communication
- All behaviour is communication
- The importance of transition in children’s lives
Children are identified through discussions with class teachers, SENCo, Head Teacher and Nurture Manager. Children are then assessed using an accredited assessment tool called a Boxall Profile. From this assessment, an Individual Learning Plan is created. The Individual Learning Plan is shared with parents and relevant school staff to ensure that the child receives focussed teaching and is given whatever help is needed to remove any barriers to learning.
Observations are recorded daily and the Boxall Profile assessment is completed termly. Children still attend their year group class for core lessons in the mornings and can attend nurture sessions in the afternoons. The transition back into their year group class is planned for and managed to ensure optimum success. Support is continued during this transition.
The Acorns room is a planned environment, it is a room that is calming and reassuring including a sofa, cushions, cuddly toys and the option for sensory experiences. These include a dark den with sensory lights, a sensory light table and sensory resources for touch and sound. There are also work tables and classroom resources. Toast time is an important part of an Acorns day, we enjoy a snack whilst using our social skills for conversation and building self-esteem Afternoon sessions in the Acorns room include planned activities related to the targets identified from the Boxall profile. These activities include: - speaking and listening, memory, art and creativity, movement and music and outside activities, during these activities we focus on the strengths of the children, building self-esteem and confidence. As well as these activities we focus on the social, emotional and behavioural needs of the children within the group.
