Helping Children Thrive at School: The Effectiveness of Nurture Groups

Abstract

This paper describes a nurture group pilot project that took place in three schools in Hampshire. Results suggested that children in the nurture groups made significant social and emotional gains after attending a group. These gains were recognised by the children themselves and their parents. They were also generalised into the classroom. Teachers at the end of the pilot project felt more empowered to meet the needs of children presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. This paper concludes by identifying factors which contribute to the success of nurture groups and highlights future research issues.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all those who contributed to the pilot project. Specific thanks should go to Judith Lee (educational psychologist, Hampshire Educational Psychology Service); Lisa McSpadden (educational psychologist, Hampshire Educational Psychology Service); Cate Mullen (educational psychologist, Southampton Educational Psychology Service) and Elaine Allen‐Hayes (educational psychologist, Buckinghamshire Educational Psychology Service) for their help with the data analysis and to Jo Farmborough (educational psychologist, Derbyshire Educational Psychology Service) for her parent interview data.