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Newsletter Summer is coming! We are really looking forward to the new NGN Summer School, 28-30th July 2015 at Warwick University. This will be a great opportunity for so many of us to get together, look at new ideas and resources, share experiences, meet new nurturing friends and catch up with old ones. We have to remember to be very careful not to take on the emotional baggage that we’re exposed to every day, and this Summer School offers you the chance to unwind among like-minded people, those who really understand what it’s like to teach our challenging children and young people. The feedback that we’ve had at NGN from delegates at our regional and national conferences is that there just isn’t enough time in a day to get the most from networking and sharing, so this is your chance. And if that isn’t enough, we have £100 bursaries to give away to the first 100 who book their place. It’s not all work and no play, included are two nights accommodation in en-suite rooms, a barbecue night and a more formal dinner, all your meals, use of Warwick’s fabulous leisure facilities and we’ll be providing yoga and relaxation sessions – time for a bit of nurture for you! Over the three days you will be able to choose up to nine workshops (from a programme of 54, many of which are brand new!), three keynotes plus discussion groups and social events. Roll on summer!
December2014
Contents p2 Emotional well-being in schools
3 Nurture news p 4&5 p
The First International Research Conference on Nurture in Education
6 New NGN courses p7 Upcoming events p 8 Our Mission p
The Nurture Group Network is pleased to
announce the Call For Papers for the second edition of the International Journal for Nurture in Education. Abstracts of between 200-300 words can be submitted and should be directly related to nurture groups or nurture principles in education, exploring themes of effectiveness of nurture groups, neuroscience, school culture, school improvement, nurture in education, and related subjects. Please contact Edurne for further details edurne@nurturegroups.org
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2 HQ update
happening at NGN Emotional well-being in schools
In November, I had the pleasure of speaking at a reception in the House of Commons in support of a paper submitted by the Consortium for Emotional Well Being in Schools (CEWBS). The CEWBS paper wants Government to work towards accredited training in children’s emotional development and attachment to be available to all and came up with seven recommendations, most of which NGN does already. The paper recommends: 1. Champion outstanding practice in schools; 2. Widen the role of teacher training providers; 3. Extend the role of virtual headteachers; 4. Create a national register of trainers; 5. Commission research; 6. Action by children’s organisations, and 7. Additional role for Ofsted. NGN research was included as part of the summary of evidence and endorsed as ‘one of the most effective means of supporting emotional needs of troubled pupils at school’. Much of the following debate centred around the need for teachers to be trained in attachment and emotional well-being techniques. As I pointed out, just what we’ve been doing in nurture groups since 1969. Danny, Harry and Lydia
Kevin Kibble Nurture Group Network Chief Executive
NGN continues to grow and part of this is welcoming Sophie Slater and Melisa Meakin to the team. Sophie is our new executive assistant and also helps with all our conference bookings. Sophie has a background in linguistics and law but always knew she wanted to move into the education sphere. Melisa is our publications and sales executive and brings lots of office management experience to the Paisley office. Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to Judith Bitcon and Lynne Griffiths in the Wigan office. Judith and Lynne are retiring this year after a long career with NGN. They have been with NGN through some interesting times and have always rolled up their sleeves and got on with the job. There will be plenty of opportunity to thank Judith and Lynne for their commitment to NGN but we couldn’t do an HQ update without saying a massive THANK YOU to both of them.
Awareness raising in Norwich and Liverpool
We had great success at our Norwich conference on 26 September. We kicked off the day with a few words from CEO Kevin Kibble and NGN regional co-ordinator Jeni Barnacle and moved on to keynotes from NGN researcher Edurne Scott Loinaz, Danny Sweatman from Aylsham High School and Dr Tina Rae. The NGN workshops were on sensory issues and nurture groups at secondary level, while Dr Rae discussed mindfulness in the nurture room and Gill Blackett, Sarah Young and Suzanne Mason shared their experience of working towards the Marjorie Boxall Quality Mark Award. As part of his keynote, Danny brought Lydia and Harry along with him so they could share their stories and tell delegates how their nurture group completely changed things for both of them. They were absolutely fantastic speakers and there was a wonderful moment where Harry said “putting me in Eagles [nurture group] was the best decision my parents and the school could have made for me.” A huge thank you to Harry and Lydia for joining us. Our Liverpool conference was also a hit with a lot of people leaving happy and full of ideas for their nurture practice. Edurne shared her research results and Dr Tina Rae spoke on the importance of building resilience. They were joined by Dr Vicky Booth who discussed the role of narrative in the nurture group. The staff from Wigan council joined us to provide workshops on helping children deal with bereavement, maths in the nurture room and the Relax to Learn programme. Dr Rae provided delegates with useful strategies and resources for using mindfulness in the nurture group and NGN training officer Wendy Roden discussed the QMA. We are touring the country to make sure everyone has access to the workshops and keynotes so if you couldn’t make it to Norwich or Liverpool, please check our website to see where we are next.
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Ginger’s travels
If you are a member of our Facebook page you might have seen Ginger the bear on his ‘Amelie’ style journey. The idea came from Linda Carter who, after 14 years running Rainbow Group, wanted a piece of the group to carry on after it sadly closed. Linda gives the former nurture group regular updates on Ginger’s travels. He is currently visiting a group in Wigan and will then be on the move to Watford via Kidderminster. Keep checking our Facebook group for Ginger updates.
Nurture in Japan
We had the great fortune of introducing a number of Japanese delegates to nurture group practice at the London office in November. Kevin Kibble, Edurne Scott Loinaz and Helen Stollery presented research and nurture theory to Professor Shinji Kurihara of Hiroshima University along with colleagues Professor Takaya Koyama of Doshisha University, Associate Professor Kenichi Kanayama of Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Associate Professor Ariko Kodama of Hirosaki University of Health and Welfare and Associate Professor Atsuko Takahashi of Waseda University, who are all part of the Japanese Peer Support Association. The group were keen to learn how nurture groups can help address the issues that affect children and young people in Japan. Also joining them were Professor Kurihara’s students Erino Mori, Haruka Miyamura, Nanami Kawasaki, Miho Kabeya and Chisako Nakata. All the students took away lots of strategies and resources on how to incorporate the six principles of nurture into their teaching practice. We would like to thank them for joining us and also say ‘arigato gozaimasu’ to Hideo Kato for translating.
Learning About Nurture Maja Knudsen
Those of us who work in the Oslo educational-psychological services are very fortunate. Every couple of years our department arranges a study trip, where we visit other practitioners in our field to learn, find inspiration and see our own work from a new point of view. This year's trip brought us to England, to the Nurture Group Network, the nurture group schools in Enfield, and to the Nurture Group Network's first international research conference. Our head of department had actually visited a nurture group once before, and spoke so warmly of her experiences there that we simply knew we had to make this visit happen, and thankfully we did. In Norway we face many challenges in our roles as educationalpsychology practitioners, especially when working with disadvantaged children, and attachment theory is one topic that has recently come to the forefront of our minds. So when we first learned of the nurture groups and their six principles in working with children, especially children who have attachment difficulties and poor levels of care in the home, we knew this would be a golden opportunity to see attachment theory at work in the field, incorporated into everyday school life. The fact that security, attachment and having a safe ‘home base’ is vital to children and to their learning is not new to us, far from it, but to incorporate that type of work with an academic focus for the children is something we really wanted to see more of. After all, it is so easy to overlook the fact that children without a secure attachment and whose basic needs for safety and care are not met probably will not be accessible for learning. So for us, reading about nurture group work was one thing, but to actually see it being done is where the real learning happened! The Nurture Group Network conference was very exciting, informative and inspiring in itself, especially getting to talk to other educationalpsychology practitioners and hearing more about the challenges they face and how they manage to overcome them. However, seeing the nurture group teachers
actually working and interacting with the children in their groups during our school visits to Enfield was by far our favourite part of this trip. We were very inspired by how colourful the nurture group classrooms were! We may not have our own nurture groups here in Norway, but many of us have already begun incorporating the ideas behind nurture groups and the six nurture group principles into our daily work. Some of us have found inspiration in the teachers we observed, in the materials they used, and the simple things they did, like starting every morning by talking about how the children feel, and have relayed that inspiration on to the kindergarten and school teachers we work with. Others have begun a trial project where they are establishing a nurture-inspired "safe base" room at their schools for one or two children who struggle with attachment and insecurity. Little by little, we are working to put the importance of attachment, safety and care for academic and social learning higher up on the agenda in our schools and kindergartens, and to the forefronts of our own minds. We might not establish any actual nurture groups just yet, but we hope to continue utilising everything we learned and experienced during our visit for the benefit of the children in our schools and kindergartens.
Afritwin and ‘Gangsta Granny’
We recently came across a great story from Darton College nurture group. They have been running a project called ‘Afritwin’ that links schools in Africa and Yorkshire through reading. The learners had been reading David Walliams' books that include titles like Ratburger, Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy and enjoyed it so much they wanted to tell him. To their surprise, David wrote back with a signed picture and note that said: “To all in Nurture Class, Keep reading! It’s good for you! David Walliams x” Are your nurture groups running any special programmes at the moment? Are you doing anything you would like to share with us? If so, please contact Kat in the London office katherine@nurturegroups.org.
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The First International Research Conference on
Nurture in Education Research is vital to get our message to government, Dr Mark Turner told delegates at The Nurture Group Network’s 1st International Research conference in October. “So far we have concentrated on evaluation in research,” he said, “and now we need to go more towards exploration and explanation of how it works. It is so easy to justify this research as having meaning in the real world and it is clear that it makes a real difference to people’s and children’s lives.’ Two key points that came out of the day’s sessions, both from speakers and from delegates, was that research into the effectiveness of nurture groups needs to be better quality. Existing research, while useful, has been to a large extent conducted with small sample groups, which lack statistical strength. Other researchers noted the lack of studies that have included the views of children in nurture groups. Both are very important to produce evidence-based research that could ultimately influence government policy. The one-day event heard keynote sessions from Professor Tom Billington of the University of Sheffield, Dr Catherine Sebastian of Royal Holloway and Professor Tommy Mackay of the University of Strathclyde. Professor Billington conducted a small scale study in 2012 of the use of narrative in the evaluation of nurture groups. Three separate sessions using narrative methodology were carried out with staff in each NG and themes emerged showing: the positive representations of children who might otherwise be perceived negatively and ‘at risk’ from a number of factors; an emphasis on the value of establishing good relationships with parents who would otherwise be alienated from school processes and expressions of dedication, commitment and the sheer enthusiasm of NG staff for their work, the children and their parents. He said that narrative approaches particularly support nurture group practice, acknowledging the importance of participation and ‘voice’. Telling experience as a story can provide the means by which nurture group staff might make more sense of their own experiences and give them a way of helping children to make sense of theirs. This can be helpful where there are concerns over the sustainability of the level of commitment of nurture group staff. It helps teachers to see the whole story, gives them a point to refer to and to understand more deeply what they do. Dr Catherine Sebastian, a neuroscientist from Royal Holloway, has been conducting research into the socio-emotional processing of the adolescent brain, the results of which could well influence how we structure nurture groups in secondary schools. Adolescence is a time of change physically and emotionally, and is associated with increased emotional liability and risk taking, particularly in the presence of peers. An adolescent brain, she said, could be described as a ‘fast car with poor brakes’. She believes that there is now sufficient neuroimaging evidence to prove that neurodevelopmental factors are at play in antisocial behaviour, some psychiatric and behavioural disorders. There are a number of challenges facing nurture group research today, according to Professor Tommy Mackay in the day’s closing plenary. In existing research there are methodological weaknesses with small samples, lack of controls, poor sample selection and an absence of quantitative research. A large-scale study of nurture
groups in Glasgow in 2009 by the University of Strathclyde was the only controlled study to show the impact of nurture groups on academic attainment, but more studies are needed in different areas of the UK. Largescale, randomised trials with double-blind controls have more statistical rigour, he said. More research also needs to take place looking
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Dr Mark Turner opening the conference
NG+ Nurture Groups Other nurturing structures
Nurturing schools and communities
at situations when nurture groups are not feasible – for example in rural schools and in places with low density populations. Twenty per cent of primary schools in Scotland have fewer than 50 pupils, and there are more than 1,000 in England with a similar number. He told delegates that the next steps in nurture group research are to develop a coherent model of practice for nurture in education within which nurture groups are located, and to develop a research
agenda to map on to that model. He showed delegates a pyramid model for developing such a research agenda. The rest of the conference was divided into two themes. Theme 1, Effectiveness of Nurture Groups, looking at quantitative research, nurture principles in secondary school and evidence-based components and practice in nurture groups. The sessions included looking at a ‘realistic evaluation’ framework for exploring factors affecting practice, an exploration of outcomes and mechanisms of change in part-time secondary school NGs and comparing nurture group provision to other well-established psychosocial interventions. Theme 2, looking at qualitative research of school culture and improvement included sessions on parents’ and children’s perceptions of nurture groups and the ways in which they impact on parent/child relationships; whether relationships with nurture group teachers differ from relationships children develop with their teachers in other classrooms, why we need to remember that nurture group children are human and an analysis of the qualities and characteristics of educators who nurture. More than 60 people came to the conference, including delegates from Norway, Canada and all four parts of the UK. Delegates said it was a great place to share experiences with people who have a common understanding of nurture. There was plenty of time for delegates to network with others and Q&A sessions gave the opportunity to have some important questions answered. A number of the papers presented at the conference will be included in The Nurture Group Network’s new journal which will be published for the first time in May 2015. There was a call for papers for the second issue, so if you have any ongoing research, please contact Edurne edurne@nurturegroups.org for details. NGN hopes the conference will become an annual event to showcase the best research on nurture from around the world. Watch this space for the details of the Second International Research Conference on Nurture in Education.
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Courses
LEGO and Nurture Groups ®
NGN training officer Angi Franklin recently travelled to Billund, Denmark to learn about the BuildToExpress method from LEGO®.
BuildToExpress (BTE) encourages students to express
their thoughts and ideas on any topic by building symbolic models with LEGO® bricks. The method ensures a secure and nonjudgemental process in which every student in the class gets the opportunity to be active, engaged and listened to. Delegates will have hands-on experience with BTE and will learn how to create, develop and organise their own BTE processes to provide the nurture group with stimulating learning through creative thinking and self-expression.
We are running this as a half-day course in 2015.
See the website or contact us for more information.
Mindfulness
A UK study published by the DfE found that pupil wellbeing predicted their later academic progression and engagement in school. Pupils with better emotional wellbeing at age seven had a value-added key stage 2 score 2.46 points higher than pupils with poorer emotional wellbeing. This practical half-day course is designed to support children within both the mainstream classroom context and within the nurture group setting. The key aim is to introduce and practise mindfulness, which is an approach that increases children’s life skills by supporting them in developing the ability to both soothe and calm themselves; to pay attention to themselves in the world and to think about and reflect on both their relationships.
Delegates will receive a copy of Dr Tina Rae’s 60 Mindful Minutes. This is a half-day course and will start in 2015.
See the website or contact us for more information.
The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups – Advanced It is evident upon reflection, that experienced, skilled nurture group practitioners are now in a position to develop their own knowledge in specific areas of their practice.
This course will give those who have been running nurture group (for more than two years) the opportunities to address and advance further in their own areas of expertise within a nurture group setting. This two-day course will cover current context and challenges and give up to date information in relation to: poverty, exclusion, mental health, working with parents, neuroscience and attachment theory. Delegates will revisit the six principles of nurture groups and how they are applied in practice and future development for practice.
Delegates will revisit the 6 principles of nurture groups and how they are applied in practice and future development for practice. See the website or contact us for more information.
Managing Behaviour in a Nurture Group
Managing Actual and Physical Aggression (MAPA) is a course to help practitioners to identify behaviours that indicate an escalation towards violence and aggression, and take appropriate measures to avoid and deescalate risk behaviour. As children in the nurture group settle in, their unwanted behaviour may increase until they feel genuinely safe, secure and build attachment relationships with the staff and peers. As staff, we have a duty of care to ensure the Care, Welfare, Safety and Security of everyone. This course identifies the skills needed to ensure that behaviour is managed in a positive and safe way for all concerned.
The key learning objectives for this course are to:
• Identify behaviour that indicates an escalation toward aggressive and violent behaviour and take appropriate measures to avoid, decelerate and/or de-escalate crisis situations. • Assess the level of risk associated with crisis behaviour and make appropriate decisions related to the management of such risks. • Manage risk behaviour using Disengagement skills. • Identify the impact of crisis events and describe post-crisis responses which can be used for personal and organisational support and learning.
This is a BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities) accredited, full-day course for nurture group practitioners.
Training is provided by Senior CPI Instructor and NGN Training Officer, Angi Franklin. Delegates will receive a MAPA workbook, certificate and registration with the Crisis Prevention Institute.
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Upcoming
events
Venue &date
Boxall Profile & Boxall Profile for Young People
Nottingham
22 January 2015
The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups
London
27/28 January and 3 March 2015
Boxall Profile & Boxall Profile for Young People
London
29 January 2015
Boxall Profile & Boxall Profile for Young People
Ashford
29 January 2015
Boxall Profile & Boxall Profile for Young People
Norwich
3 February 2015
The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups
Liverpool
3/4 February and 17 March 2015
Boxall Profile & Boxall Profile for Young People
London
5 February 2015
The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups
Cardiff
10/11 February and 12 March 2015
Nurture Groups – why they matter
Exeter
12 February 2015
The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups
London
25/26 February and 28 April 2015
Attachment Theory and Practical Strategies
London
4 March 2015
Outstanding Nurture Groups & OFSTED/ESTYN/HMIE
London
5 March 2015
Outstanding Nurture Groups & OFSTED/ESTYN/HMIE
Norwich
17 March 2015
Outstanding Nurture Groups & OFSTED/ESTYN/HMIE
Liverpool
8 March 2015
National Nurture Conference
Northern Ireland
26 March 2015
Nurture Groups – why they matter
Birmingham
16 April 2015
The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups
Birmingham
6/7 May and 1 July 2015
Outstanding Nurture Groups & OFSTED/ESTYN/HMIE
Manchester
3 June 2015
Assignment Re-registration
Cheshire
24 June 2015
Boxall Profile and Boxall Profile for Young People
Manchester
24 June 2015
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Our Mission THE NURTURE GROUP NETWORK EXISTS TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NURTURE GROUPS AND TO ENSURE THE CONTINUING QUALITY OF THEIR DELIVERY THROUGH ACCREDITED TRAINING PROGRAMMES, RESEARCH ON EFFECTIVE PRACTICE, RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE. ITS AIM IS TO MAKE THE NURTURE GROUP APPROACH AVAILABLE TO ALL PUPILS WHO NEED IT AND ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LEARNING AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT ARE UNDERSTOOD THROUGHOUT EDUCATION.
Become a Member Visit our website to download a membership form or call the Membership Office on 0141 280 0524 National Office t 0203 475 8980 e info@nurturegroups.org 18A Victoria Park Square, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PB
Tweet us! @nurturegroups www.nurturegroups.org