Nurture = Consistent Handling
By Liz Warren - Added 16th of November 2008Nurture = Consistent Handling
I have the great privilege and pleasure to run a nurture group within a mainstream primary school in Tamworth in Staffordshire. Richard Kizis joined the school through Barnados and shared a wealth of information and enthusiasm with us. He has the ability to support parents and children alike and tells it how it is!
Our aim in nurture is:
To provide a structured, consistent, encouraging environment in order for them to feel emotionally safe enough to experiment and learn. To increase their social skills
To create a feeling of self-assurance and confidence
To provide a learning environment that promotes joy and discovery this will lead to greater confidence and greater achievements
Planning is geared around learning experiences that promote the child's success, how they perceive themselves and their self esteem; helping them be aware of their own needs and the needs of others.
Language is a vital means of communication, but we also need to help them learn the importance of non-verbal communication, this will have an impact on their feelings, thoughts and behaviour.
NURTURE is anything that nourishes: sustenance; food. The act of promoting development or growth. (Reader's Digest - Universal Dictionary 1987.
The school offer children the opportunity to catch up on experiences they may have missed out on during their formative years of their lives (i.e. pre-school) this can be caused by ill health of parents, work pressures, a lack of understanding about bringing up children, bereavement or various other situations.
Fortunately the government initiative of Every Child Matters has helped many children and their families nurture offers all of these points:
keeping safe
keeping healthy
enjoying an achieving
making a positive contribution
achieve economic well-being
Children come to our group with various difficulties. Some develop behavioural problems their only way to vent their frustration, anger and emotions. So how is that dealt with within nurture and how do we help the child our prime importance.
Back to the expression consistent handling, boundaries, routines.
Why?
It gives structure to the day
It reassures children
It clarifies rules and procedures
It maintains order and sense of calm
Reinforces family life
Serves as a remainder for the children
Links school with home life
Encourages team work
Ultimately, leading to independence and confidence
But......................... when a child loses the plot what happens next?
Patience, time, unconditional regard and understanding. When a child loses control and is beyond reasoning with, we need to triple (if not more) time the child will need to calm down. If a child is uncontrollable for 5 minute it may take at least 15 minutes for that child to calm down, not always easy in a mainstream class, but in nurture there is time and patience. Depending on the child a time out time may be necessary, even knowing when a child leaves the room the adult has the courage not to panic.
Having built the trust with the child and child with you, they will know that even if they slam the door they are not going to go far the child also know they can trust you to leave them.
Sanctions need to be in place the adult must calmly show the child that they are in charge but also give them a choice, a choice that the adult will win but a choice that the child thinks they have won!
Our children know and feel safe so that if another child erupts, the teacher will take charge this maybe removing the other children from the room with the aid of the other assistant.
Children's physical strength increase when they are in a temper so unless the child is going to hurt themselves or another person, it is often it is easier to ignore the behaviour and praise the children who are doing the right thing this has had it's draw backs though, as the angry child often gets more frustrated that the other children are getting positive praise which at that that moment they can't achieve. It is a matter of judgement at the time how to play this situation.
It is a strange thing to say that often it is useful for the other children to witness someone else having a tantrum and this has often resulted in a discussion at the end, children realise how they look and how the adult is reacting something they don't see when they are going through it themselves.
All sanctions have to be agreed on by the whole group, so that children have clear expectations about what is required.
Reducing bad behaviour is a realistic aim. Eliminating it completely is not. (Elton.1989).
I feel that the only way to help a child when they are having problems is with the power of communication, verbal, non-verbal and knowledge of the child to know the child holistically and remembering that every child is different unique and will react differently.
Responding to Every Child Matters with nurturing groups in Staffordshire
In Staffordshire, our nurturing provision provides a curriculum and environment that is focused upon meeting the holistic needs of pupils who have experienced trauma, upheaval and lack of attachment. At present within Staffordshire there are more than forty full time and part time nurturing groups, spanning the whole age range and in both mainstream and special school settings.
B.L.O.T. is a valuable assessment for a range of information we need to share with parents, outside agencies, and the child. We use it as a guideline to ascertain triggers of behaviour, performance and health issues. It gives a complete insight into the child's life.
Many congratulations to the designer of this site, someone who has taken the child's whole life to heart. Well done to its designer Richard Kizis.
Liz Warren