🌱 Nurture at Burrington Primary School
Supporting every child to feel safe, understood and ready to learn
At Burrington Primary School, our nurturing approach is woven through everything we do. We believe that relationships, emotional safety and personalised support are the foundation of successful learning. Our practice is guided by the Nurture UK Six Principles, which help us understand each child as an individual and create an environment where everyone can thrive.
1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally
Children grow socially, emotionally, physically, and academically at different rates. We meet them where they are, not where a curriculum says they “should” be.
At Burrington, this means:
- Using tools such as emotional check-ins and nurture assessments (e.g., Boxall Profile®) to understand pupils’ needs.
- Offering tailored interventions such as nurture time, emotion coaching, and small‑group mentoring.
- Responding with empathy, patience and curiosity rather than judgement.
Example:
A child who is anxious in the morning may begin the day in our Nurture Breakfast space, helping them settle before joining class learning.
2. The classroom offers a safe base
A predictable, calm and relational environment helps children feel safe enough to learn.
At Burrington, this looks like:
- Warm welcomes at the door and clear daily routines.
- Calm, sensory‑aware classrooms with nurture corners and visual timetables.
- Adults who model respectful, kind interactions consistently.
- Spaces where children know they can take time to regulate if needed.
Example:
A child overwhelmed during lessons is supported to use our calm space, then returns to learning once ready, with an adult guiding the transition.
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
Strong, caring relationships build children’s self‑esteem, emotional security, and resilience.
At Burrington, this means:
- Prioritising connection: staff listen without judgement and keep children “in mind”.
- Embedding wellbeing activities such as mindfulness, daily check‑ins and resilience‑building tasks.
- Celebrating effort, kindness and personal growth—not just academic achievement.
Example:
Weekly nurture group sessions allow children to cook, play and talk together, strengthening trust and confidence.
4. Language is a vital means of communication
Talking helps children name feelings, solve problems, and understand themselves.
At Burrington, we:
- Model emotional language (“It sounds like you’re frustrated because…”).
- Encourage children to talk about experiences and express needs safely.
- Use story cards, visuals and sentence starters to support communication.
- Teach social and conversational turn‑taking explicitly.
Example:
During emotion coaching, a mentor helps a child move from “I hate this!” to “I’m finding this tricky and need help.”
5. All behaviour is communication
Behaviour shows us how a child is feeling—especially when they don’t yet have the words.
At Burrington, we:
- Look behind behaviours to understand underlying emotions or needs.
- Use curiosity (“What might this child be telling us?”) rather than punishment.
- Support children to regulate, repair and rebuild relationships.
- Work closely with families to ensure consistency and shared understanding.
Example:
A child who storms out of class is gently supported to regulate, then staff explore together what triggered the feeling and how to cope next time.
6. Transitions are significant in children’s lives
Changes—big or small—can affect emotional security. Supporting transitions helps children feel prepared and confident.
At Burrington, support includes:
- Visual timetables and advance warnings of changes.
- Extra transition visits for children moving between classes or preparing for secondary school.
- Personalised support for everyday transitions (e.g., break-to‑class, home‑to‑school).
- Time to talk through upcoming events or worries.
Example:
A child worried about a new teacher has additional meet‑and‑greets and a photo booklet to build familiarity before September.
Our Commitment
At Burrington Primary School, nurture is not just an intervention—it's a whole‑school ethos. It shapes our relationships, our environment, and our belief that every child can succeed when they feel safe, valued and understood.
