Our Nurture Vision

At Minster-in-Sheppey Primary School, our vision is encapsulated in the words: 

Nurture – Grow – Flourish.

We aim to ensure that pupils are nurtured and recognised for who they are and what they can become.  Nurture is ‘the care and attention given to someone or something that is growing or developing’. We believe that for pupils to learn and develop they need to feel safe, valued, recognised and acknowledged. This can only be achieved through a focus on nurture, diversity and inclusion. The nurturing approach offers a range of opportunities for children and young people to engage with missing early nurturing experiences, giving them the social and emotional skills to do well at school and with peers, develop their resilience and their capacity to deal more confidently with the trials and tribulations of life, for life.

We believe that a child's emotional and social well-being is essential for their success as learners and recognise that  children are not always able to articulate their feelings using words, therefore we recognise that the child who needs the most love will ask for it in the most unloving way, and as practitioners we understand that all behaviour is communication. For a child to grow and flourish we need to build trust and that comes through an adult/child relationship with emotionally available adults, which Nurture at Minster is built upon. We understand that children have diverse needs and learning styles, and we strive to meet these needs through personalised support through our nurture provision.

Through nurture, we aim to cultivate a love for learning and a thirst for knowledge by fostering a growth mindset, where children embrace challenges and persevere through difficulties. Nurture at Minster is committed to developing children's resilience and self-confidence so that they can navigate challenges, build strong relationships, and make positive contributions to the wider school community.

We believe at Minster, that pupils’ supported through a nurturing approach “tend to do better at school, attend regularly, form more meaningful friendships and are significantly less likely to offend or experience physical or mental health problems.

Meet The Team

Nurture Reads

Read for empathy collection

EmpathyLab has produced a #ReadforEmpathy book collection, with accompanying book guides annually since 2017. Each title in the collection has been chosen by a panel of judges to do a specific empathy-building job. The list has been created as a practical tool to help young children learn about empathy and put it into action. This website has many wonderful books to explore.

Books for Topics

Books for Topics booklist recommends a range of children’s books that open up conversations about mental health in age-appropriate ways.

Nurture Assessment

All pupils entering Minster are assessed using the Boxall profile. This tool measures the social emotional mental health and wellbeing (SEMH) of our pupils. This assessment helps us to identify needs and then plan support for our pupils.

The assessment is divided into different ‘DEVELOPMENTAL STRANDS’, which measure different aspects of our pupil’s cognitive, social and emotional development that influences how well they are able to learn and function in the classroom.

At Minster the Boxall profile is used to identify pupils who require support from Nurture intervention, this could be 1:1 or small group sessions. It also supports whole class adaptation. Intervention is personalised against the outcomes of the ‘DEVELOPMENTAL STRANDS.’ Once a pupil receives Nurture intervention the Boxall Profile is used to measure progress in key areas.

Strand A – Gives purposeful attention

1 Listens with interest when an adult explains something to the group

2 Makes appropriate and purposeful use of the materials/equipment provided by the adult without the need for continuing direct support

3 Listens, attends and does what is required when the adult addresses a simple positive request specifically to him/her.

4 Is adequately competent and self-reliant in managing basic personal needs.

5 Participates in adult led activities.

Strand B – Participates constructively

1 Shows awareness of happenings in the natural world, is interested, curious, and genuinely seeks explanations.

2 Shows genuine interest when another young person relays a personal experience; pays attention and gains from experience.

3 Is reasonably able to prepare for planned tasks, organise required equipment and clear away.

Strand C – Connects up Experiences

1 Of his/her own accord, returns to and completes a satisfying activity that has been interrupted.

2 Recalls information of relevance to something s/he reads or hears about, makes a constructive link.

3 Communicates a simple train of through with coherence.

Strand D – Shows insightful involvement

1 Appreciates a joke or is amused by an incongruous statement or situation.

2 Makes constructive and reciprocal friendships which provide companionship.

3 Responds to narrative stories with appropriate feeling; can identify text characteristics.

4 Shows curiosity and constructive interest when something out of the ordinary happens.

Strand E – Engages cognitively with peers

1 Contributes to the course of a co-operative and developing activity with two or more young people and shows some variation in the roles s/he takes.

2 Engages in conversation with another young person.

Strand F – Is emotionally secure

1 Takes appropriate care of something s/he has made or work s/he has done.

2 Looks up and makes eye contact when an adult is nearby addresses them by name.

3 Turns to an adult for help, reassurance or acknowledgement, in the expectation that support will be forthcoming.

Strand G – Is biddable and accepts constraints

1 Is able to bring to a close an enjoyable activity with the adult, with adequate warning, makes a general request to the group

2 Works alongside another young person who is independently occupied, without interfering or causing disturbance.

3 Complies with specific verbal prohibitions on his/her personal use of equipment.

4 Sits reasonably still without talking or causing disturbance when an adult makes a general request to a group of young people for their attention.

Strand H – Accommodates others

1 Makes and accepts normal physical contact with others.

2 Gives way to another young person’s legitimate need for the equipment s/he is using by sharing it.

3 Maintains acceptable behaviour and functions adequately when the day’s routine is disturbed.

4 Makes an appropriate verbal request to a young person who is in his / her way or has something s/he needs.

5 Accommodating to other young people when they show friendly and constructive interest in joining his/her activity or group.

Strand I – Responds constructively to others

1 In freely developing group activities s/he constructively adapts to their ideas and suggestions.

2 Shows genuine concern and thoughtfulness for other people; is sympathetic and offers help.

Strand J – Maintains internalised standards

1 Abides by the rules of an organised group activity. Interacts, co-operates and continues to take part for the full duration of the activity.

2 Accepts disappointments.