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The Nurture Group

What is a Nurture Group?

Ms. Jane Caruana & Ms. Anna Saliba

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The Nurture Group is:

• A safe haven within the school for children who find a school day too long, too hard, too confusing, too difficult and too much.

• A family environment in a classroom where these children find comfort, encouragement, someone who empathises with them and helps them to integrate with the mainstream class.

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The main concern of the Nurture Group is :

To enhance the social and emotional well-being of children

who need it most

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Who are these children?

• They are primary school children from Kindergarten 2 to Year 6.

• They are children who may lack a stable family environment.

• They are children who can be too quiet, too noisy and lonely.

• They are children who are unable to listen, easily distracted and quickly feel defeated.

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Who are the children who attend Nurture Group?

• They lack self esteem and are withdrawn.

• They have poor anger management skills.

• They lack communication skills.

• They have behaviour difficulties.

• They lack respect towards others.

• They find it difficult to abide by the rules.

• They have a difficult family background.

• They may be neglected by their guardians.

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1st step to select children to attend the Nurture Group

• First the class teacher, assistant head or head refer certain children who they believe need to be in the nurture group.

• They do this by filling in the referral form.

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2nd step in selecting children for the Nurture Group

• The Nurture Group teacher and LSA carry out observations in class and during break.

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3rd step in selecting children for the Nurture Group

• The mainstream teacher fills in the Boxall Profile.

• Consequently, the Nurture Group staff fills in the histograph.

• This decides if the child is entitled to be part of the Nurture Group or not.

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4th Step in selecting children

• A meeting with the parents to be informed what the programme is about.

• A consent form to be filled in by the parents.

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A typical session at the Nurture Group

• This takes about 3 hours.

• Preferably it starts at 9:45am and ends at 01:00pm.

• These take 2 sessions a week. This depends on the number of children and consequently groups and the needs of the children concerned.

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A guiding timetable of a typical day at the Nurture Room

• 9:45am – 10:00am Circle Time

• 10:00am – 10:30am Social and Emotional Literacy

• 10:30am – 11:00am Lunch

• 11:00am – 11:45am Literacy and Numeracy

Skills, drawing/crafts

• 11:45am – 12:15pm Breakfast / Lunch

• 12:15pm – 12:45pm Playtime

• 12:45pm – 1:00pm Calming down

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Circle Time• The NG session starts with Circle Time.• This consists of:

a) Greetings (remembering rules )

b) Talking about how we are feeling

c) Explanation of activities of the day

d) Active Game

e) Calming down

• N.B. Circle Time is Positive time and Celebration.

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Social and Emotional Literacy• Points to consider in this section:

a) Keeping ourselves clean

b) Basic emotions

c) Friendship

d) Teamwork and turn taking

e) Sharing

f) Bullying

g) Peer pressure

h) Problem solving• N.B. This section is always based on the needs of the

children

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Literacy and Numeracy Skills

• This is the time to help children with their difficulties in their school or home work.

• Enjoyable reading.

• Crafts and drawing.

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Duration of Nurture Group Course

• This depends on the need of the child. Preferably not more than two terms.

• N.B. The goal of the Nurture Group children is to reintegrate with the mainstream class.

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Number of Children

Kinder 1Year 1

Year 2Year 3

Year 4Year 5

Year 6 Lija

Year

Number of Children - 2010/ 2011

26 Children

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Number of Children

Kinder 1Year 1

Year 2Year 3

Year 4Year 5

Year 6 Lija

Year

Number of Children - 2011/ 2012

15 Children

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Conclusion of the child in the Nurture Group

• Constant evaluation of the progress of the child indicates what measure is to be taken.

• When good feedback is noticed and given by the mainstream class teacher or SMT and by the Nurture Group staff itself.

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Blog

Blog for the Nurture Group at Birkirkara Primary

www.caruanajane.wordpress.com

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Thank You !