OUR NURTURE GROUPS
 |
ASPIRE - LEARN - FLOURISH
The Aspire Learning Federation is made up of two schools - Elm Park Primary School and R J Mitchell Primary School in the London Borough of Havering.
A nurture group is a small discrete class that provides a safe and predictable structured environment for pupils with additional needs. At RJ Mitchell Primary School, we currently have 3 nurture groups that cater for pupils with communication and interaction difficulties often alongside a diagnosis of ASD.
Our nurture groups follow the same structure as formal SEN Units and provide a bespoke and specialist curriculum for the pupils. We work closely with Corbet’s Tey School and have implemented their own assessment system in order to acutely assess each child and understand their areas of strengths and areas for development in greater depth. Each child has very finite and detailed targets that staff assess against each term that are often linked with their EHCPs and SALT plans.
We have incorporated a number of interventions and therapies into the timetables including: Attention Autism Bucket; Pairing; STAR (Sensory Touch and Relaxation); Intensive Interaction; Workstations and Sensory Circuits. Pupils also receive a 1:1 speech and language session per week alongside group activities and sessions to enhance their communication skills.
The groups have high ratios of staff to pupils to ensure we are able to meet the needs of the pupils most effectively. There is a high emphasis on communication and interaction and staff use PECs, Core Boards, AAC Devices and Communication Boards to support pupils to develop their skills further.
Pupils in the nurture group are mainstream pupils and have accessed the school through the usual admission process. Entrance into the nurture group is discussed and agreed between the school and parents at the initial PCP meeting should the pupil meet the entrance criteria.