The Bridge
The Bridge – Nurture and Pastoral Provision
Nurture Group takes place in The Bridge Room. The Bridge is designed to be a link between home and school; a place where children can feel safe and secure and therefore develop their individual needs. There is a kitchen area within the Bridge where some children can enjoy breakfast and lunch in quiet calm surroundings, several comfy seating areas where children can play games, work collaboratively or sit and read quietly. A sensory garden leading to our school field adjoins The Bridge and the team have recently welcomed two new arrivals, Henrietta and Rosemary, our lovely chickens!
Our Team
The Nurture team provides our children and teaching staff with a complementary collection of skills and knowledge.
Miss R Holden (SENDco) |
Miss Holden incorporates her work and experience of mainstream policy and inclusive practice, Specific Learning Difficulties, Speech and Language/communication and Interaction and Nurture Provision along with a good teaching and learning background to lead the SEND Department. |
Mr T Humphries (SENDco) |
Mr Humphries has a strong understanding and experience of special educational needs, particularly the Autism Spectrum, and has worked within Special Educational Provision for a number of years. |
Mrs T Kinge (Nurture Lead) |
Mrs Kinge and Mrs McLlvar are our Nurture Provision Teachers and work full time in The Bridge. Both teachers have a specific set of skills that contribute to the effectiveness of our alternative provision. Mrs Kinge is a qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) and Mrs McLlvar is a qualified Theraplay practitioner. Both have a breadth of experience working with children with special needs in specialist settings. |
Mrs C McIlvar (Nurture Lead) |
What is the purpose of Nurture Group & its Philosophy?
Our Bridge Groups are typically a small class of pupils (6-8). Its composition is carefully well thought-out to create a balanced and purposeful group. The Bridge is part of the school’s Inclusion and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) provision. Its purpose is to offer children opportunities to re-visit early learning skills and promote and support their social and emotional development. There is much research and evidence that suggest that children’s learning is most effective when they have a sense of emotional well-being, good self-esteem and a feeling of belonging to their school community. The Bridge is a place where our children have the opportunity to develop their maturity and resilience.
The Nurture Group Principles
The philosophy of the Nurture Room is drawn from the principles established by the work of Marjorie Boxall and others, and exemplified by ‘The Nurture Group Network’ (www.nurturegroups.org)
Which children attend The Bridge?
Children may attend sessions in the Nurture Group for specific reasons, for example:
These sessions are designed to help our pupils manage situations and increase their skills to become more successful learners and in the long term, more confident and happy citizens in our community.
How long will sessions last for in The Bridge?
School will send a letter with a permission slip requesting that your child access some Nurture sessions in The Bridge. An additional meeting with either the Interim Head (Mr Jeffries), Deputy Head and Safeguarding Lead (Mrs Short) or the SENDco’s (Miss Holden and Mr Humphries) can also be arranged.
After permission has been granted by parents, children will attend on a part time basis for at least two terms, however this can be flexible. Although children will be spending some time out of class, we ensure that they do not miss any special assemblies, PE lessons, guests in school, school trip or anything else that may be different from the normal routine of the week.
Are parents and careers involved?
At Amesbury Primary School we value all of our parents and are continually exploring new ways to involve them within our school community. Special event invitations and coffee/tea mornings are held regularly. The Nurture team provide learning resources and specific parent information relating to Nurture, behaviour and emotional/social well-being in order to support our children who access this personalised provision.
A session in The Bridge
Our children follow a clear routine which includes group listening and speaking, work tasks, individual and shared play and social skills. All sessions are planned and resourced with the following principles at the core:
Part of our Nurture Provision includes a Breakfast group which runs from 08:50 – 09:30. The Breakfast group will learn how to share and eat food together as well as learn how to talk and involve themselves appropriately during meal times with other children and adults. For some of our children, The Bridge is also open for lunchtime provision where a quite space is provided to eat lunch and chat with friends with adult guided support.
The Henge
Children are able to access The Henge by using a provided card or by asking their teacher. An adult will guide the child up to The Henge where support will be passed on to an adult in The Bridge. The Henge provision works alongside The Bridge where the Pastoral and Nurture team are always available for pupils if they need to talk, have a catch up or support in a quieter learning environment.
Useful Links
The Nurture Group Network: www.nurturegroups.org
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS): http://www.camh.org.uk/
National Children’s Bureau: www.ncb.org.uk
Parentline Plus: parentlineplus.org.uk
Young Minds: www.youngminds.org.uk
Wiltshire Local Offer: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/local-offer
Wiltshire Parent Carer Council Trust: https://www.wiltshireparentcarercouncil.co.uk/en/Home_Page