Joyce Iszatt, Teresa Wasilewska
1997
Citations
4
Influential Citations
37
Citations
Journal
Educational and Child Psychology
Abstract
The transition from the social world of home to that of school can be a difficult and sometimes treacherous journey. Each child will arrive in school with an internal model of the world based on early experiences, through which they will try to make sense of school life. Children whose home circumstances are very stressful, who have suffered repeated disruptions during their early years, are often ill-equipped to cope when they come into school. Some give up and withdraw into their own world, others act out their distress in ways that can be enormously challenging for their teachers. They underachieve and can quickly get caught up in cycles of failure. Many seem destined for special education and some may even be excluded.The nurture group model grew out of concerns about how to help such vulnerable children and support their teachers and parents. It draws on ideas developed in multi-disciplinary child guidance work and is a preventative approach aimed at successful integration. As a stage three resource, it operates as an integral part of the school A teacher and welfare assistant work with a group of infants for a maximum of four terms. The emphasis is on fostering a trusting relationship and providing a secure, predictable setting where the children can gradually learn to control their own behaviour and use their curiosity constructively so that they can learn.Six nurture groups are currently in operation in Enfield. Evaluation indicates that this provision is both preventative and cost effective, with many statutory assessments being averted. The nurture group serves the function of bringing home and school together and plays an important role in supporting the school, parents and children. It is a model that we have found to be particularly effective in meeting the needs of some of our most vulnerable and challenging children.