In this series we focus on the 6 Principles of Nurture, where we discuss practical ideas as well their theoretical underpinning. Today we talk about how The Environment Offers a Safe Base to our children and young people, in which we explore emotional safety, boundary setting, the importance of mistakes, as well as some ideas for your physical space. 

In this second episode we discuss how Learning is Understood Developmentally. Here we explore concepts such as zone of proximal development (ZPD) & scaffolding as well as individualized learning pathways, and differentiated teaching as a way of meeting emotional and social needs.

Today we explore the benefits of helping our children develop their language skills and why it is so important to explicitly teach and model our own emotional literacy. We also talk about non-verbal communication and how our body language plays a huge part in our communication towards children.

Our behaviour always communicates something to others, how we’re feeling affects how we act; therefore how we respond to children’s behaviours in our educational settings matters. In this episode we discuss the importance of noticing, and how ruptures in healthy relationships are normal, but need careful navigation in order to repair them and build trust. Here we ask you to reframe pupils’ so called ‘bad’ behaviour, and we help you to do so by offering some ways in which you can change your own practice to ensure your environment is a nurturing place to be for our children and young people.

Transitions can be big, or can be small – either way they can be significant for our learners. In this episode we talk about  emotional, physical, intellectual and physiological changes, and we explore ways in which we can help our children and young people with daily transitions which may be causing anxiety and stress.

What is wellbeing and how can you apply this principle in your setting? Our final episode in this series discusses wellbeing indicators and the power of kindness. We look at protecting your own wellbeing via good structures and personal responsibility, in order for you to be at your best when supporting our children and young people with their own wellbeing.

Ever wanted to know how to develop your own nurturing space? In this first episode of our special ‘How to…’ series, Katie & Helen discuss how you can. We talk about resources, and strategies as well as some essential daily activities which will help you to create your own nurturing area, no matter how big or small.

Today Katie is joined by John Stuart, (PT Nurture) & Chulainn Ledsom (Research Assistant) within Argyll & Bute’s Educational Psychology Service team. The team discusses what is meant by the improvement model, and talks you through the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle using a nurturing example to help you in your practice.

Resources (click to open)

• OCTNE Podcast PDSA Cycle Planning Document 

• Exemplar Run Chart Implementation of a Soft Start 

• Exemplar Run Chart Implementation of a Soft Start pdf

• How to create a simple run chart