New nurturing school's programme

Improving the wellbeing of children and young people

We are investing in a programme of Locality Nurture Hubs and training in schools to address the social, emotional and learning needs of individual pupils.

Research has shown that a nurturing approach to education works for all pupils, helping every child to learn. This practice will help children develop their social and emotional skills and has been shown to improve behaviour, attendance and attainment, and reduce exclusions.

What are Locality Nurture Hubs?

Locality Nurture Hubs are small nurturing environments in schools working to support a small number of pupils with significant and emerging social, emotional and mental health needs. The formally trained staff do this through a targeted nurture approach.

We have worked with teachers, mental health professionals and parents and carers to design a high-quality offer for Surrey and ensure wider access for younger children to a nurture hub.

The Locality Nurture Hub schools will in time become hubs of excellence and demonstrate how to embed nurturing and relational approaches across a school and its community.

Access to each Nurture Hub will be agreed by professionals in schools based on individual needs and access arrangements.

Positive Impact

A small number of schools have been running their nurture provisions since September 2024 and have reported positive improvements in the outcomes for children attending. Some of the feedback from children so far is: “I go to more lessons”, “It's helped my mental health” and “I feel I am in school more.”

In primary school, some Nurture Hubs can help children develop their social skills by sharing food during snack time and other group activities. They will also be encouraged to build relationships and positive dynamics through playing games together like snakes and ladders or jigsaws.

In secondary schools, some Nurture Hubs can encourage young people who have struggled to attend school to build a positive association with school. For example, this could be via onsite educational experiences such as to the school nature park or farm. Some schools are planning to offer emotional coaching and mentoring to support young people with emotional regulation.

Next Steps

We are expanding the Locality Nurture Hubs offer and have recruited 18 schools to set up new Nurture Hubs.  10 primary phase schools and 8 secondary schools coming on board this year.

If your child's school thinks this provision will benefit your child, they will consider a referral to a Nurture Hub and speak with you about this.

Surrey Nurturing Schools programme

Alongside the Locality Nurture Hubs,100 Surrey schools will gain formal Nurture status as part of the Surrey Nurturing Schools programme. Schools Alliance for Excellence (SAfE) our schools improvement provider, working with the schools-led Inclusion Innovation Working Group and the Mental Health Investment Fund, is partnering with  the national charity NurtureUK to deliver the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme.

Schools enrolled in this programme are receiving training and resources to meet the mental health and emotional wellbeing needs of their children and young people.

Read more about the Surrey Nurturing Schools programme.