"I feel like I can be myself in here"

100 Surrey schools support young people's wellbeing through the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme

Over the last two years, 100 primary and secondary schools across Surrey have joined the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme (SNSP), helping children and young people feel more supported, included and ready to learn.

What is the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme?

The SNSP was created to help schools support increasing numbers of children and young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. It is designed to strengthen inclusive practice and improve support for children and young people who need extra help with their wellbeing and emotional development.

The programme was funded by Surrey County Council and the Mental Health Investment Fund, and delivered by the Schools Alliance for Excellence (SAfE) and Nurtureuk.

Schools that signed up received training, resources and networking opportunities to help them develop a whole-school nurturing approach. They then created their own strategies and activities tailored to their pupils' needs. This helped schools strengthen support for children and young people who would benefit most from a nurturing environment.

What kind of nurture activities did schools create?

Schools developed a range of effective and often simple strategies, including:

Ways for pupils to express feelings in a safe environment, such as worry boxes and ‘things I wish my teacher knew’ jar
Celebrating pupils, using compliment cards and a ‘proud book’ displaying work from a different pupil each day
Creating a ‘cosy corner’ in classrooms
Enhancing outdoor play and learning spaces
Developing a ‘culture curriculum’ for assemblies and tutor time
Creating sensory circuits or rooms.

One Surrey primary school, Stoughton Infant School, celebrated the programme through a 'Nurture Week', where children took part in daily activities such as arts and crafts and shared their experiences with parents and carers during an end-of-week show and tell event.

The school also created a cosy corner in every classroom, complete with ‘calm kits’ to help pupils regulate their emotions, and introduced a 'worry monster' where children can share concerns for teachers to review and respond to.

[It feels] like a home, because people look after me like my friends and the teachers.

A year 1 pupil describing the nurture provision at their school.

Meanwhile, Esher High School created a designated nurture hub known as 'The Willow', where pupils with SEMH needs could access support during the school day.

I feel like I can be myself in here and it’s better than getting more detentions. If I didn’t have that I would just wander around.

A comment from a Year 9 pupil who attends nurture provision at Esher High School.

A positive impact on wellbeing

An independent evaluation of the programme by KMC Research showed:

97% of schools felt the programme had a positive impact on their pupils’ wellbeing
94% said it had a positive impact on engagement with learning
91% said pupils' mental health and wellbeing needs were better supported, and that provision better met the needs of individual pupils.

The programme also led to stronger relationships between staff and pupils, as well as a greater understanding among school staff of how to recognise and respond to social, emotional and mental health needs.

The success of the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme highlights how nurturing approaches can help children and young people feel safe, supported and ready to achieve their potential, both in school and beyond.

"I feel like I can be myself in here"

100 Surrey schools support young people's wellbeing through the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme

What is the Surrey Nurturing Schools Programme?

What kind of nurture activities did schools create?

A positive impact on wellbeing

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