Nurture & Wellbeing at the russett school
The Russett School Values
The entire Russett School community came together to develop our core values, which are:
Community – Resilience – Wellbeing – Respect – Empowerment
These core values are integral to the work of our Russett family; evidenced in the quality of our relationships and interactions. With wellbeing being one of our core values, we have a dedicated team who support this for all stakeholders through a nurturing approach.
The nurturing approach recognises the importance of these relationships and communication within the school. By working together with our families, trustees and wider community, we continue to equip our children with the life-skills to live happy, successful lives.
What is a Nurturing Approach?
The Russett School’s nurturing approach recognises that positive relationships are key to supporting pupil learning and wellbeing. The school approach is underpinned by The Six Principles of Nurture (developed by educational professionals Eva Holmes and Eve Boyd in 1999):
- Children's learning is understood developmentally
- The classroom offers a safe base
- The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
- Language is a vital means of communication
- All behaviour is communication
- The importance of transition in children's lives
How is this embedded at The Russett School?
The Six Principles of Nurture are embedded within The Russett School curriculum, practices and policies to meet the individual, complex needs of learners and support them to fulfil their potential. As a result, the nurturing ethos is shared amongst the whole school team enabling us to create a nurturing environment which supports the development of all pupils. Our carefully designed curriculum provides pupils with bespoke opportunities for learning in order to ensure maximum personal growth and the development of key skills required for a happy and successful future. Learning pathways have been created to suit the needs of each learner profile. Further
nurturing experiences are offered through ELSA sessions which promote positive mental health and wellbeing through targeted support. In addition to classrooms which offer welcoming, stimulating environments for effective learning, The Russett School provision includes a variety of quiet, sensory and outdoor spaces for children to use when required.
Support through our dedicated NHS Speech and Language Therapy Team, Physiotherapy Team and commissioned services (SALT, Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy and Play Therapy) support staff to deliver a consistent approach for all learners. The Russett School endeavour to create an ethos and atmosphere where pupils feel able to share their thoughts. This is supported by a Total Communication approach, which incorporates signing, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) and Objects of Reference. This model promotes learners to share their thoughts and opinions with us through everyday classroom experiences, student council and regular pupil questionnaires.
The Russett School has a strong focus on preparing pupils for change. We recognise that attending a setting for the first time, starting school or moving into a new class are milestone events for pupils and their families and while these times are exciting and full of new opportunities and growth, they can also be times of uncertainty. In Early Years, we enjoy building close relationships with families during transition sessions from the beginning. This supports communication between home and school and fosters feelings of safety and confidence. Throughout school, we offer transition strategies including familiarising children with staff and classroom spaces when there is going to be movement between classes, celebrating transition times and providing opportunities to say goodbye. Additionally, we offer free, play and therapy based learning sessions through our Family and Toddler group, within our local community. This group supports families who have a pre-school child with an additional need. The sessions support early communication and interaction skills while providing an opportunity for parents to meet one another, speak to other families in their local area and seek advice from a range of professionals. At the other end of the school journey, we offer an Alumni Group to celebrate the achievements of pupils post Russett and the opportunity to share their stories with current students.
The involvement of staff, parents, carers, governors and the wider Russett community is an essential feature of our nurturing school as the different roles work collaboratively to promote the nurture initiative, contribute to and support the school ethos and achieve the best outcomes for the children. As a nurturing school, the six principles of nurture apply to the entire Russett team and as a result, support the development of good attachments within the school community. These attachments are strengthened through initiatives including The Learning and Skills Hub, learning walks, parent ‘play and stay’ sessions, parental workshops and coffee mornings.