Pen-y-Bryn are incredibly proud to have received the National Nurturing Schools Award, awarded by Nurture Uk. The programme and award focus on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and on removing barriers to learning. 

The National Nurturing Schools Programme allows staff to develop and embed a nurturing culture throughout the school, enhancing teaching and learning, promoting healthy outcomes for children and young people, all by focusing on emotional needs and development as well as academic learning in a whole-school environment. 

The programme is for schools, like Pen-y-Bryn, who are committed to develop an ethos and culture that is inclusive, supporting everyone in (and associated with) their establishment. 

The programme itself is based around The Six Principles of Nurture, as written below.

As a school, we have committed to embedding these six principles in the whole-school and classroom environment. The six principles underpin all that we do and help guide us when making changes and alterations to our practice. Over the last 18 months we have been making positive changes to the way we do things here at Pen-y-Bryn. Some of these changes are very small and may not be easily noticeable by either parents or children and others have been more recognisable such as more time dedicated to mindfulness and wellbeing activities each day, the way we communicate with you as parents (SeeSaw) and the way in which children enter school in the morning (no lining up, calm music playing in classroom, emotional check-in to show how they feel, time to be greeted by an adult). 

Our parents and families are such an important part of Pen-y-Bryn that we want to make sure you know as much as possible about our journey to becoming a National Nurturing School. Please follow the link to find out more about Nurture Uk and The National Nurturing Schools Programme. 

The Six Principles of Nurture 

1.       Children's learning is understood developmentally 

2.       The classroom offers a safe base 

3.       The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing 

4.       Language is a vital means of communication 

5.       All behaviour is communication 

6.       The importance of transition in children's lives 

The six principles of nurture were developed by educational professionals Eva Holmes and Eve Boyd (1999).