Evaluating action

School-based concerns regarding the number of Year 7 students struggling to cope in school

Consultation with the EP regarding some of these students and opportunities for change

Exploration of the options available to the school and research of what other schools have done

Discussion around how vulnerable children could be identified and key staff involvement & role of the EP Exploration of what was understood about ‘Nurture’ and ‘Transition’ – clarification of meaning and implications for practice

Research regarding previous Nurture Group research and data required by the school to inform choice of

methods trough which to measure student progress.

Boxall Profiles (Bennathan & Boxall, 1998) prior to entry & termly. School reading & maths assessments at the start and end of Year 7 & qualitative feedback from parents, pupils and staff

Written feedback to be provided by EP and presented to key staff (possibly whole staff meeting) The group is likely to run for 3 years. Assessment materials to be left for staff to be able to continue to use, following evaluation of first year’s implementation

Stakeholder –led planning process for future action

Second year of the group to be monitored by school staff

Stakeholders reviewing effectiveness of the group and possible further EP involvement

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This study was based in a small secondary school in an area which had previously been predominantly supported by the mining industry and had high levels of unemployment. The school had 665 pupils on roll at the time of the study and falling pupil numbers over recent years. The school had five main feeder primary schools, from which the children within the study were identified. Identification for the nurture group was based upon primary school staff’s perception of these children having the greatest level of need and so being likely to find transfer to secondary school most problematic. Primary school staff were asked to provide Individual Education Plans (IEPs) (DfES, 2004) for the children put forward and complete a Boxall Profile (Bennathan and Boxall, 1998) to aid the selection process. There were enough places identified for 12 pupils and 12 were put forward by primary schools in this way, all of which presented as appropriate by secondary school staff involved, therefore no further selection process was required. One child did not attend this secondary school at transfer so 11 pupils started in the group, although one pupil moved away shortly after joining the school.

In answering the research questions set out in section 4.1, the rationale for use of a combination of quantitative and qualitative data was:

 the former would support statistical analysis of results regarding academic and social development over the time the students attended the nurture group;

 to complement other nurture group research (Cooke et al., 2008; Pintilei, 2009; Colley, 2011); that is beginning to grow in secondary school settings;

 to provide an interpretive picture of pupils’ experience of transfer to secondary school and the support of spending part of their time throughout Year 7 in a nurture group setting with consistent support staff throughout their time in school; and

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The pupils identified, by primary schools, for the nurture group to support transfer to secondary school had a range of needs. These are summarised in Table 4.1. A more detailed profile of the four pupils for whom there was more detailed case study data is provided in Chapter 6.

Table 4.1: Summary of needs of pupils in the nurture group

Pupil Summary of reasons given for accessing nurture group intervention in Year 7

AD A Looked After Child who had experienced recent changes in his care placement. AD was reported as having learning difficulties and low-level disruptive behaviour an increasing concern in Year 6.

MH Learning difficulties identified across the curriculum, with some immature behaviour reported.

PH Learning difficulties identified in literacy and numeracy. There had been reported concerns regarding bullying, with PH being the victim, in primary school.

BJ Moved from a neighbouring authority in Year 5. BH was noted as being behind with his learning but also having some emotional difficulties and needing a high level of support.

AC Behaviour, learning and language skills were all a high level of concerns, as identified by key primary school staff. AC’s father had recently passed away and the family had moved house pre-transfer. RM There were some learning difficulties identified with RM. However,

the main reason for his inclusion in the group appeared to be due to him being Diabetic, which primary school staff thought would make him vulnerable at secondary school.

PJP Low academic attainment; accompanied with very poor attendance were the main areas of concern cited by primary school staff for PJP. KWI KWI had diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, a statement of her

special educational needs and individual adult support allocated to her.

KWO General learning difficulties and poorly developed social and emotional skills were identified as making KWO likely to be vulnerable at transfer.

Pupils are listed on each of the measures in alphabetical name order. AC’s surname changed toward the end of the study, which is why there is an alphabetic inconsistency in the pupil listings.

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Staff involved in the setting up and running of the nurture group included: a member of the Senior Management Team who oversaw pastoral support across the school; the Pastoral Coordinator for Year 7; the Special Educational Needs Coordinator; a teacher who had taught at the school for a number of years but had originally been trained and had experience as a primary school teacher; and an experienced teaching assistant already in post at the school.

Pupils who attended the nurture group had timetables similar to those of their peers in mainstream Year 7 classes. However, key subjects areas were taught within the nurture group setting by primary-trained teacher, timetabled predominantly with this group, with the support of a consistent teaching assistant.

Pupils attended registration each morning and afternoon with their mainstream Year 7 form group. Pupils attended the nurture group for the following lessons:

 English;  Maths;

 Humanities, including History, Geography and Religious Education; and  Tutor time,

The nurture group pupils went into mainstream lessons in the following subject area:  Science;

 French;  Music;

 Physical Education (PE); and  Information Technology.

For all lessons apart from PE, the TA from the nurture group was with the children, who were deliberately put into the same set for these subjects, to enable this support to be possible.

Within the nurture group setting, subjects lesson were taught, but the teaching methods were adapted to incorporate traditional nurture group principles (Bennathan and Boxall, 1998).

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These included activities such as circle time to enable group discussion and an opportunity to raise any concerns; snack time; opportunities for games to help develop social skills; a high level of adult interaction with the pupils; and also opportunities for staff to model positive social interactions. For an example lesson taught within the nurture group see Appendix 5.

Four pupils from within the nurture group were selected by school staff, towards the end of the year, to participate in the case study element of the research. Staff were asked to make this selection based upon their knowledge of pupils, endeavouring to ensure heterogeneity of the case study sample.

The parents of the four pupils were then asked to become involved in data collection towards the end of the year, via interviews: a request to which all agreed.

The study used the following measures and methods of data collection to answer key research questions:

Table 4.2: Methods Used in Relation to Research Questions

Research question Research method/measure Data to be elicited

What impact does being in the Year 7 nurture group have on young peoples’ social and emotional skill development?

- Boxall Profiles (Bennathan and Boxall, 1998) pre, mid and post-intervention

- Semi-structured interviews with the nurture group teacher and TA after the first term and end of the academic year - Individual semi-structured interviews with a sample of parents post-intervention

Evidence of progress as measured by staff perceptions via Boxall Profiles

Parental perceptions of children’s development

What impact does

participation in the nurture

- School’s existing literacy and numeracy skills assessment,

Reading and basic maths progress scores on standardised tests

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group have on the young people’s academic performance?

using norm-referenced tests, pre and post-intervention Has being in a nurture

group setting for part of their time in Year 7 been helpful in the process of transfer to secondary school as perceived by the students?

- ‘Myself as a Learner Scale’ (Burden, 1998) after first half term and post intervention - Individual Likert scale activity regarding student feelings regarding transfer and sense of belonging at secondary school after first half-term and post-intervention

- Focus group discussion with pupils after the first half-term in secondary school and at the end of Year 7

Comparison of pupils’ self-

perceptions as learners over time in Year 7

Comparison of self-perceptions of being at secondary school from early in Year 7 to the end of the first year

Pupil views early, and at the end of the year regarding the effectiveness of the intervention

Do staff directly involved in the nurture group feel it has supported vulnerable Year 7 students?

- Semi-structured interviews with the nurture group teacher and TA after the first term and end of the academic year

Staff views early, and at the end of the year regarding the effectiveness of the intervention

What aspects of the nurture group intervention are considered to have contributed to/militated against providing effective support to Year 7 pupils?

- Individual semi-structured interviews with four of the students post intervention - Individual semi-structured interviews with a sample of parents post intervention

More detailed case study information regarding the experience of being part of the nurture group throughout Year 7 from a child and parent perspective, using attendance data, school behaviour data, information provided by primary schools, individual interviews with the

children, staff and parents as well as quantitative data as gathered for all children within the group

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