APTIS CONFERENCE
Nurture Provision Research
The Glasgow Experience
Anne Murray, Oakgrove IPNS
APTIS CONFERENCE – Anne Murray, OIPNS
Glasgow Visit
• 5 members of NINGN, 4 school Principals & a
•
SENCO(Special Educationals Needs co-ordinator)
Went for a day in September to Anderston P.S.
Glasgow and met with:
• Mary Mc Kerrell
Nurture Co-ordinator for Glasgow
• Nurture Centre staff
• Margaret Mc Kinlay
Education Department, Glasgow City Council
Glasgow Research
Why?
• Large number of vulnerable children entering
school ie children who had significant emotional
and behavioural difficulties and were unable to
meet the expectation and demands of ordinary
nursery or infant class
• View that problems faced in their development
and behaviour arose from impoverished early
nurturing, leading to difficulties in forming
trusting relationships with adults and responding
appropriately to their peers
Conclusion of the Glasgow Research
• This large-scale controlled study across 32
schools in the City of Glasgow has strengthened
the evidence base for Nurture Groups as an
intervention that has been shown on a range of
standardised measures to have beneficial effects
on children’s social, emotional and behavioural
development
• It was the first study to use quantitative
assessment measures to demonstrate significant
improved levels of academic attainment in
children attending Nurture Groups
Key Discoveries for NINGN
How did Glasgow go
from 3 to 58
Nurture Groups?
• Educational
•
•
•
Advocate
Political Advocate
Good Financial
Climate
Research
After Glasgow - where to now?
• Confirmation of the importance of Nurture
•
•
•
•
Groups
Commitment to the children in our care who
need this facility
Continue to lobby for support for these children
Pose the question – “Can we afford not to have
them?”
Assist Government with N I solutions
Current Position – N Ireland
16 April 2013
• 27/09/12 Launch of NINGN in Oakgrove IPS
• 10/10/12 Ministerial Announcement – 20 new
•
•
Nurture Units in addition to 7 already DSD
funded
None of the DSD or DE Nurture units were from
the Integrated Sector
NING still lobbying for funding for those schools
which already had unfunded Nurture Units in
place – the ‘Desperados’