Welcome to Tree House Group! 

Here at Mickley we have a Nurture Group called Tree House Group. It's a small group setting where the children do different activities that help with their confidence, social skills, and learning. It's all about giving the children that extra bit of care to help them thrive in school. Think of it as a little greenhouse where young minds get the special attention they need to grow strong and healthy! 

The goal is to provide additional support to the children who may be facing challenges in their personal or academic lives. By identifying and including these students in nurture group, we can provide them with the extra care and attention the children need to thrive.  

Our activities are designed to boost social skills, confidence and learning. For example, there could be team building games that encourage cooperation, and communication exercises to improve interaction  or creative projects like art and storytelling to express feelings. We also help with emotional regulation: how to understand and manage feelings. We offer a structured approach with our activities to support academic growth, all in a more relaxed and supportive setting. It's all about learning while having fun and feeling safe!

The small group setting allows for personalized attention, so each child's unique needs can be met. 

What is a Nurture Group?

A Nurture Group’s aim is to give children the skills to do well at school; make friends and deal more confidently and calmly with the ups and downs of life. In the group , children are immersed in an accepting and warm environment where they can develop a positive relationship with both staff and peers. The timetabled activities are designed to support the emotional and learning needs of pupils to help remove barriers to learning . We run Nurture Groups in school. Two members of staff , trained in nurture interventions , work with small groups of between 6 – 8 children. We focus on supporting children with their social, emotional and behavioural needs.

Children attend 2 afternoons a week between 1.30pm and 3pm. The group usually runs for 10 to 12 weeks.

What happens during a Nurture Group sessions?

Tree House Timetable

 Circle Time - a whole group activity where we share children’s ‘Daily News’ or play a game to help develop confidence, memory and listening skills.

Make and Create - a structured craft activity where children can develop listening skills ; practise sharing equipment and learn to take pride in a completed piece of work .

Activities (individual and group) - The choice of what to play is carefully picked by staff to develop sharing, emotional wellbeing, confidence and relationship building.

Teatime - a snack of toast and jam or occasionally a biscuit (for a treat! ) The children sit around the table together with the staff . We practise polite table manners and listen to each other while we chat.

Story time and rewards - We end the session with a story and rewards for achievements made towards children’s targets.

What are the outcomes for children?

More than 100 academic studies have demonstrated the positive outcomes of Nurture Groups.

These include:

Improved Social and Emotional Skills - Children develop confidence and self-esteem. They learn to take pride in their work and behave positively. They become better at managing their emotions and at empathising with others. As a result, they are able to form positive relationships with peers and teachers.

Improved Attendance- As pupils feel safe at school and in the Nurture Group, they are able to enjoy school more and attendance increases.

Improved Attainment - Language and literacy skills are improved during Nurture provision which in turn, improves overall academic achievement.