At Belvedere Junior and Infant School, we are committed to ensuring that our children feel safe and happy in school so that they can build positive relationships and have the ability to approach their learning confidently and successfully.  However, we recognise that, for some of our children, the demands of a busy school environment are difficult for them to manage and leave them struggling to cope with their emotions and anxieties. These children will often become unhappy, display anger and aggression or become withdrawn. These are behaviours which challenge and concern staff in equal measure. As professionals, we understand that poorly developed self-regulation skills in children are often a symptom of missed early learning experiences and a lack of secure attachment relationships with the adults who care for them. We acknowledge that behaviour is a form of communication, that we have a duty to discover what the behaviour is telling us and to support children to develop the skills to communicate effectively. 

For the majority of children, good, inclusive classroom practice and positive behaviour management strategies will provide the support needed, but for others, a more tailored approach is needed. Through well-structured nurture groups, we aim to provide our most vulnerable children with safe, calm space and skilled, experienced staff. A stable and predictable daily routine, which focuses on developmentally appropriate activities, helps them to recognise, communicate and regulate their emotions. Through this carefully targeted and sensitive support, we enable children to build trusting and secure relationships with adults and a sense of self-worth.  The aim is that this allows them to experience success in the mainstream classroom and beyond, avoiding the potential long-term consequences of educational disengagement.