A CHESTERFIELD infant school is appealing to parents, residents and businesses to help with the finishing touches to its on-site nurture room.
Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy – part of the Cavendish Learning Trust – has transformed an unused classroom into a home-from-home nurture room to support mental well-being amongst the children and local community.
Complete with an upcycled dining table, where children are encouraged to share positive news, house plants and informal seating, the purpose of the nurture room – called The Saplings – is to support the development of the Social and Emotional aspects of the curriculum.
Picture shows: Saplings children with Head teacher, Lauren Kay
Although it’s already being used on a daily basis, the nurture room isn’t quite complete.
Head teacher Lauren Kay says that they are still seeking resources such as children’s books and resources, bean bags, sofa’s and a kettle which will finalise the project. They are also hoping to be successful in their bid for a Tesco Community Grant where they could receive up to £1,500.
She said: “The Saplings was an old classroom but we didn’t want it to look like an old classroom; we wanted it to be a calm and cosy place, a home-from-home where our children would feel comfortable to talk about things that were maybe worrying them
“Amanda Cheffings, our nurture lead, has done a fantastic job in upcycling furniture for The Saplings. The pandemic has led to an increase in the need for such a room in school; children’s social skills and behaviour has been affected during the subsequent lockdowns. The Saplings promotes and can assist with improving these skills. It has been a fabulous and much-needed resource for our school.”
Picture shows: The Saplings, a nurture room for children at Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy
A report by mental wellbeing organisation YoungMinds in 2020 found that 74% of teachers and school staff agreed that schools being closed to most students during lockdown had a negative impact on the mental health of young people.
It also found that the impact of the pandemic, particularly on groups who are already disadvantaged, is likely to widen existing inequalities and to contribute to a rise in young people looking for mental health support.
Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy are working hard to aid not only the mental wellbeing of pupils and staff, but to support families with other aspects such as health, finance and diet.
Miss Kay added: “Community is important to us here at Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy and we want to support our children and families with their mental health and well-being.
“We have an excellent relationship with nearby Cavendish Junior School, which was recently graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted – and there are exciting plans in place to build on this, including a teddy bear’s picnic in the summer ahead of transition from Infant to Junior school.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we know all of our children – and their families – and we enrol toddlers from the age of two upwards at our school.
“Staff ensure that every child who leaves Whittington Moor at the age of seven has experienced the simple things in life, such as posting a letter at the post box and sewing a button onto a coat. These skills build resilience and develop confidence.
“We want to ensure that the school experience for our children is a magical time.”
ENDS
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