Nuture groups in secondary schools: An exploration of young people's lived experiences

Children with emotional difficulties often experience problems at school in terms of their academic progress and within peer relationships. This can create a particular challenge to teachers in terms of managing their behaviour and meeting their needs (Bennathan, 2000). Nurture groups (NGs) were developed by educational psychologist Marjorie Boxall in the 1960’s with an aim to improve the emotional wellbeing of children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD). This chapter explores the definition of Nurture Groups, SEBD and places current research within both local and national contexts.