'We change lives in here': Environments for 'nurturing' in UK primary schools

The 'nurture group' has been a common feature of many British primary schools since the early 1970s. The aim of these groups is to ensure that children, who might otherwise experience difficulties in participation in school life (principally due to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties,) are able to be included in mainstream education. Central to this nurturing philosophy is the design of the room (the 'nurture room') to meet the needs of this group of children. Observations of children and semi-structured interviews with staff were made in four case study schools to determine links between the design of the physical environment and the efficacy of nurturing practices. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations based on these case studies.