Nurture Practitioners Networking Meetings

A termly opportunity providing a safe base for Nurture staff and Leaders to informally come together to

• Network and support each other
• Share nurture practice and ideas
• Bring any questions for Jeni
• Nurture own well being

Autumn1 16th October 2023 - focus: hopes fears & challenges for new year

Autumn2 21st November 2023 - focus Boxall Profile Assessment tool

Spring1 23rd. January 2024 - focus the 6 Nurture Principles are key

Spring2 19th March 2024 - focus - sharing a book you have used that links to a nurture principle. (Sharing good practice)

Summer1 14th May 2024 - Nurture /Nurturing Curriculum

Sumner2 9th July 2024 - Reflection inc positive and negative /next steps

tbc

Jeni Barnacle

Jeni has a proven track record of fifteen years as a head teacher, including leading and managing a primary school through significant change and challenge using the nurture principles and whole-school Boxall Profile assessment screening.

St Andrew’s was one of the first schools nationally to use this approach facilitating the transformation of a ‘failing and challenging school’ to a vibrant holistic learning environment including the innovation of a foundation unit for 3-5yr olds (2002) . The principles involve creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and positive values, through an early years approach and a rich creative curriculum with a priority on outdoors learning. The school featured on Teachers TV Happiest Days’ in 2007 Happiest Days? - Five years ago, St. Andrew's... - ClickView which led to Jeni speaking about nurturing schools at a range of conferences alongside supporting other schools and settings.

Jeni brings the following experience as the Nurture Lead for Learning Partnership,

• an in depth understanding and practical experience of nurture principles , nurture approaches , nurture groups

• an in depth knowledge and expertise of using the Boxall Profile to support individuals, groups, classes and schools

• experience of providing nurture support to all schools PHASES, special schools, pupil referral units

• Led Nurtureuk’s pilot project Nurture Hub developing a nurture group plus alongside support for schools

• a teaching responsibility for every primary year group from Reception to Year 6 mainly mixed age classes classes

• an early years specialist who took an early years approach across the school

• Lead Behaviour and Lead Early Years Maths teacher for Norfolk

Jeni set up her own business Nurture4all in 2013 an educational consultant and trainer in the East of England before working in a variety of roles regionally and nationally for the charity nurtureuk until 2021. She then became a Director of Nurturing Change CIC (Nurcha) until her retirement in May 2022 .

Jeni has a long term commitment to inclusive practice, nurturing all within the whole school community so is delighted to be coming out of retirement to work exclusively with Learning Partnership supporting schools with their nurturing journey