A BRACKNELL school has a new dedicated space for its pupils who might struggle in a mainstream classroom.
Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School’s Nurture Nest has been funded by Wellington College, following the college’s Big Ambition grants competition last summer.
Like many schools in England, Wooken Hill has an increasing number of pupils struggling with full-time, mainstream schooling.
Its proportion of pupils diagnosed with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has almost doubled in the past year, and they are also seeing more mental health challenges.
The school’s usual support functions – including one-to-one learning assistance, or periods of respite in a quiet space – could not scale up to meet this need within the confines of its 48 year old school building.
Pupils needing time out of the classroom had few alternatives, meaning more disruption occurred within the classroom, or pupils worked in isolation in a corridor or small side room.
Nakita Swanson, the school’s Business Manager, had a vision for a nurture room, which she described as: “a place where the children are helped to overcome the barriers to learning that they experience every day, quite distinct in design from a normal classroom – a welcoming and relaxed space within the school”.
Here, small groups of pupils could work separately or together, receiving extra help and practising social and emotional skills and coping strategies before rejoining usual lessons.
In February 2024, Wellington College launched the Big Ambition grants competition to help fund an extraordinary local school improvement project.
The manager of the competition, Kerry Symeonidis said: “We were captivated by Wooden Hill’s idea for a nurture room where all pupils would thrive.
“It was our pleasure to provide the funds needed to set-up this innovative facility”.
The school fundraised hard to provide 10% of the budget, and just over one year later, the Nurture Nest is ready.
Ian Garner, headteacher at Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School, said: “The Nuture Nest is a fantastic extra resource for us.
“It’s homely – which instantly removes stress from the children – and it’s practical for a whole range of learning activities.
Although initially conceived as an additional support for our SEND population, we can already see how many more pupils will benefit from using it”.
For information, visit: woodenhill.bracknell-forest.sch.uk and wellingtoncollege.org.uk
