Whole-School Nurturing Approaches: A Systematic Analysis of Impact

Aims: This systematic analysis aims to address the research question – do whole-school nurturing approaches show any impact in the short or long term on (1) emotional/behavioural, (2) cognitive/educational or (3) teacher/school variables? Rationale: Trauma or Adverse Childhood Experiences can have long-term consequences though causing problems in attachment, which nurturing approaches seek to ameliorate. Whilst there is a good deal of international research evidence on the impact of Nurture Groups in schools, less is known about the impact of whole school nurturing approaches on pupils and schools. This paper aims to address that gap. Findings: A total of 146 papers were retrieved from four databases and 13 from other sources. After excluding 61 duplicate papers, 98 papers were screened in relation to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and only 13 papers were finally selected. Results suggest that nurturing approaches can have a positive impact on pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural needs, academic progress, other pupils in the mainstream class/school, parents and home life, and the whole school. Additionally, the length of time a nurturing approach is in place in a school contributes to its effectiveness. Limitations: Limitations include the quality of research available, lack of papers focusing on universal whole-school nurturing approaches and lack of international studies. Conclusions: The paper highlights the need for more robust research focusing on universal whole-school nurturing approaches to be carried out.