Creating a sense of safety within the Nurture Group: Relationally focused practices of Nurture Group teachers that support students identified as struggling with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties

Nurture Groups (NGs) are a within school educational intervention for students identified as struggling with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. They are considered to be informed by attachment theory and are predicated on a relational approach to teaching. The first paper of this thesis, a systematic literature review, functions to update the research into NG effectiveness, while also reviewing the evidence around specific components that may contribute to changes in student outcomes. Findings indicate continued evidence of the effectiveness of NGs at improving SEMH difficulties, with improvements in educational attainment remaining unclear. Findings also highlight a number of possible variables of interest in relation to the underlying processes of change. The second paper, a qualitative empirical study, explores the experiences of eleven teachers in relation to their efforts in creating a sense of safety within Irish NGs. Semi-structured 1:1 interviews were conducted to facilitate analysis using a Reflective Thematic Analysis approach. The results facilitated the mapping of NG teacher practices to an attachment informed model which outlines the potential underlying processes of NG effectiveness.