Wellbeing and Nurture at GJS
Our vision for Wellbeing
At Godalming Junior School, we believe that prioritising pupil and staff wellbeing is essential. In response to increasing national challenges with behaviour, attendance, recruitment and retention, we are committed to creating a calm, purposeful and predictable learning environment and a connected community where all members of our community can thrive.
National data highlights that many children struggle to attend school regularly, often due to factors such as SEND, mental health and challenges at home. At GJS, we work closely with families and external services in order to strengthen the sense of belonging in all children so they feel safe, connected and ready to learn.
A key priority is ensuring that every child experiences school as a safe base-a place where they feel cared for, listened to and respected-because this underpins both learning and wellbeing.
We also recognise that staff wellbeing is vital. When staff feel valued and confident in their roles, they are better able to build strong relationships and create the calm, high-quality learning environment our children deserve. To achieve this, we support and encourage professional development so that we can ‘grow’ our skills and expertise, provide protected time for pedagogical reflection and subject leadership, and maintain a visible and supportive leadership presence throughout the day.
Nurture UK and GJS
Nurture UK is a charity focused on improving children’s social, emotional, and mental health in education. It helps schools create inclusive, nurturing environments where all pupils can thrive.
What They Do:
- Promote the Six Principles of Nurture, which guide how schools support emotional development.
- Provide tools like the Boxall Profile® to assess and support pupils’ wellbeing.
- Lead the National Nurturing Schools Programme, helping schools embed nurture across their culture and practice.
Why It Matters:
- Builds resilience, confidence, and positive relationships.
- Supports behaviour and emotional regulation.
- Helps staff create calm, supportive learning environments.
Nurture informed practice is based on attachment theory and highlights the importance of forming secure relationships. It focuses on understanding and meeting children’s social and emotional needs so they can feel safe, confident, and ready to learn.
By addressing the social and emotional developmental needs which can create a significant barrier to both attendance and learning, schools see improved behaviour, increased attendance and reduced exclusions, and address challenges before they escalate.
Nurture helps create inclusive school environments in which children feel a genuine sense of belonging and are more likely to play a proactive role in engaging with their learning because their social and emotional needs are being met and they feel safe enough to do so.
Six Principles of Nurture
The Six Principles of Nurture are a whole-school approach to supporting children's social, emotional, and developmental needs. Developed by Nurture UK, they provide a framework for creating safe, consistent, and emotionally supportive environments where all pupils can thrive. These principles help staff understand behaviour as communication, respond to children with empathy whilst seeking to understand, and build strong relationships that support learning and wellbeing.
By weaving these principles into the well-established values and ethos at GJS, we’re able to maintain a culture of consistency and emotional safety, benefitting all pupils, not just those with additional needs.