Exploring the experiences of school staff involved in the reintegration process for pupils transitioning from nurture group provision back into their mainstream class

Abstract

Nurture Groups (NGs) have long been recognised as an effective intervention to address barriers to learning, which have arisen as a result of mis- attuned caregiving during a child's early years. The NG allows pupils to revisit early nurturing experiences through a curriculum which supports pupils’ social and emotional development. Fostering pupils’ social and emotional development, and working towards independence and school readiness, pupils attend the provision for a recommended duration of time before transitioning back into their mainstream class. Reintegration requires much consideration and planning to ensure the process is tailored to each pupil’s needs. The current study explored the experiences of three groups of school staff: nurture group teachers, mainstream teachers, and school principals in relation to the reintegration process. The researcher adopted a qualitative approach, using purposive sampling to recruit participants. A combination of focus groups (FGs) and semi- structured interviews were employed to gather the data, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. Participants identified numerous factors, which in their experience, supported a successful reintegration, and others which they felt hindered the process. This information was then compared with existing research, and recommendations for best practice were suggested, in how to effectively support pupils through the reintegration process.

Date of Award	Dec 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Maria McAleese (Supervisor)