The effectiveness of Nurture Groups at supporting social and emotional outcomes: a systematic review
The effectiveness of Nurture Groups at supporting social and emotional outcomes: a systematic review
Background: Nurture Groups are a school-based attachment-focused intervention for young people with social and emotional, or mental health needs who may have experienced adversity. The aim of the current review was to systematically evaluate the evidence for Nurture group provision to improve social and emotional outcomes in children and young people across primary and secondary school settings.
Methods: studies were included if they had been published in a peer-reviewed journal, participants were children and young people of school age, the study design was quantitative, evaluating the effectiveness of a Nurture group intervention and had at least one outcome measure related to social and emotional outcomes. Screening was conducted by the first author and a voluntary research assistant. Conflicts were resolved via discussion. A systematic search across six databases identified 14 studies for inclusion.
Results: findings suggest that Nurture Group provision is, overall, effective at improving pupils’ social and emotional outcomes. However, improvements were not found consistently across both sections of the Boxall Profile, the primary tool used to measure progress within Nurture Groups. Differential effects were also found in relation to some pupil-level characteristics, namely age, baseline score, and gender.
Discussion: the findings highlighted the need to conduct further research to examine such factors, as well as to explore the possible mechanisms for change underlying Nurture Group provision.
Nurture Groups, School based interventions, Systematic review, School-based interventions, Attachment, Adverse childhood experiences
Jones, Bethan Mary
18e0b212-7ddf-46bc-80ec-e6a2171294cd
Wood-Downie, Henry
3ea6dda6-516f-4bc8-9854-186540fb30e0
Golm, Dennis
ae337f61-561e-4d44-9cf3-3e5611c7b484
8 May 2025
Jones, Bethan Mary
18e0b212-7ddf-46bc-80ec-e6a2171294cd
Wood-Downie, Henry
3ea6dda6-516f-4bc8-9854-186540fb30e0
Golm, Dennis
ae337f61-561e-4d44-9cf3-3e5611c7b484
Jones, Bethan Mary, Wood-Downie, Henry and Golm, Dennis
(2025)
The effectiveness of Nurture Groups at supporting social and emotional outcomes: a systematic review.
Children and Youth Services Review, 173, [108278].
(doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108278).
Abstract
Background: Nurture Groups are a school-based attachment-focused intervention for young people with social and emotional, or mental health needs who may have experienced adversity. The aim of the current review was to systematically evaluate the evidence for Nurture group provision to improve social and emotional outcomes in children and young people across primary and secondary school settings.
Methods: studies were included if they had been published in a peer-reviewed journal, participants were children and young people of school age, the study design was quantitative, evaluating the effectiveness of a Nurture group intervention and had at least one outcome measure related to social and emotional outcomes. Screening was conducted by the first author and a voluntary research assistant. Conflicts were resolved via discussion. A systematic search across six databases identified 14 studies for inclusion.
Results: findings suggest that Nurture Group provision is, overall, effective at improving pupils’ social and emotional outcomes. However, improvements were not found consistently across both sections of the Boxall Profile, the primary tool used to measure progress within Nurture Groups. Differential effects were also found in relation to some pupil-level characteristics, namely age, baseline score, and gender.
Discussion: the findings highlighted the need to conduct further research to examine such factors, as well as to explore the possible mechanisms for change underlying Nurture Group provision.
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Accepted/In Press date: 9 April 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 25 April 2025
Published date: 8 May 2025
Keywords:
Nurture Groups, School based interventions, Systematic review, School-based interventions, Attachment, Adverse childhood experiences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 500674
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/500674
ISSN: 0190-7409
PURE UUID: 54a3da25-b649-4265-ab50-7d2b2b5bc3bb
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Date deposited: 09 May 2025 16:32
Last modified: 03 Sep 2025 02:00
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Author:
Bethan Mary Jones
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