St Peter's unveil new nurture space
Nurture and pastoral care alongside a focus on strong academic standards are at the heart of the school's vision for every child. In its recent Ofsted Inspection in March 2024, inspectors praised St Peter's focus on the personal development of all children stating;
'Pupils in Year 6 help to look after pupils in Nest. This is the school's quiet space where pupils can go if they have any worries or concerns. The school has created a highly inclusive culture. Pupils are very respectful of difference.'
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The Nest space was initially created in Autumn 2021 when a storage room was renovated to become a nurture space for use during lesson time, lunchtime and by the schools after school provision, Fun Club. Initially the room was cleared and repainted, always with the longer-term ambition to create an inspirational space that could bring to life the children's thoughts and ideas.
All classes at St Peter's are named after birds from the book 'The Lost Words' and continuing this theme the children named their nurture space 'The Nest'. Aptly named it is a safe and welcoming space for children from all classes to meet and be together. The school has been working closely with York based company Playscheme to develop the unique design. It incorporates the children's wish for their very own treehouse, which is made from natural Robinia wood, just like the school's new library which opened at the start of this year.
Throughout last year St Peter's submitted several bids for funding including a successful application to the Johnson and Mukherjee Charitable Trust to support this project as well as working closely with the school's Parent Teacher Association, Friends of St Peter's to raise the money needed for this exciting project.
Mr Paul Griffiths, Headteacher at St Peter's CE Primary School, said "Our staff, children and families are the heartbeat of our thriving school. We are ambitious in our vision, and this means providing inspiring and inclusive spaces for everyone to use enabling them to feel safe, supported and able to shine. This refurbished space is in addition to the new library and recent improvements to our outdoor learning spaces."
"We are so grateful to have such a supportive parent and wider community, and thankful for the generous funding from the Johnson and Mukherjee Charitable Trust. Without this wonderful support this wouldn't have been possible."
"We love welcoming visitors to our school including prospective families who can all have a personalised tour if they are considering St Peter's as one of their school choices. Seeing our new nurture space firsthand is a must!"
St Peter's is a proud member of Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust and works closely with the trust team to provide an education which is ambitious for every child while being a great place for staff to work.
