St Mary’s Primary School in Draperstown created the “Nurture Nook” to strengthen the support available for children who benefit from additional emotional and wellbeing provision. The space sits within the school itself, reflecting a wider understanding that early support is most effective when it is part of everyday school life rather than something accessed separately.
The Nurture Nook was developed to respond to a practical challenge faced by many schools: how to provide timely, targeted support for children who may struggle to engage in a traditional classroom environment. By creating a dedicated space within the school, the Nurture Nook enables support to happen in a way that is both accessible and integrated into the school day, without removing children from their learning environment entirely.
The impact is seen in what the space enables for pupils. The Nurture Nook provides a calmer, more structured setting where children can step back from the demands of the classroom, reset, and develop the foundations needed to engage with learning and build positive relationships. This helps ensure that children who may experience challenges are better able to remain part of the school community, supporting confidence, participation and readiness to learn over time.
The space also strengthens the school’s overall capacity to respond to need. It allows staff to deliver more focused support, including onetoone and small group work, in a setting designed for that purpose. This makes early intervention more practical and consistent, helping to address issues before they become more embedded.
A further element of the Nurture Nook’s impact is the level of community involvement behind it. Teachers, pupils, families and local businesses all contributed to its development, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting children early and creating an environment where they can feel safe and supported.
Overall, the Nurture Nook demonstrates how a relatively simple intervention — creating the right type of space within an existing setting — can make early support more accessible, helping children feel secure, build confidence and engage more fully in their education.
