The NEST – Nurturing Engagement and Success Together

At Northmead Junior School, our Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Centre known as The NEST - Nurturing, Engagement and Success Together. The name reflects our ethos of inclusion, teamwork, and placing children at the heart of everything we do. The NEST provides targeted support and provision for pupils who benefit from access to mainstream education and whose primary area of need is Speech, Language and Communication.

The NEST is a specialist provision situated within the main school building, designed to support up to 15 pupils who require targeted support in a smaller, lower-stimulus environment. It offers a nurturing, structured setting that is inclusively integrated into the wider school community.

Pupils in The NEST are valued members of their mainstream classes and are actively encouraged to participate in all aspects of school life. The provision includes specialist teaching, focused interventions, and a tailored approach to help each child make meaningful progress and achieve their individual outcomes. We place a strong emphasis on ensuring that every child feels valued, supported, and part of the whole school community.

Admissions to the NEST are managed separately from mainstream admissions and are overseen by the Surrey SEND Team in collaboration with the local authority.

In addition, Speech and Language Therapists from Surrey work collaboratively with school staff, offering therapy, advice, and co-delivery of sessions. This joint working model supports a consistent and integrated approach to communication development across the school day.

Each morning, pupils register with their mainstream class teachers before transitioning to The NEST, where they receive focused teaching until lunchtime. Children from Years 3 to 6 are taught in one large, well-equipped room. Groupings are based on ability and individual learning needs rather than chronological age, allowing children to learn at their own pace and in a way that supports their strengths and targets their areas for development.

In the afternoons, pupils return to their mainstream classrooms to learn. They also spend break and lunch times with their mainstream peers, supporting social integration and promoting confidence in a wider range of environments.

The NEST provides:

• A structured, safe environment with planned and supervised access to playgrounds and shared spaces during unstructured times
• Use of visual timetables and visual supports, tailored to individual needs to aid understanding and reduce anxiety
• A strong emphasis on language enrichment, vocabulary development, and the enhancement of social communication skills
•  Regular opportunities to increase participation in mainstream lessons and develop independent learning skills
• A highly inclusive approach, with an enabling environment that promotes participation in all aspects of school life
• A focus on the development of key skills, including:

              Expressive and receptive language

              Speech production and fluency

              Social interaction and communication

              Literacy and numeracy

              Listening, attention, and memory

              Confidence, emotional regulation, and self-esteem

Central to our approach is a strong partnership with parents, carers, mainstream teachers, and external professionals, ensuring that we work as a team so that children are nurtured, grow in confidence, and feel valued.

Admission to the NEST is managed through your SEND case officer. To arrange a tour of the NEST and the wider school, please contact the school office.

Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe