A guide to the Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award

In every school, there are pupils whose potential remains locked behind a door of anxiety, trauma, or unmet developmental needs. As educators, we often find ourselves asking, “Why isn’t this student engaging?” But as we look toward creating truly inclusive environments, the more transformative question is: “Does this student feel safe enough to learn?”

The Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award is more than just a certificate. It is a 12-month professional journey designed to help your setting look inward, shifting your school’s DNA from reactive management to proactive, relational practice.

What is the Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award Subscription?

The Nurture School Foundations subscription provides a comprehensive toolkit designed to streamline professional development. Schools gain access to a subscription to the Boxall Profile® Online, a suite of online course modules and guidance videos that offer step-by-step support.

To facilitate practical application, the package includes PDF downloads, workbooks, and fully editable presentations, allowing school leaders to easily adapt and share content with their staff.

The subscription includes:

• 12 month subscription to the Boxall Profile® Online with all the same benefits as a standard subscription
• Access to the new 12 month Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award online self paced course. Content is splint into 3 key sections.
• The Nurture School Foundations Pro Subscription also includes access to The Boxall Profile®: An Educator’s Guide 1 day course for one delegate

We know that behind every “challenging” behaviour is a child seeking connection.

This new subscription-integrated course gives your staff the confidence to meet those needs through the Power of Three:

1. Relational Practice (The Foundation): Neuroscience tells us that the “thinking brain” (the prefrontal cortex) shuts down when a child feels disconnected. We help your staff become the external “regulators” students need to feel safe enough to learn.
2. The Six Principles of Nurture (The Framework): These principles, such as understanding that all behaviour is communication, provide a consistent language for your entire staff.
3. The Boxall Profile® (The Tool): No more guesswork. This tool creates a visual map of a student’s social and emotional needs, turning data into targeted, manageable goals.

If paid by card, the subscription is set to auto-renew onto a Standard BPO Subscription for specific phase (e.g., Primary or Secondary). You have the flexibility to adjust or end your subscription through your account settings at the end of the 12 months.

While the course content is structured into three distinct terms, please note that these represent learning phases rather than traditional academic terms; your specific timeline will depend on your purchase and start date.

How to access the Nurture School Foundations course content

Members of the school team are tagged within the tool by an admin. Once staff members are tagged, they will see an ‘Access Course’ button next to each module on their Access Foundations Content page. When they click this button, they will be redirected to Thinkific, our dedicated learning platform.

If new to Thinkific, they will be prompted to set up a secure account; otherwise, they can simply log in with their existing credentials to begin their journey.

Mandatory Training (Lead, Team, & Practitioners):

• Essential Boxall Profile®
• Introduction to Boxall Profile®
• Relational Practice and the Six Principles of Nurture

All Staff (Whole-School)

• Personnel: All teaching and support staff.
• Key Role: Support and environmental consistency.
• Responsibilities: Supports colleagues in maintaining a nurture-focused environment and applies programme principles in daily interactions.
• Required Training: Awareness sessions on The Programme Overview, Introduction to Boxall Profile® Online and Relational Practice and the Six Principles of Nurture.

How to apply for the Nurture Schools Foundations: The Relational Practice Award?

Once you have completed all mandatory training and related tasks and completed the required Boxall Profile® assessments, you will be ready to submit your application for the award. The application form is designed to capture your journey from action to impact and can be found on your Foundation page on the tool.

Please ensure your submission includes the following key sections:

• Training record: A list of the Lead, Team Members, and Practitioners who have completed all mandatory training via Thinkific.
• The “Nurture report”: A concise summary (approx. 300 words per principle) detailing the specific actions you took for each of the Six Principles of Nurture and the resulting shift in pupil dynamics.
• The case study: A 500-word deep dive into a specific class or group (note: this should be a whole-class context, not a specific nurture group). Highlight how Boxall Profile® data led to specific adaptations and measurable improvements in wellbeing or attainment.
• Headteacher/Principal impact statement: A strategic reflection on how the school’s vision, policies, and staff development have evolved throughout the programme.

You will find more detailed guidance and examples on Thinkific in the Foundations Award Guide. Please submit your completed application to [email protected]. Once your application has been submitted, our team will complete the review process. You will then receive email communication regarding the next step.

After the award

What’s next? Once you’ve achieved your award, we’ve made it easy to sustain your nurture journey.

1. Further accreditation: Continue your whole-school development by enrolling in the National Nurturing School Programme.
2. Continuous access: To ensure your student data stays live, your subscription will automatically transition to a standard annual plan.
3. Manage your plan: You have the flexibility to adjust or end your subscription through your account settings at the end of the 12 months.

Can I add the Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award course to an existing subscription?

Currently, the Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award is not available as a standalone “bolt-on” or add-on for existing subscriptions.

You will be able to purchase this subscription option at renewal. You can view subscription options here.

We are constantly evaluating our subscription models based on user feedback. While the “bolt-on” option isn’t available today, we are working on more flexible ways to customise your experience in the future.

What’s the difference between the Foundation Nurture School Award and the National Nurturing Schools Programme?

The Foundation Nurture School Award is a new award for schools that are starting out on their whole-school nurture journey. It sits at the discover level of our framework and is suitable for schools that are looking to make quick changes to start their journey towards implementing nurture right across a school. Once you sign up, you’ll have access to everything you need for a year to form an award team, identify a pilot group and make first changes, including a Boxall Profile® Online subscription to help you understand pupils and plan interventions, interactive e-learning for an extended team, and ready-to-use presentations to introduce your team to nurture. You can apply for the award as soon as you’re confident you’ve met the standards and your school will receive a certificate that’s valid for two years.

The National Nurturing Schools Programme is a scheme for schools wanting to implement nurture across the whole school. It sits at the develop level of our framework. Once you sign up, you’ll start an in-depth training programme over six sessions, guided by one of our expert consultants. You’ll get two years’ access to a Boxall Profile® Online subscription and additional help to make positive changes in your school, along with consultant support, publications and other resources.

Once you’ve completed the training, you can apply for the award. If you’re successful, you’ll receive an award plaque and certificate, which are valid for three years.

Are you ready to lead the change?

Achieving the Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award is a powerful statement of intent and is the first step on a relational and nurturing journey.

Log in or sign up here to purchase and get started on your journey toward the Foundation Nurture School Award today.