Kibble’s schools have proudly achieved The National Nurturing Schools Award (NNSA), recognising its commitment to creating a nurturing, trauma-informed learning culture for all.
The prestigious award was achieved across all three of our schools including Forest View Primary, Goudie Academy and Mirin Academy. Receiving the award is a huge accolade, and is testament to the warm, welcoming and nurturing environment created by our education staff, parents / carers and communities that support our schools.
Achieving the Award
Work began on the accreditation in October 2023, led by Kibble’s ‘Nurturing Approaches’ specialists, Jackie Blair, Rachel Francis, Jennifer Stewart and Chloe Coulston. The dedicated team worked across the organisation to drive forward the Six Principles of Nurture. This included supporting the removal of barriers in learning and wellbeing, interventions supporting young people to succeed, and methods to improve engagement and attendance.
A total of six modules were completed, with a final report submitted which covered 37 different standards. The final stage in the process was a virtual visit which was conducted on 25th February 2026, where assessors were given a tour of our schools, and the opportunity to speak with teachers, instructors, parents and carers, and those who are integral in the children’s education and wellbeing.
Assessors were overwhelmed by the inclusive, nurturing environments created within our indoor and outdoor classrooms, facilities and supports available to help children engage with learning. What was most apparent, was the authenticity demonstrated by the teams alongside the nurturing relationships young people had with the teams.
The efforts across the campus were celebrated in the final report with it being noted by assessors, ‘these education settings may be small in size, but are huge on impact!’
Jackie Swan, Executive Director of Education at Kibble commented: “Receiving the Nurturing Schools Award is an incredible achievement for our schools and something I am incredibly proud of. Ensuring children and young people feel safe, happy and supported in all aspects of their education promotes greater engagement and ultimately helps them achieve better educational outcomes. A huge well done to all involved.”
Arti Sharma, CEO, nurtureuk said: “Kibble’s achievement of the National Nurturing Schools Award is a powerful demonstration of what truly inclusive education looks like in practice. Their settings welcome some of the most vulnerable children and young people; those who have experienced significant trauma, disrupted education and difficult transitions, and ensure every one of them feels safe, valued and genuinely at home.
Meeting all 37 standards of the National Nurturing Schools Programme is a remarkable achievement, but what sets Kibble apart is that inclusion is not a policy here; it is a way of being. Every adult, every space and every shared meal sends the same message to young people: you belong here. Nurtureuk is proud to recognise Kibble with this award, and we hope their approach inspires settings across the country to consider how nurturing principles can transform outcomes for the children who need it most.”
Delivering a Nurturing Education
Across our schools and environments, we go to lengths to ensure children and young people feel safe, welcome and engaged in learning. This includes having smaller class sizes, of up to six pupils, classrooms support workers and key workers. In addition, children and young people are supported by our in-house Specialist Intervention Services (SIS) team, comprised of psychologists and therapists which provide a range of supports and interventions to help children manage often difficult emotions. Across our schools we also place an emphasis on outdoor learning environments, space to play, and sensory rooms for when young people need some time away from class.
Our teams also hold regular Shared Understanding meetings for each young person, where all those working around the child including teachers, keyworkers, a SIS worker, social worker, and parent / carer where possible come together to ensure all aspects of care, support and education are seamlessly aligned. These are just some of the many ways in which we ensure our educational culture is supportive, inclusive and nurturing.
Across Kibble’s services, we are also actively working towards organisation-wide Autism Accreditation from the National Autistic Society, having been awarded this for our children’s houses, Ness and Tay in April 2026. This internationally recognised award demonstrates Kibble’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care, support and education opportunities for young people and adults with autism.
