Jill Weatherston

Jill has spent over 25 years actively working in education within the UK with children and young people.  Early in her career she worked in the youth service, supporting young people who were at risk of offending. Through the skills learnt Jill progressed within a primary school firstly support children who were struggling to access curriculum learning due to their Social, emotional and cognitive development. The skills learnt as a social worker were very useful when she started to work in a mainstream primary school.

Through the skills learnt Jill progressed to setting up a nurture provision within the school which them develop into Nurture/Sen Jill trained and set up a Nurture group, in her school to support the many vulnerable learners and families. The nurture group was successful and became known within the borough and around the UK. Jill went on to train others who wanted to see how a nurture group ran, re the daily timetable, referrals etc. The school also worked closely with the local authority, particularly when new learners entered the borough from Alternative provisions and care homes.

Jill developed the nurture room, to become an inclusive unit. The school became a whole school nurture approach for learning and Jill became a member of the senior leadership team.

Jill later developed, and managed, a SEN/Nurture unit within a mainstream Primary school, supporting over 27 children with a range of diverse needs.  Throughout the time in school, Jill developed links with agencies such as Social Services, Physiotherapists, Occupation therapists and speech and language Therapists, always believing and wanting the best for those children and young people that she worked with and was very much respected for the work she delivered with the most vulnerable children and young people.
As Jill’s responsibilities grew, her roles included PSHE lead for the school , Emotional coach for staff , responsible for a team of 10 staff and part of the senior leadership team.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• BA open degree (focusing on education all over the world)

• Foundation Degree in Teaching and Learning

• Achieved Marjory Boxall Quality Mark for Nurture Groups

• Achieved Whole School Approach to Nurture (second school in England / First school in the Northwest

•  Been part of research project (Boxall)

• Visited Parliament

• Co-author of the book a Whole School Approach to Nurture