* Educational psychologist Marjorie Boxall established the first group in London’s East End 35 years ago
* Her idea was to recreate a family-like setting in school to allow children to go through the stages of early development that many had missed out on
* The nurture group classroom has four main areas themed around home, kitchen, work and play. There always is a sofa, armchairs, curtains, cushions, and soft lighting
* There are more than 1,000 groups in the UK
* Children register with their mainstream class every morning and return there for the end of the day. But they spend most of their time with the group
* Most are in primary schools but more and more secondary schools are adapting the methodology to the needs of older children
