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This report provides a comparative analysis of Nurture Groups in seven school settings across the North West of England: five with traditional Nurture Groups in school, and two ‘alternative provisions’ pursuing either ‘integrated nurture’, or practice based upon attachment principles but without specialised Nurture Group provision. The broad aims of the report centre upon uncovering the principles of nurture-in-practice in relation to: the impact of the Nurture Group as a psychosocial intervention for vulnerable children; the influence of school leadership; the preconditions for effective communication; and lessons for mainstream primary classrooms. The methodology included a range of data collection strategies: interviews with Heads; focus groups with a mix of NG/mainstream staff; interviews with NG staff; tours of the school; observations; the collection of Boxall profiles and other relevant data. We also carried out two child case studies within each school through informal conversations with the child and with a parent/carer. The data was analysed across five areas: The Child; The Nurture Group; The Mainstream Class; The Parents/Carers; and The Whole School. Across these five areas two key themes emerged as being particularly important drivers of nurture-in-practice. These were: the importance of relationships to enhance communication and to model positive and functional ways of relating to children, parents and teachers. training for all staff members to instil an understanding of and value for nurture across the school to promote a vision of whole school as therapeutic community and an understanding of behaviour as communication. More specifically, these two themes can be understood in relation to the development of strategies to: promote a multi-targeted and timely response; timetable nurture effectively; create a balanced Nurture Group dynamic; prioritise psychosocial concerns whilst simultaneously balancing academic aims and outcomes; stagger transitions; p