What does “nurturing” mean to you?

[CruCru]

From time to time, I’ve seen people on here (and heard people in real life) say things along the lines of “Well, we looked at XYZ school but decided that we wanted somewhere a bit more nurturing”. It’s got me thinking - what does “nurturing” mean when used to describe a school?

I googled the dictionary definition, which says “to care for and protect someone while they are growing”. I hope that most schools do this.

Sometimes I wonder whether “nurturing” is a euphemism for “not a hothouse”.

What do you think?

We picked our school based partly on pastoral care, which I suppose is similar.

For me it isn't about throwing detentions around at the first sign of trouble and stopping there, but looking at what might be going on as well.
Also valuing the tutor system, not paying lip-service to it, having pastoral care staff accessible and contactable by parents too.
Looking at the well being of the whole child, not just the academics.
Letting kids pick the best options for them, even if that option isn't valued by league tables.

I think a nurturing hothouse sounds like an oxymoron, but you can not be a hothouse and also not nurturing. I think you can be an academic school and nurturing too.