This paper presents findings from a year-long qualitative study of three primary schools in South-East England, focussing on the importance of leadership in changing the culture of a school. In each school, the aim was to embed nurturing principles across the whole school, not just run a nurture group as a specialist intervention. The underlying research question is: how did the head teacher and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) embed the decision to apply a nurturing culture to the whole school? Findings relate to the style of leadership and particularly the process by which the leaders set about introducing and embedding the change in culture. The impact on the schools was positive, with clear examples of the change in culture. However, the vital role played by the head and the SLT in bringing about a change in culture raises the question of whether such a change could survive the departure from the school of senior leaders who are personally committed to nurture.