The Hive – Supporting Children to Thrive
At Newall Green Primary School, The Hive is our enhanced inclusion and nurture provision, designed to provide additional support for children who may need help to feel safe, regulated, ready to learn and successful in school.
The Hive is not a separate school or a place where children are removed from their class. Instead, it forms part of our wider inclusive approach and works alongside class teachers, families and the school’s Inclusion Team to provide the right support at the right time.
What does The Hive support?
Children may access support through The Hive for a variety of reasons. This can include children who:
- are finding it difficult to manage their emotions or behaviour;
- are experiencing anxiety or difficulties attending school;
- need additional support with friendships, confidence or social skills;
- have experienced changes, difficulties or challenges outside school;
- need a quieter environment to regulate before returning to learning;
- are at risk of suspension or are finding it difficult to access a full day successfully;
- need targeted support before gradually reintegrating into their usual classroom.
Every child is different, so support is planned around their individual needs.
What might support look like?
The aim is always to help children successfully access their classroom, friendships and wider school life.
Depending on the child, support may include:
- a calm or supported start to the school day;
- short periods of regulation or nurture support;
- individual or small-group interventions;
- support with emotional regulation and understanding feelings;
- friendship and social communication work;
- targeted academic support;
- structured routines, visual supports and sensory strategies;
- support following a difficult incident so that relationships can be repaired;
- gradually increasing the amount of time a child spends successfully in their classroom;
- close work with parents, carers and other professionals.
Children may access The Hive for a short period, at particular times of the day, or as part of a more structured support plan. It is not intended to replace the classroom, and most children will continue to spend the majority of their time learning with their class.
Our approach
Our work in The Hive is based on positive relationships and the understanding that children communicate their needs in many different ways.
Staff use a trauma-informed and nurturing approach, helping children to:
Regulate – feel calm, safe and ready.
Relate – build trusting relationships with adults and other children.
Repair – reflect, restore relationships and move forward positively.
We recognise that children are most able to learn when they feel safe, understood and connected to the adults around them.
Working together
The Hive is part of our whole-school approach to inclusion. Staff work closely with class teachers, the SEND team, safeguarding and pastoral staff, parents and carers, and external professionals where appropriate.
We regularly review the support children receive so that it remains purposeful and helps them make progress towards greater confidence, independence and successful participation in school life.
Our aim is simple: to remove barriers, strengthen relationships and help every child feel that they belong and can succeed at Newall Green Primary School.