Hippos
Nurture at Onchan School
Hippos is part of the nurturing culture that underpins life at Onchan School. It provides a calm, supportive environment where children can develop the confidence, emotional wellbeing, self-regulation and independence they need to engage positively in learning, relationships and school life.
Nurture at Onchan is for every child. The principles of nurture are embedded in classrooms and everyday interactions across the school. Our in-class nurture provision, including access to calm spaces and supportive adults, is available to any child, at any time, when they feel they need additional help to regulate, reflect, reconnect or feel ready to learn. Children do not need to be identified as having additional needs in order to benefit from nurture.
Hippos provides a further level of support for children who may benefit from a more targeted or personalised approach. It complements, rather than replaces, the nurturing relationships, learning and provision children receive in their own classrooms.
What is the purpose of Hippos?
Hippos is a calm, welcoming space where children can access additional support when they need it. It provides a safe base in which children can develop the social, emotional and self-regulation skills that support successful participation in school.
The provision is built around positive relationships, clear and consistent expectations, predictable routines and appropriate boundaries. Children are supported to understand and communicate their feelings, develop positive relationships, manage challenges and build the confidence and independence needed to return to and participate successfully in their classroom.
Our approach recognises that emotional wellbeing, relationships, communication and readiness to learn are closely connected to educational success.
The approach is underpinned by the six principles of nurture:
• Children’s learning is understood developmentally – stage, not age.
• The classroom and school offer a safe base.
• Nurture is important for the development of self-esteem.
• Language is understood as a vital means of communication.
• All behaviour is communication.
• Transitions are significant in the lives of children.
These principles are not limited to Hippos. They inform the way adults work with children throughout Onchan School.
How is targeted nurture support identified?
The class teacher remains central to supporting children's social, emotional and wellbeing needs through everyday classroom practice and our whole-school nurturing approach.
Where a child appears to need additional or more targeted support, the class teacher will discuss this with the Inclusion Lead. The child's strengths, needs and existing provision will be considered alongside information from a range of sources. Where appropriate, this may include the Boxall Profile and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to develop a fuller understanding of the child's developmental, social and emotional needs.
Where targeted nurture support is considered appropriate, this will be discussed with the child and their parent/carer. This may include access to a targeted nurture intervention within Hippos alongside continued support within the classroom.
How will Hippos help my child?
Children are supported within a calm, structured and predictable environment, with provision adapted to their individual needs.
Sessions follow a clear routine and may include:
• listening and speaking activities
• emotional literacy and understanding feelings
• individual and shared play
• opportunities to develop communication and social skills
• learning activities
• practising strategies for managing emotions and challenges
• opportunities to develop independence and confidence
• supported opportunities to apply skills to classroom learning
The emphasis is on developing skills that children can use in their everyday lives, rather than creating a separate experience from school life. The Nurture Team works closely with class teachers so that strategies and skills developed in Hippos are reinforced in the classroom and across the wider school community.
What skills might children develop?
• feel more secure and confident in school
• recognise, understand and communicate their emotions
• regulate their feelings and behaviour
• manage disappointment, frustration and unexpected events
• develop listening, attention and communication skills
• build self-esteem and a positive sense of self
• develop independence and resilience
• cooperate, share and take turns
• develop and maintain positive friendships
• build positive relationships with peers and trusted adults
• resolve difficulties and manage challenges
• understand and respond appropriately to expectations
• engage more successfully with learning
• participate confidently in their classroom and the wider school community.