Thrive

The Thrive Approach

Supporting children’s emotional wellbeing is just as important as helping them succeed academically. One powerful framework helping us do this is The Thrive Approach—a positive, evidence informed programme used in schools across the country to nurture pupils’ social, emotional, and mental health.

What Is the Thrive Approach?

The Thrive Approach helps educators understand the emotional needs that lie beneath a child’s behaviour, ensuring support is tailored, timely, and developmentally appropriate. It focuses on building strong, positive relationships and creating a safe, nurturing environment where every child feels seen, understood, and valued.

A core belief within Thrive is that behaviour is a form of communication. Instead of simply responding to outward behaviours, adults are equipped to recognise and meet the underlying emotional needs that drive them. This leads to calmer classrooms, healthier relationships, and happier learners.

How Thrive Supports Our Children

Schools using Thrive report a wide range of benefits—and we see these mirrored in our own pupils. Thrive helps children to:

• Understand and manage their emotions through attuned adult support and targeted activities.
• Build stronger relationships with peers and adults, creating a sense of belonging and security.
• Develop resilience, confidence, and motivation, helping them engage more fully in learning.
• Improve their attendance and attainment, supported by emotional safety and early intervention.

The approach is particularly effective in closing gaps for vulnerable children, improving behaviour, confidence, self‑esteem, and readiness to learn.

What Thrive Looks Like in Practice

To understand the needs of our learners, Thrive uses screening and assessment tools that help teachers create whole class strategies as well as individual support plans for children who need a little extra. Activities often include play, sensory exploration, creativity, and relationship based interactions—all carefully chosen to meet a child’s developmental stage.

Thrive is built around key stages of emotional development—from early childhood through adolescence—ensuring children receive “the right support at the right time.”

Supporting Staff as Well as Students

Thrive isn’t just beneficial for pupils—it also strengthens the whole school community. Staff receive practical tools and training that empower them to understand and support emotional needs with confidence. This results in:

• More positive behaviour and fewer classroom disruptions.
• Practical strategies that can be put to use immediately.
• Greater staff wellbeing and job satisfaction as emotional understanding grows.

Why We’re Proud to Use Thrive

Thrive is grounded in research from neuroscience, child development, attachment theory, and the role of play that help us understand how children grow emotionally.

By embedding the Thrive Approach, we’re investing in a culture that prioritises emotional wellbeing, strengthens relationships, and helps everyone flourish academically, socially, and personally.