The Thrive Approach: Supporting Emotional Development in Schools

What Is the Thrive Approach?

The Thrive Approach is a developmental framework that supports children's social and emotional wellbeing in schools. Grounded in neuroscience and attachment theory, it provides educators with practical tools to identify emotional needs and deliver targeted interventions.

The model operates on a core principle: emotional security enables learning. When children experience unmet developmental needs, whether through early adversity or disrupted attachments, their capacity for academic progress diminishes. Thrive creates the conditions for readiness to learn.

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Schools implementing Thrive use an online assessment platform called Thrive-Online to screen pupils and identify gaps in social-emotional development through critical evaluation. The system generates action plans with age-appropriate activities for whole-class, small-group, or one-to-one delivery.

The approach draws heavily on attachment theory, recognising that children's early relationships fundamentally shape their capacity to learn and form connections. When these foundational experiences are disrupted or insufficient, children may struggle with emotional regulation, behaviour, and academic engagement. Thrive practitioners work to identify these underlying emotional needs and provide targeted interventions.

What sets Thrive apart from other social-emotional learning programmes is its emphasis on meeting children where they are developmentally, rather than where they chronologically should be. This means recognising that a ten-year-old child might need nurturing experiences typically associated with much younger children if their emotional development was interrupted. The approach is neither punitive nor rewards-based, instead focusing on building secure relationships that allow natural development to unfold.

In practice, this might involve creating sensory experiences for children who missed early exploratory play, or providing opportunities for creative expression through art and storytelling for those needing to process difficult emotions. The whole-school approach ensures consistency, with all staff understanding child development stages and responding appropriately. Rather than seeing challenging behaviour as deliberate defiance, Thrive-trained educators recognise it as communication about unmet developmental needs, leading to more compassionate and effective responses that support genuine emotional growth.

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How Does Thrive Assessment Work?

The Thrive-Online platform allows staff to profile individual children or entire classes against developmental expectations. Teachers complete observational assessments that map pupils across six developmental stages, from birth to adulthood.

Once profiled, the system produces individualised action plans spanning weeks, terms, or academic years. These plans include specific activities drawn from creative play, comprehensive understanding through functional systems and gestalt-based approaches, and relational strategies. Staff receive guidanceon environmental adjustments and curriculum modifications to support each child.

The assessment process helps practitioners move beyond surface behaviours to understand underlying needs, incorporating understanding motivation at a developmental level. A child presenting as transformative might be signalling unmet attachment needs rather than making a deliberate choice to misbehave.

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The assessment process typically takes 20-30 minutes and can be conducted by any adult who knows the child well, including teachers, teaching assistants, or pastoral staff. The online tool presents a series of statements about the child's behaviour and responses, which the assessor rates based on their observations. These might include items such as 'enjoys messy play activities' or 'can accept comfort when distressed'.

Once completed, the assessment generates a detailed profile showing the child's developmental position across different areas. This isn't a deficit model but rather a roadmap showing where the child has securely developed and where additional support might be beneficial. The system also suggests specific activities and approaches tailored to the child's profile, making it immediately practical for school staff.

The assessment profile helps identify which stage of emotional development the child is operating from, whether they need more sensory regulation activities, or if they would benefit from specific attachment-focused interventions. For example, a child showing difficulties with emotional regulation might be supported through calming sensory activities, whilst another child struggling with peer relationships could benefit from structured social interaction opportunities. This targeted approach ensures that interventions are developmentally appropriate rather than simply addressing surface behaviours.

Schools often find it helpful to reassess children periodically to track progress and adjust support strategies. The whole-school approach means that multiple staff members can contribute observations, creating a comprehensive understanding of each child's needs across different contexts and relationships within the school environment.

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Thrive Training: Apprenticeships and Qualifications

Thrive training offers structured apprenticeships and qualifications through a Licensed Thrive Practitioner programme that combines face-to-face sessions with online learning and workplace practice over several months. The course runs over several months and combines face-to-face sessions with online learning and workplace practise.Becoming a Licensed Thrive Practitioner requires completing a structured training programme. The course runs over several months and combines face-to-face sessions with online learningng and workplace practise.

Training costs for 2025:

• Licensed Practitioner course: £1,720 plus VAT
• Early YearsPractitioner course: £1,297 plus VAT
• School subscription package (includes training): from £2,450 per year
• Whole-staff CPD sessions: from £520 plus VAT
• Thrive-Online annual licence: approximately £1 per pupil per month

Many schools fund Thrive through allocations. For a school with 200 pupils, the annual software cost equates to roughly half the value of a single pupil premium grant.

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What Happens in a Thrive Session?

Thrive sessions address common challenges including difficulty settling, peer relationship problems, emotional dysregulation, and playground conflicts. Activities are playful and relational rather than instructional.

A typical session might involve sensory play, creative arts, or structured games designed to build specific developmental capacities. The practitioner follows the child's lead while gently introducing experiences that address identified gaps.

Sessions help children become more emotionally resilient by providing repeated experiences of co-regulation with a trusted adult. Over time, children internalise these regulatory capacities and become better equipped to manage their own self-regulation.

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Sessions are typically 20-30 minutes long and might occur weekly or fortnightly, depending on the child's needs. The environment is carefully prepared with appropriate resources that match the child's developmental profile. For a child needing early nurturing experiences, this might include sensory materials, comfort items, and opportunities for adult-led play. For those ready for more advanced social skills, activities might focus on turn-taking, negotiation, or collaborative problem-solving.

The adult's role is to provide what Bruce Perry calls 'patterned, repetitive, rhythmic experiences' that support healthy brain development. This might involve simple songs, rhythmic movements, or predictable routines that help regulate the child's nervous system. Critically, there's no predetermined curriculum - each session responds to what the child brings emotionally that day, making the approach highly personalised and responsive.

Importantly, these sessions aren't therapy but rather developmental opportunities rooted in attachment theory. The practitioner might engage in floor play with a younger child, offering unconditional positive regard and attuned responses that mirror healthy parent-child interactions. For older children, sessions might include creative activities like drawing or storytelling that allow safe expression of difficult feelings. Throughout, the focus remains on building the child's capacity for emotional regulation and forming trusting relationships - skills that transfer directly into classroom learning.

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Whole-School Implementation Strategy

Thrive positions itself as a whole-school approach rather than a specialist intervention for identified pupils. The framework influences classroom practise, behaviour policies, and staff interactions across the school community.

Trained practitioners share their understanding with colleagues through whole-staff training sessions. This creates a common language for discussing emotional needs and consistent approaches to supporting vulnerable learners.

The model aligns with current Department for Education expectations around mental health provision in schools. Thrive is a DfE quality-assured provider of Senior Mental Health Lead training, connecting to wellbeing frameworks that support engagement and attention needs for pupils with additional support requirements.

Schools that adopt a whole-school Thrive approach report improvements in pupil behaviour, attendance, and academic attainment. Staff feel more confident in managing challenging behaviour, and pupils demonstrate increased emotional literacy and self-awareness.

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Training and professional development form the cornerstone of successful implementation. Schools typically find that investing in comprehensive training for multiple staff members creates a stronger foundation than relying on a single practitioner. This multi-staff approach ensures continuity when staff are absent and allows for peer support and shared decision-making around assessment profiles and targeted interventions. Many schools also benefit from establishing regular supervision arrangements with experienced Thrive practitioners to support ongoing professional development.

Integration with existing systems requires careful planning and communication across all school teams. The most successful implementations occur when Thrive principles are woven into daily classroom practice, not treated as an isolated intervention. This means training teaching staff to recognise developmental gaps and respond appropriately, whilst ensuring that targeted Thrive sessions complement rather than compete with other support programmes. Schools often find that their whole-school approach becomes more coherent when Thrive assessment informs Individual Education Plans, pastoral care decisions, and classroom management strategies, creating a truly integrated framework for supporting child development across all aspects of school life.

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Benefits of the Thrive Approach

The benefits of Thrive are far-reaching, impacting not only individual pupils but the entire school community. Some key advantages include:

• Improved pupil wellbeing and emotional resilience
• Reduced exclusions and behaviour incidents
• Enhanced learning engagement and academic outcomes
• Increased staff confidence and job satisfaction
• Stronger relationships between pupils, staff, and families
• A more positive and inclusive school culture

By prioritising emotional development, schools create an environment where all pupils can thrive, both personally and academically.

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Research conducted across multiple local authorities demonstrates significant improvements in children's emotional regulation, peer relationships, and readiness to learn. Teachers report fewer classroom disruptions and increased engagement in learning activities. Exclusion rates typically decrease in schools implementing Thrive, as staff develop more sophisticated understanding of behaviour as communication of unmet emotional needs.

For children with attachment difficulties or trauma histories, the benefits can be particularly pronounced. Many show increased confidence, improved ability to seek help when needed, and stronger relationships with adults and peers. Academic progress often follows as children become more emotionally available for learning.

Crucially, staff wellbeing also improves as teachers and support staff feel more equipped to understand and respond to challenging behaviour. This creates a positive cycle where calmer, more confident adults provide the consistent, nurturing relationships that support children's emotional development.

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Research Evidence and Theoretical Foundations

The Thrive Approach draws its theoretical foundation from established attachment theory, particularly John Bowlby's seminal work demonstrating how early relationships shape children's capacity for emotional regulation and learning. Research by Mary Ainsworth and subsequent studies have consistently shown that children with secure attachment patterns demonstrate greater resilience, improved social skills, and enhanced academic outcomes. This evidence base provides educators with a robust framework for understanding why some pupils struggle with behaviour and learning, moving beyond punitive responses to developmentally informed interventions.

Longitudinal studies tracking children's emotional development reveal that targeted, relationship-based interventions can significantly improve outcomes for vulnerable learners. Neuroscientific research supports this approach, showing how positive adult relationships literally reshape developing brains, particularly in areas responsible for self-regulation and stress management. Schools implementing attachment-informed practices report measurable improvements in pupil engagement, reduced exclusions, and enhanced staff confidence when managing challenging behaviours.

In practical terms, this research translates to classroom strategies that prioritise connection before correction. Teachers can apply these findings by conducting regular assessment profiles to identify pupils' developmental needs, then implementing targeted interventions that address underlying emotional gaps rather than surface behaviours. This evidence-based approach enables schools to justify resource allocation whilst building staff expertise in child development.

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Case Studies: Thrive in Action

At Meadowbrook Primary School, staff noticed seven-year-old Emma's persistent transformative behaviour during transitions and group activities. Through Thrive assessment, they identified that Emma was functioning at an earlier developmental stage, struggling with feelings of safety and predictability. The school implemented targeted interventions including consistent routines, visual timetables, and designated quiet spaces. Within six months, Emma's emotional regulation improved significantly, with classroom observations showing a 70% reduction in transformative incidents and increased participation in collaborative learning.

Similarly, Riverside Secondary School adopted a whole-school approach when data revealed rising anxiety levels among Year 9 students. Drawing on attachment theory principles, they restructured their pastoral system to provide consistent key adult relationships for each student. Teachers received training to recognise emotional developmental needs and respond appropriately. The impact was substantial: exclusion rates dropped by 40%, while student wellbeing surveys showed marked improvements in feelings of belonging and emotional safety.

These cases demonstrate how systematic emotional development support transforms both individual outcomes and whole-school culture. The key lies in moving beyond behaviour management to understanding the underlying developmental needs, then providing targeted, relationship-based interventions that support children's emotional growth within their learning environment.

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Overcoming Implementation Challenges

While implementing whole-school approaches to emotional development presents clear benefits, schools frequently encounter predictable barriers that can derail initial progress. Staff resistance often stems from feeling overwhelmed rather than philosophical disagreement, particularly when teachers perceive additional workload without adequate support. Research by Fullan and Quinn demonstrates that sustainable change requires addressing both the emotional and practical concerns of implementers, suggesting that early wins and peer mentoring can significantly reduce resistance.

Time constraints represent another common challenge, as busy school schedules leave little room for new initiatives. However, successful schools have found that embedding emotional development within existing practices proves more effective than creating separate programmes. Simple strategies such as incorporating attachment-informed transitions between lessons or using assessment profiles during existing pastoral meetings can maximise impact whilst minimising disruption to established routines.

Resource limitations need not prevent implementation when schools adopt a phased approach. Beginning with staff training and awareness-raising requires minimal financial investment but creates the foundation for more targeted interventions later. Using existing expertise within the school community, partnering with local organisations, and focusing initially on high-impact, low-cost strategies ensures that schools can begin supporting children's emotional development regardless of budget constraints.

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Conclusion

The Thrive Approach represents a significant shift in how schools understand and respond to pupil behaviour. By moving beyond traditional behaviour management techniques and focusing on underlying emotional needs, educators can create a more supportive and nurturing learning environment.

When schools prioritise social and emotional wellbeing, they enable pupils' full potential. Thrive provides a practical framework for achieving this, helping staff to build strong relationships, understand developmental stages, and deliver targeted interventions that make a real difference in pupils' lives. By investing in emotional development, schools are investing in a brighter future for all.

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Further Reading

Social-emotional development

Attachment-aware schools

Emotional wellbeing interventions

1. Bomber, L. M. (2007). *Feeling, Thinking, Doing: An Attachment-Based Approach to Working with Children Who Have Suffered Trauma*. Worth Publishing.
2. Gerhardt, S. (2014). *Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain*. Routledge.
3. Hughes, D. A. (2006). *Attachment-Focused Family Therapy*. WW Norton & Company.
4. Perry, B. D., & Szalavitz, M. (2006). *The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook*. Basic Books.