At Mill Green School, the emotional wellbeing of our pupils is at the heart of everything we do.  We began our THRIVE journey in 2023 when we learnt about its trauma-informed approach that targets the social and emotional development of children and young people.  We understand that the young people at Mill Green School have a vast range of experiences and individual needs that may have impacted their emotional development, and the THRIVE Approach allows us to identify these gaps so that we can build on the key skills of resilience, independence, and self-confidence for the next stage of their journey into adulthood.

Underpinning this approach are the strong relationships we build with our young people and our understanding of their learning and emotional needs.  Our staff use the principles of The THRIVE Approach to create environments where our pupils can feel safe, engage with learning and use their voices within the Mill Green community.   We have also trained our staff to have an understanding of emotional development and the impact of trauma on the brain.  We understand that all behaviour is a communication of social and emotional needs that require attention in the moment from an adult who is ready to respond with curiosity and compassion.

What it the THRIVE Approach?

The THRIVE Approach supports young people with their emotional health, well-being and social skills, all of which are needed to enable learning to take place. Children and young people with learning difficulties cannot always put their needs into words, but the way they behave can tell us a lot about how they are feeling. For some children there may be an obvious reason why they need extra support. This might be due to bereavement, family break down or an identified medical diagnosis such as ADHD. For others, there may not be any obvious trigger as to why they are finding some aspects of school and/or home life difficult.

How does the THRIVE Approach Work?

The THRIVE Approach  draws on the latest research from current neuroscience, recent attachment research, current studies of effective learning and current models of child development, in order to help us to understand the needs being signalled by children’s behaviour. Working with parents and class teachers, our THRIVE practitioners carry out assessments of identified children’s social, emotional and behavioural needs which help us to build a THRIVE Action Plan of targeted strategies and activities to help our young people re-engage with learning and life.

The THRIVE Approach is based on growing evidence that the brain develops through personal and social interaction. The relationships that we have with significant adults is fundamental to who we grow up to be. Our brain is built through trillions of brain-cell connections made by sight, sound, smell, touch and movement. Positive experiences enhance brain connections, and sustained negative experiences can restrict them. Through simple, repeated activities over time, within a safe and caring environment, THRIVE aims to compensate for interruptions in emotional development, when they affect a child’s ability to enjoy life and learn.

What is a THRIVE Assessment?

A THRIVE assessment helps us to identify emotional developmental needs as early as possible, in order to support and meet those needs on an individual basis. As well as offering new ways of dealing with challenging behaviour, THRIVE also offers both teaching staff and parents useful approaches to working with and helping any child who is experiencing emotional upheaval, whether short or long term. This is not a quick-fix; it takes time and commitment to see results. However, from research it is clear that early intervention to support children’s needs is the most effective approach to preventing issues becoming more problematic in later life.

A THRIVE Action Plan is a plan of activities tailored to support a child’s identified social and emotional learning targets. The activities are one-to-one and small group play and arts-based activities designed to help the young person feel better about themselves; become more resilient and resourceful; form trusting, rewarding relationships; be compassionate and empathetic; and/or be able to overcome difficulties and setbacks.

Activities might include play, Lego Therapy, Zones of Regulation, modelling, exploring difficult situations through role-play or comic strips, playing strategy games or projects focusing on the young person’s own interests. Action Plans are shared with parents who are encouraged to do some of the activities at home with their child. Action Plans are reviewed regularly to monitor the progress children have made.

If you would like further information on The THRIVE Approach, please click the link to the right.

Alternatively, you can speak to one of our school THRIVE practitioners, Jodie Wetton and Leah Shipley by contacting them through the school office.