THRIVE APPROACH

The Thrive Approach at Corbridge C of E First School

 

What is Thrive?

We know that children learn best in school when they are happy and settled. At Corbridge we are using the Thrive Approach to help us develop our pupils’ emotional and social well-being. Thrive helps us to check children’s readiness to learn, to identify any gaps and then plan to meet them. Through doing so, we will be able to make sure that all of our pupils have what they need to make the best possible progress in their learning.

 

The Thrive approach offers practical strategies and techniques and is built around online assessments which identify children’s emotional development and provides action plans for their individual needs.

Research has shown that how we behave is linked to how we feel and our emotions are linked to how we learn. By teaching children to recognise and notice these feelings and emotions it can help with their development and learning.

 

Children sometimes need some extra support with their emotional growth and this can be temporary or over a longer period of time. Thrive promotes their emotional and social growth by building positive relationships between a child and their peers and helps them explore and understand their feelings through various activities.

 

Thrive is an approach, and all staff use the philosophy and strategies every day in classrooms, on the play ground and in and around the school. Small group sessions and some one to one time can also be introduced to support our children’s wellbeing and ability and Thrive.

 

Why might my child attend a Thrive session?

Many children experience difficulties during their time at school. These may include:

  •          Difficulties with friendships.
  •          Not enjoying, or having positive playtimes? Getting into trouble at playtime.
  •          Finding it hard to focus in the classroom.
  •          Finding it difficult to manage their feelings.
  •          Not knowing who to turn to when feelings are too big to manage on their own.

 

These situations can lead to many different emotions which may seem overwhelming at times. They might include: anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, confusion or anxiety. 

All these feelings are very normal and happen to a lot of children. The Thrive sessions are to help children learn to manage their feelings and teach them strategies that will help promote their learning at school.

 

What will happen in a Thrive session?

The session may be on an individual basis or as part of a small group of children. During each session there will be an activity which may include:

  •          Story telling
  •          Circle games
  •          Arts and crafts
  •          Sand play
  •          Movement and relaxation
  •          Hand and foot massage
  •          Role play and puppet work
  •          Games

 

Our vision and aims

Our Vision is to:

Develop children emotionally so they are able to recognise and distinguish their emotions and learn ways of responding to their feelings appropriately.

We aim to:

  •          Provide alternative support for children who are experiencing emotional, social or behavioural difficulties.
  •          Provide a safe and calm environment for children to develop their skills.
  •          Enable children to take pride in their achievements and enhance self-esteem.
  •          Help children to manage their feelings and develop skills to enjoy and participate in school life.
  •          Use positive approaches to manage all behaviours.

 

More information

For more information about the Thrive approach see the website: www.thriveapproach.co.uk or contact Mrs S Gray, Thrive Practitioner at Corbridge First School.