The Thrive Approach at Sunny Bank Primary School

We are proud to announce that Sunny Bank is now an official Thrive Accredited School. At our school, we know that children learn best when they feel safe, happy and emotionally secure. We use the Thrive Approach across our whole school to support the emotional and social wellbeing of every single child.

What is Thrive?

Thrive is a therapeutic approach based on neuroscience, attachment theory and child development research. It helps us understand that behavior is a form of communication. When children exhibit difficult behaviors or become withdrawn, they are often showing us that they are struggling with big emotions. Thrive gives our staff the tools to understand what these behaviors mean and helps us teach children how to manage their feelings, build resilience and thrive in the classroom.

 

How Thrive Works at Our School

We embed Thrive in two distinct ways to ensure no child is left behind:

 

Whole-School Integration: Thrive is not just an intervention; it is part of our daily school life.

· Safe Environments: Every classroom is a nurturing space where emotional wellbeing is prioritised.

· Class Profiles: Teachers work with our Pastoral Lead to use the Thrive-Online tool to assess the emotional development of their whole class, building activities into their curriculum to strengthen social skills.

· Positive Relationships: Our staff are trained to respond to children with empathy, curiosity and calm reassurance to model healthy emotional regulation.

 

Targeted Individual Support: Sometimes, children face life changes or challenges, such as bereavement, family separations, anxiety, or low confidence, which means they may need extra care.

· Licensed Practitioners: We have specially trained Thrive Licensed Practitioners on our staff team.

· 1:1 and Small Groups: Children can access tailored, individual sessions in our dedicated Nest.

· Creative Activities: These gentle sessions use arts, crafts, sand play, puppetry and storytelling to help children process their emotions safely.

 

Working Together with Families

We believe that supporting your child's emotional growth is a partnership between home and school. If your child is selected for targeted Thrive support, we will always speak with you and discuss the action plan we would like to follow. If you have any questions about how we use Thrive, please contact our Pastoral Lead, SENDCo or Head of School.