Mental Health and Wellbeing

Thrive Practitioner

At St. Aidan's, we prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of our entire school community. We believe that everyone deserves to feel comfortable, healthy, and happy. We understand that life can be challenging, and sometimes, we all need extra support. Let's work together to create a positive and supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their feelings and seeking help when needed.

We're committed to providing a caring and supportive environment for every child at St. Aidan's. We believe that children should feel safe, happy, and confident to learn. Our staff team works collaboratively to foster children's emotional and social well-being, ensuring they feel supported and valued throughout their school day. This method, known as the Thrive Approach, helps us create a positive and nurturing learning environment.

Sometimes, children find it difficult to put their feelings into words. However, their behaviour can offer valuable clues about their emotional state. The Thrive Approach draws on the latest research to help us understand the needs signalled by children's behaviour. This approach provides us with specific strategies and activities to support their re-engagement with learning and life.

Like all of us, children may encounter setbacks that can knock them off course. During these challenging times, understanding and support are crucial. While many children benefit from the care and encouragement of parents, family, friends, and teachers, some may require additional assistance to navigate these difficulties.

• Self-Esteem: Feel good about themselves
• Belonging: Know that they matter
• Resilience: Become more resilient and resourceful
• Social Integration: Have a positive place in society
• Relationships: Form trusting, rewarding relationships
• Creativity: Be creative
• Empathy: Be compassionate and empathetic
• Self-Awareness: Be thoughtful and self-aware
• Productivity: Be productive
• Overcoming Challenges: Be able to overcome difficulties and setbacks

We're committed to identifying children who may need extra support. We use various methods, including whole-class screenings, teacher observations, and communication with families. Some children may have identifiable reasons for needing support, such as bereavement, family challenges, or medical conditions. For others, the reasons may be less apparent. Our Thrive team works collaboratively with parents and teachers to assess children's social, emotional, and behavioural needs and develop tailored support plans.

A Thrive Action Plan is a tailored plan of activities designed to support a child's social and emotional wellbeing. These activities, which often involve play, art, and creative approaches, are designed to help children develop self-esteem, resilience, positive relationships, and coping skills. We regularly review these plans to ensure they are meeting the child's individual needs and tracking their progress.

Many children look forward to Thrive time! It's a wonderful opportunity for one-on-one attention and engaging activities. However, it's important to remember that Thrive is just like any other learning intervention. If children need extra support with reading, writing, or math, they receive it. The same applies to social and emotional learning. If they're struggling in these areas, they get the extra support they need.

At St. Aidan's, we view Thrive as a whole-school approach. We believe that all behaviour is a way of communicating, and it's essential to understand and support it, rather than simply dealing with it. Thrive influences everything we do, from celebrating achievements to creating a sense of belonging and embracing our diversity.

The Thrive Approach

Thrive Approach resources

Thrive Approach activities for parents of child/ren up to age 7

Thrive Approach activities for parents of child/ren up to age 11

Thrive Approach Toolkits