On Track Barnstaple, part of the On Track Education group, is an independent school providing specialist education for pupils aged 7 to 18. Supporting young people with a range of educational needs, including autism, ADHD, behavioural issues and social, emotional and mental health needs, On Track offers a bespoke curriculum and personalised learning experience for every pupil.
Many of the young people at On Track have experienced unsuccessful school placements and struggle to see a future for themselves. However, On Track’s mission is to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to succeed and gain the skills they need to progress to the next phase of their lives. With the help of Thrive, On Track has grown into a calm, caring school where all pupils feel safe, valued and empowered to be themselves.
The key to unlocking potential
Having experienced the impact of Thrive in a previous setting, and impressed by the evidence and theory underpinning the Approach, Deputy Headteacher, Lucy Basey-Fisher, felt confident Thrive was the right choice for On Track’s pupils.
Built on a foundation of neuroscience, attachment theory and child development research, the Thrive Approach focuses on building secure relationships and providing positive experiences that help pupils to feel safe, supported and ready to learn.
Thrive’s assessment, action-planning and progress monitoring tool, Thrive-Online, also enables staff to identify areas of pupils’ social and emotional development that require extra support. This systematic approach ensures the team can identify gaps in learning and put targeted provision in place quickly.
At On Track, every pupil has a bespoke, individually planned programme designed to support their emotional development, which is implemented by their key worker. This means staff can address the specific learning needs of each pupil and deliver lessons in a style that suits them.
Drawing on the science that underpins the Thrive Approach, staff are able to help young people to understand why they may react to certain situations in the way they do and support them to find more socially appropriate ways of expressing their emotions.
Thrive-Online data is shared with the leadership team termly and case studies demonstrate progress. The data is also used alongside attendance statistics to identify pupils who may need extra support through additional interventions, such as play therapy.
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Since implementing the Thrive Approach, On Track has trained six Thrive Licensed Practitioners. This team of practitioners regularly share their knowledge with colleagues, and staff quickly buy into the relational approach, seeing first-hand how it benefits the young people they’re working with. New staff are introduced to Thrive from the get-go and qualities that align with the Approach are highly sought after when recruiting new team members.
“Thrive underpins the success of our school”
When asked about the biggest difference Thrive has made at On Track, Lucy said: “Thrive underpins the success of our school. We started with a handful of pupils and now have up to 62 young people on roll. Our pupil surveys show that they feel safe and like coming to school which is so important to us. Thrive has helped us to achieve a calm, caring environment, where all of our pupils feel valued and have an opportunity to thrive at being themselves.”
Exclusions at the school are very rare and pupils are receiving fewer behaviour reports as a result of the positive relationships built between the On Track team and their pupils. One pupil went from 44 behaviour reports in one half term, to 8 in the next.
Lucy also shared what she would say to those on the fence about introducing Thrive. “Absolutely do it. It will, quite frankly, change lives.”, she said. “The whole school approach, including Family Thrive will positively impact not only the students within the school, but also families, school staff and the wider community. It enables education practitioners to be able to support the learner as a whole, ensuring personal development, and it prepares children to be ready to learn. Thrive has evolved to be a whole school approach in all that we do, securing the best outcomes for learners in their time with us”, she added.
Thrive School of Excellence
To recognise the extraordinary impact On Track is having on its pupils, and the wider community, the school has been named as a Thrive School of Excellence. The award is the highest level of achievement in Thrive’s Ambassador Schools scheme, which shines a light on settings showcasing outstanding mental health and wellbeing support.
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“We feel very proud to become a Thrive School of Excellence as we believe it demonstrates our commitment to ensuring relational and evidence based practice is at the centre of what we do. We have been committed to adopting the Thrive Approach since day one but have been able to develop what we do year on year through expanding our team of Thrive practitioners. Our Headteacher and SLT fully endorse Thrive which means it is recognised as being as important as academic learning in school”, said Lucy.
A colleague at On Track also added, “I feel truly blessed to be working in a school where Thrive has been proven to really make a difference to our young people and staff. We strive to cater for the wonderful uniqueness of each student and support our colleagues along the way. Thrive continues to prove a positive approach to some really challenging situations”.
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