The Thrive Ambassador School Scheme recognises Somerset primary pledge

A North Somerset primary school has been named as a Thrive Ambassador School for the role it plays in supporting the wellbeing of its pupils in order to prevent mental health issues.

St Andrew’s Primary School, in Congresbury, near Bristol, has been named as an Ambassador School with Excellence in Relationship after going through a rigorous assessment process with Thrive®, which trains teachers and other education professionals to support the emotional and social development of all children. The Relationship award recognises schools which forge a strong connection between staff and pupils, creating a firm foundation for learning. Earlier this year, the school was previously named as an Ambassador School with Excellence in Reparative, an award which recognises schools that have excelled in helping children who have gaps in their social and emotional development and have successfully met their needs.

Headteacher Fran Martin said: “We are really proud of this achievement. As a school, we are continuing to enhance parental involvement on our Thrive journey and are looking forward to running Family Thrive sessions to support carers and families. We believe that making connections and embedding relationships is key to children’s mental wellbeing and we have established good practice here at school such as meet and greets at the classroom door, adults sharing ‘keeping in mind’ objects and a ‘gate crew’ who meet our pupils and their parents with a welcoming greeting every morning on their entrance to school.”

The Thrive Ambassador Schools scheme has been launched as a way of recognising excellence in member schools. There are five areas in which school can evidence how they use Thrive to support children’s social and emotional development: Environment, Leadership, Right-time, Reparative and Relationship, with a special Ambassador School of Excellence Award for schools that achieve the highest standard across all five categories.

As well as submitting an in-depth application form, Thrive staff met with the school, in line with coronavirus restrictions, to assess the way that teachers and other staff implement the Thrive Approach® to help build the emotional resilience of children, so that they can better manage the ups and downs of life and be more open to learning.

“St Andrew’s is a primary school that has put the mental wellbeing of its pupils at the heart of everything it does. Staff there have worked incredibly hard to embed the Thrive Approach and to create a whole-school culture of wellbeing that means pupils feel calm, emotionally-regulated and ready to learn so that children are ready to engage with life and with learning,” said Rose Webb, Thrive Relationship Manager for the South West

Over to you

Are you leading the way in developing happy, emotionally-resilient children or young people? Are you feeling the impact of embedding the Thrive Approach throughout your setting? You too may be eligible for Thrive Ambassador School status. Click here to find out how to apply.