What is a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing?
A whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing involves embedding emotional wellbeing at every level of school life, from leadership to curriculum design and staff development. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, schools can help remove barriers to learning, improve student behaviour, and enhance attendance and attainment.
This approach, supported by the government’s eight principles for promoting mental health in education, encourages collaboration between pupils, staff, parents, and external services, ensuring that wellbeing is integral to every aspect of school life. Thrive’s whole school framework aligns with these principles, offering the tools and training needed to build emotional resilience and achieve positive, long-lasting outcomes.
Our 5 steps to a whole school approach
By embedding a whole school approach across the school community, we equip young people with the emotional resilience they need to thrive both academically and personally.
Discover the impact of a whole school approach
For the senior leaders and classroom staff at over 2,800 settings, the Thrive Approach is reducing exclusions, boosting attendance and improving behaviour. But don’t just take our word for it – dive into our case studies and hear from the inspiring educators transforming lives through a whole school approach to wellbeing.
Why creating special relationships is key to everything at Cullompton Pre-School
"Children can come into our busy setting feeling quite overwhelmed and unsettled and the Thrive Approach is the quickest way to help them move past that."
‘Our children say how they feel so we can resolve problems before they occur’
Read how the Thrive Approach has helped this London school to occupy a unique place at the heart of its community.
South Green Junior School saves money on staffing and interventions
Discover how Thrive has enabled staff to identify and support ‘invisible’ children, removed barriers to improve attainment, and saved the school time and money on interventions.
.jpg)
How Fortis Academy's KS3 roll-out boosted resilience and pupils' potential
Discover the ‘life-changing’ training experienced by the staff at Fortis Academy, how non-attenders are now happy to come to school, and why parents love what Thrive has done for their children.
College for disabled young people shares the benefits of Thrive
In this short video, Co-Founder and Head of Service at Transition 2, Janine Cherrington, shares how Thrive is being used to support young people with severe learning difficulties, autism and complex needs.
.jpg)
How emotional regulation helped to unlock our students' attainment
In this 2 minute video case study, Ruth Minhall, Executive Head of Tuition Extra, explains how embedding Thrive has helped it to remove barriers to students' learning, resulting in a 95% pass rate for GCSEs.
Frequently Asked Questions
A whole school approach is most effective when it is championed and role modelled by the leadership team from the top down.
The Department for Education is encouraging schools and colleges to identify a Senior Mental Health Lead who is responsible for overseeing their setting’s whole school or college approach.
Thrive offers DfE quality-assured training for Senior Mental Health Leads which is fully funded for schools and colleges in England.
A whole school approach is key to fostering an environment where every pupil’s mental health and wellbeing are prioritised. By embedding emotional wellbeing into all aspects of school life, we create a foundation that enhances behaviour, attendance, and overall learning outcomes. Research into the Thrive Approach shows that this isn't just about individual benefits—it's about societal impact too. For every £1 invested in Thrive, between £7.07 and £9.06 of social value is generated, proving that supporting young people's wellbeing is a powerful investment in our future.
Download 'The seven reasons to embrace Thrive' for more information.
The government's 8 principles include leadership and management, curriculum teaching, enabling pupil voice, staff development, identifying needs, working with parents, targeted support, and creating an inclusive, respectful ethos. These evidence-based principles ensure a holistic approach to emotional wellbeing, where everyone in the school community is involved in supporting positive mental health.
A whole school approach encourages the development of strong emotional and social skills, which can lead to better self-regulation and conflict resolution among pupils. By addressing the underlying causes of behavioural issues—such as unmet emotional needs—schools can create a calmer, more respectful learning environments.
Get started
If you're ready to take the next step or need help deciding if our service is a fit, schedule a Discovery Call with one of our experts or get in touch to request further information.