Thrive is a systematic approach to the early identification of emotional developmental need in children and young people so that appropriate provision can be put in place quickly. By addressing the emotional developmental interruptions we can help to build or restore resilience and resourcefulness, decreases the risk of mental illness, reinvigorates the learning process and helps those children who are at risk of underachieving.  

Our children come to school to get an education that will equip them for life and many do very well, but for some life has already proven to be challenging and unsupportive which will stand in the way of what schools provide. Their earlier experiences may not have equipped them with a stress-regulation system that enables them to settle, to feel safe, to concentrate, to be curious or even to be willing to work alongside their peers. Current neuroscience shows us that their emotional regulation and stress-regulation system have not yet been sufficiently developed. It is here where we identify the missing building blocks and begin to rebuild.  

Thrive uses a scientific developmental framework to clarify the connections between emotional and social development, behaviour and learning. Within the framework, child development is depicted as six strands of experience, each with accompanying task and opportunities. These experiences translate into six fundamental aspects of learning for emotional and social development: Learning to be, Learning to do, Learning to think, learning to be powerful and to have an identity, learning to be skilful and have structure and learning to be independent.

Thrive was created by a multi-agency team, consisting of two former head teachers/advisers/ OFSTED inspectors, social worker/trainer and a family therapist/foster and adoption specialist, who have worked with staff in education and care settings since 1994 collectively to develop this approach and in February 2017 more than 300,000 children and young people across the UK were benefiting from the Thrive approach.