The Elland Academy secures Thrive Ambassador Award

The Elland Academy has been named as a Thrive Ambassador School for the role it plays in supporting the wellbeing of its pupils. It has been named as an Ambassador School with Excellence in the Environment after going through a rigorous assessment process with Thrive®, an organisation which trains teachers and other education professionals to support the emotional and social development of children and young people.

The Environment award recognises extraordinary schools which are making a positive impact on their pupils and on the wider community, by having a focus on emotional health and creating an environment in which children’s wellbeing thrives.

All pupils are assessed at the start of their placement and an individual learning plan is put into place aimed at providing therapeutic interventions and building good relations between the school and family members so that the young person can become emotionally ready to re-engage with learning. The academy has several wellbeing and sensory areas available to support pupils to reset and regulate during the school day as well as a drama therapist and four Thrive Licensed Practitioners®.

Thrive’s Ambassador Schools scheme was launched as a way of recognising excellence in the way schools use Thrive® to promote positive mental wellbeing. There are five areas in which a school can evidence how they 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, the school was visited by Thrive® staff to observe and 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.