The Thrive Approach At Norbridge Academy:
Thrive is a systematic approach we have adopted to support the early identification of emotional developmental need in children, so that differentiated provision can be put in place quickly to support the individual child’s development needs. It is preventative, reparative, pragmatic and easy to use. We seek to support children’s ability to develop with emotional resilience, independence and confidence.
We are clear that children will have barriers to learning if these needs are not met and therefore this is a priority in terms of the provision for our pupils. We place high worth on this provision, due to the impact that it has had.
Pupils are identified either through a whole-class or individual assessment, and this could lead to identifying a personal target or it may identify whole-class needs, which can be addressed through whole-class provision. If a personal target is identified, then children will be able to receive support through either a small group or 1-2-1 session, depending on the assessment of need.
At Norbridge Academy, we have a licensed Thrive Practitioner who support pupils who have development targets.
Thrive Practitioner: Mrs S Townsend
Thrive Room:
We have a dedicated space to provide a resources area to support our children who are receiving Thrive support.
What is PACE? (playful, acceptance, curious, empathy)
PACE is a way of thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving that aims to make the child feel safe. It is based upon how parents connect with their very young infants. As with young toddlers, with safety the child can begin to explore.
What are VRF’s? (validate, attune, contain, regulate – soothe calm and stimulate the child back to social engagement)
Vital Relational Functions are the tools used in Thrive to address a child’s emotional state during a crisis.
Attune: This is where you are alert to how they are feeling. You demonstrate that you understand the intensity, pitch, pace, volume, expansiveness or special experience of the child’s emotional state.
Validate: This is where you are alert to the child’s experience. This needs to happen before you move to help them regulate it. This is the beginning of being able to think about feelings.
Containment: This is where you demonstrate that you understand the pitch, intensity, quality of their feeling or mood and that you can bear it. This is where you show that you can take their deep distress, raging anger or painful sorrow and make it a survivable experience. Catch it, match it and digest it by thinking about it and offering it back, named, in small digestible pieces. This builds trust for the child: in you, in adults and in the world.
Soothe, calm, and stimulate: This is where you must be alert to how they are feeling and demonstrate emotional regulation by soothing and calming their distress. Catch it, match it and help the child to regulate the feeling up or down. They need to experience being calmed before they can do it for themselves.
Our academy has a dedicated Thrive room that provides children who require Thrive interventions a safe space to communicate their emotions and feelings, through many different mediums such as, verbal interaction, creative arts, drama, sand/water play, strategic games, story telling and many more.
We are also lucky to have a sensory room devoted to providing children a calm and tranquil environment that lets them explore there senses through touch, sound, visuals and the option to include taste and smell sensory activities based on the individual child’s needs.