At James Brindley Academy the emotional wellbeing of our pupils is at the heart of everything we do.  We began our Thrive journey in 2019 when we learnt about its trauma-informed approach that targets the social and emotional development of children and young people.  We understand that the pupils at James Brindley Academy have a vast range of experiences and individual needs that may have impacted their emotional development, and The Thrive Approach allows us to identify these gaps so that we can build on the key skills of resilience, independence, and self-confidence for the next stage of their educational journey. 

Underpinning this approach are the strong relationships we build with our pupils and our understanding of their learning and emotional needs.  Our staff use the principles of The Thrive Approach to create environments where our pupils can feel safe, engage with learning and use their voices within the James Brindley community.   We have also trained our staff to understand the neuroscience behind adolescent emotional development and the impact of trauma on the brain.  We understand that all behaviour is a communication of social and emotional needs that require attention in the moment from an adult who is ready to respond with curiosity and compassion.

We deliver cycles of Thrive Practitioner training to put in place specialists across The Academy.   These Thrive Practitioners are able to deliver one-to-one sessions that are personalised to the individual needs, for those who need a higher level of emotional development support. 

Thrive Practitioners

Parkway: Lucy Kimberley, Emma Richter-Harvey.

Northfield: Julia Smith, Ayanna Flash, Wayne Graystone, Holly Mason.

Dovedale: Charmaine Parry, Sammy-Jo Lowe, Emma-Lee Thomason, Kathryn Barton.

BCH & Hospitals: Sarah Reid, Lucy Horton, Zoe Ransom, Ben Bray.

Willows: Lisa Valentini, Sarah Maybeck.

STP: Lucy Castrell, Kate Newsome.

Ardenleigh: Sarah Faliveno.