New grants to boost pupil mental health at five schools in Sheffield

The grants, worth £13,550, will be used to train practitioners in the Thrive approach to youth mental health at Astrea Academy Sheffield, Hartley Brook, Greengate Lane, Byron Wood and Lower Meadow.

Thrive is a dynamic, developmental and trauma-sensitive approach designed to meet the emotional and social needs of children.

It promotes children’s and young people’s positive mental health by helping adults know how to respond to changed and sometimes distressed behaviour.

Based on established neuroscience, attachment theory and child development, it provides training, online profiling and action planning tools to equip schools with the knowledge, insights and resources to develop relationships with young people that help them learn and flourish.

Each of the schools will now be able to train their own Thrive practitioner, who will receive expert training in promoting pupils’ mental wellbeing – including knowledge and skills in supporting children who may have experienced interruptions in their learning from early childhood, fear, anger, loss, change, separation or bereavement.

Naomi Reed, specialist leader of behaviour and special educational needs and disabilities, said: “We are grateful to our funders for supporting the mental health and emotional needs of our children, ensuring our schools are delivering the best levels of support during these unprecedented times.

“As well as providing their own direct support to pupils, our new practitioners will use their skills, knowledge and expertise to champion a whole-school approach to Thrive, ensuring all staff are equipped to meet the social and emotional wellbeing of our children and their families.”

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