Regional Managers
Lee Prichard
Head of UK Regional Development
Jen Norris
Head of New Market Development
Jen started her career as a Teacher after qualifying from Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent and has since held senior positions in the Education, Health and Social Work Sectors. Jen has worked in a number of Schools across England and Australia, teaching and creating positive, stimulating learning environments for her children. Jen quickly found her passion for working with vulnerable children and worked alongside families and child protection services to improve attendance and educational outcomes for children and young people in her School (Jen really wishes she knew about the Thrive Approach during this time!).
In 2008, Jen decided to fuel her passion for working with vulnerable people in the Community and became the Operations Manager for a social-purpose organisation in Australia, providing support services for; children in foster care, children and adults recovering from mental illness, counselling for survivors of domestic and family violence and support provisions for people with disability. Jen managed a team of social workers, psychologists and practitioners to deliver high quality support, specialising in complex trauma and the impact of abuse and neglect on brain development, these services were aimed at increasing resilience and the overall social and emotional wellbeing for vulnerable people.
Having returned to the UK to be closer to family and friends, Jen is thrilled to be working for Thrive as the Head of Sector for the South of England and is committed to closing the gap for vulnerable children and young people, enabling them to engage with life and learning.
Joey Bowers
Relationship Manager (Wales)
Joey has worked with children and young people for over 14 years, starting in youth work, and then gaining a degree in Early Years Education and working as a Teaching Assistant, Humanities Teacher, Head of Department and Head of Year in Secondary schools.
He is also an experienced foster carer and is passionate about how we help Looked After Children access and thrive in education.
Joey joined the Thrive team in September 2018.
Pam Carpenter
Relationship Manager (Central East and North Central)
After gaining a Bed (Hons) specialising in Primary Science, Pam has spent 22 years teaching in Primary Schools across Warwickshire, Solihull and Coventry. She has a real love of learning and has taught children from Nursery through to Year Six. During her teaching career, she has had roles as a middle leader, Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and most recently a Head Teacher.
Whilst in leadership positions, Pam has taken lead roles in the development of Teaching and Learning through mentoring and coaching, enjoying supporting others to reflect and develop their own practice to best inspire and support the children in their care. Pam is passionate about the importance of a rich and balanced curriculum where children can explore and build upon their talents and develop resilience when facing new challenges and experiences. As a Deputy Headteacher, Pam was instrumental in designing a bespoke curriculum that was engaging, relevant and purposeful for children, and created projects for children, parents and carers to have fun and learn together.
Throughout all of Pam’s career, she has been truly invested in developing the whole child. She has always shown a keen interest in how to best provide the pastoral support and care that children need within a Primary setting in, and how developing strong relationships with children are key to putting children in the best possible position to learn. In 2016, Pam became a Licensed Thrive Practitioner, which she describes as being ‘the missing piece of the jigsaw’. She is fascinated by the neuroscience and physiology, and how the Thrive Approach uses up-to-date research to really make a difference with all of our children. She has successfully introduced and implemented Thrive as a Senior Leader and was thrilled to become a Thrive trainer in 2018. Pam is very proud to become part of the Thrive team as the Relationship Manager in the Central (East) region.
Diane Curtis
Relationship Manager (South East)
Diane began her career in education in 1999. She has worked in Secondary and Primary phases supporting many children and young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, emotional difficulties and highly challenging behaviour. Diane gained HLTA status and went on to hold positions as Deputy to the SENCo/Inclusion Manager, Safeguarding Deputy, Pupil and Family Support and Parent Information Contact. Diane has always been passionate about working in a holistic way to support children, parents and carers with emotional needs and wellbeing.
Diane also held a role for five years at local authority level, as Assistant to Support Staff Adviser, this role included delivering the TDA Teaching Assistant Induction training module on Role & Context, devising and delivering an NQT induction module on Working with Additional Adults in the Classroom and was a member of the East Sussex HLTA selection panel and ran HLTA network meetings.
Diane first heard about Thrive in 2012 at an awareness session and felt immediately that all of her experiences had led her to this point, she completed her Thrive Primary Practitioner training in June 2012 and had a key role in embedding and developing Thrive in the school. She is passionate about Thrive and has seen some amazing developmental journeys using the Thrive Approach with children and families.
Diane was delighted to join the Thrive team in 2016, she is passionate about supporting others to develop their skills as Thrive Practitioners and ensuring schools and services are able to embed the Thrive Approach to improve life chances for children and young people.
Alistair Dewar
Relationship Manager (London)
Alistair worked in schools for 10 years. He completed his degree in Education and Music and then Primary Education PGCE. He has also completed the National SENCO Award.
His first post was as a class teacher with a mainstream primary school with a unit for hearing impairment which is where he developed an interest in supporting with additional needs.
After this, he took up the role of teacher in charge of an enhanced provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs at an Essex County Council provision called GROW.
Before joining Thrive in February 2020, Ali was the Inclusion Leader and SENCO at a primary school which had previously been two schools that had both been placed in Special Measures by Ofsted. He was part of the team which made rapid improvements and therefore the school was rated Good with Outstanding leadership by Ofsted after just 3 years. Alistair led the use of the Thrive Approach to improve behaviour at this school whilst also reducing exclusions and then helped 12 schools in Academy Trust to introduce the Thrive Approach at a Thrive Trainer.
Alistair, therefore, knows the difference that using the Thrive Approach makes to the lives of children and so is passionate about helping schools to introduce the Thrive Approach in their setting.
Melanie Fisher
Relationship Manager (East)
Mel has been working with children for over 25 years. She started in a village primary school supporting a child with Downs Syndrome on a 1-1 basis. This led to a job in a special school working with children who had complex needs including ASD and challenging behaviour. Working with children with ASD became a passion and the focus of the next few years. This time included working at a specialist residential setting in Norfolk now known as Acorn Park.
Feeling the need to return to a mainstream setting, Mel became a member of the Behavioural and Emotional Support Team known as BEST at a middle school in Suffolk. Here she enjoyed supporting children who were struggling to engage with learning and took this experience to a school in Norwich before working at a Specialist Resource Base for children with SEMH where her journey with Thrive began. Thrive Training commenced in 2012 and she became a licensed practitioner. Loving this role and wanting to take it to the next stage she completed the training to become a Thrive Trainer in 2018 and then was thrilled to be appointed to the role of Relationship Manager.
Having supported many schools, children and families in Norfolk throughout the SRB Outreach service, she is excited to be taking these relationships to the next stage across the East of England.
Kay Hamilton
Relationship Manager (Central West)
After gaining a Bsc Hons Biology, Kay went on to gain Qualified Teacher status after completing her PGCE. Working in a large secondary school, she found herself drawn to pupils that required additional support. In 2002 Kay took up the post of SENO and designated lead for LAC. Kay’s curiosity and interest in the underlying causes of behaviour took hold and led her to a post as a Specialist Behaviour Teacher for the Behaviour Support Service; both teaching in a Pupil Referral Unit and carrying out behaviour support across Worcestershire schools. Kay was later seconded within the LA to set up and run a small unit to provide behaviour support to mainstream pupils at risk of exclusion.
Kay continued to follow her love of neuroscience, in particular her understanding of attachment and developmental trauma, and she moved on to be Assistant Head and SENCO, then laterly Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit. In 2006, following an outstanding ofsted, she was placed on the National Register for Outstanding Leaders in Education, gaining a second ofsted Outstanding judgement in 2009. Following the Merge of two Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) Kay went on to be Deputy head and then headteacher of a KS3 /4 PRU in special measures. Kay has been a designated Senco, safeguarding and LAC lead throughout most of her career. She had also been a governor of a primary PRU setting for over 10 years.
It was in 2013 Kay embarked on her Thrive journey. For Kay this was a perfect marriage of her two passions; neuroscience and art! She was keen to implement Thrive into her setting which was instrumental in supporting the whole school community and bringing about rapid change in the school culture and ethos. After gaining her Thrive Practitioner Licence, Kay embarked on her journey to become a Thrive Trainer in 2015. Kay decided to return to mainstream as a Licenced Practitioner whilst also working as an Educational Consultant for social, emotional and mental health.
Kay is very excited to join the Thrive team and to continues to support both schools and pupils within her new role.
Jon Jones
Relationship Manager (North West and North East)
Jon has worked with children and young people in a number of settings, including education, health and sport, with a particular focus on the mental health of children and young people.
Jon has worked in higher education, local authority and for a football club foundation establishing partnerships, managing programmes and leading the delivery of projects to children and young people to improve their social and emotional health. Whilst working with children and young people from socially disadvantaged areas, Jon witnessed first-hand the positive impact that trusting relationships between adults and children and young people could have on their mental health. This is what attracted Jon to Thrive Approach, and how it enables strong relationships with children to be formed placing them in the best possible position to learn, with proven outcomes for all.
Jon joined Thrive in February 2020 and is delighted to be working as Relationship Manager (North West and North East) to help others support the social and emotional development of children and young people.
Dani Lawson
Relationship Manager
Dani has worked in schools for the past nine years since completing her degree in Childhood & Youth Studies and Social Psychology.
Specialising in early years education she spent the first six years as a nursery nurse at Doncaster Road Primary School where she also became a staff governor and active member of the personnel committee.
In 2012 she successfully completed the Thrive Licensed Practitioner training and became one of the lead Thrive Practitioners at the school, where Thrive was one of the core tools used to support the school moving out of Special Measures.
To further her skills Dani successfully completed the Thrive Action Plan Mentor course and went on to train as a Thrive Trainer.
Dani was delighted to join the team in September 2015 and now undertakes the role of Relationship Manager. She continues to share her experience and knowledge with other professionals to develop their Thrive practice and support children.
Dominique Sagar
Relationship Manager (Yorkshire and Humberside)
Dominique has been working with children for 18 years, firstly as a swimming teacher, then progressing onto working in a school as a teaching assistant supporting children on a 1-1 basis with Social and Emotional difficulties. It was here that she discovered her passion for working with challenging children.
Dominique then moved on to Doncaster Road Primary School as the behaviour support worker where she later commenced Thrive training in 2012 and successfully became a Thrive Practitioner. This in turn lead to her becoming one of the lead Thrive Practitioners in the school and playing a vital role in supporting the school out of special measures.
Dominique then went on to complete the Thrive action plan mentor course and then became a Thrive Trainer. She has already supported many schools and professionals in embedding Thrive into their own settings, and feels privileged to have done so.
She is now in the next chapter in her Thrive journey as she has become a Relationship Manager for the North and Central England.
Rose Webb
Relationship Manager (South West)
Rose began her career in Education as a Secondary Teacher of Religious Education, PSHE and Drama. Rose became curious about why some young people could access the classroom environment with greater ease than others and through adapting her approach, soon discovered the power of experiential learning, creativity and connected, purposeful relationships.
Rose was keen to gain greater experience in SEN and became a support teacher for young people with social and emotional difficulties alongside undertaking some in school SENCO experience. Rose quickly observed the transformative effect of securely building a trusting relationship with pupils who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences and her passion for nurturing intervention work grew.
Rose moved into Pastoral Leadership and Whole School development of emotionally intelligent approaches for optimal social and emotional development and well-being. Rose joined the schools Extended Leadership Team and became a Staff Governor, focussing on Safeguarding, Attendance and Well-Being, working towards improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
In 2016 Rose became a Thrive Practitioner and lead the implementation of Thrive in her setting. Rose became a Thrive Trainer in 2017, driven by a strong passion for the Thrive Approach and supporting delegates embarking on their own Thrive journey.
Rose was delighted to be appointed South West Relationship Manager and looks forward to working alongside schools in her region.
Trainers
Lee Prichard
Head of UK Regional Development
Lee has been a teacher for 20 years in schools across England and Wales. During that time, she held the positions of SENCO, Leader for Learning, Foundation Phase Leader and, for the last eight years, Behaviour Support Coordinator for a local authority.
In addition to her practical experience in education, Lee has a BA Hons QTS in English Literature and Media, as well as a BSc Hons in Social Policy and Social Sciences. This combination of practical and academic experience gives her a broad understanding and knowledge of the complex issues that families face.
In 2014, Lee was part of the first cohort of Thrive Licensed Practitioners to train in Wales. Putting Thrive into practice with pupils, families and schools, she was amazed by the powerful impact that it had and decided to train as a trainer as a result. In February 2016, she gained her licence as a Thrive Trainer and, in May 2016, was delighted to join the Thrive team as Regional Development Co-ordinator for Wales. Lee has recently taken on the role of Head of Sector and she hopes to continue the work of improving outcomes and life chances for all.
Joey Bowers
Relationship Manager (Wales)
Joey has worked with children and young people for over 14 years, starting in youth work, and then gaining a degree in Early Years Education and working as a Teaching Assistant, Humanities Teacher, Head of Department and Head of Year in Secondary schools.
He is also an experienced foster carer and is passionate about how we help Looked After Children access and thrive in education.
Joey joined the Thrive team in September 2018.
Pam Carpenter
Relationship Manager (Central East and North Central)
After gaining a Bed (Hons) specialising in Primary Science, Pam has spent 22 years teaching in Primary Schools across Warwickshire, Solihull and Coventry. She has a real love of learning and has taught children from Nursery through to Year Six. During her teaching career, she has had roles as a middle leader, Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and most recently a Head Teacher.
Whilst in leadership positions, Pam has taken lead roles in the development of Teaching and Learning through mentoring and coaching, enjoying supporting others to reflect and develop their own practice to best inspire and support the children in their care. Pam is passionate about the importance of a rich and balanced curriculum where children can explore and build upon their talents and develop resilience when facing new challenges and experiences. As a Deputy Headteacher, Pam was instrumental in designing a bespoke curriculum that was engaging, relevant and purposeful for children, and created projects for children, parents and carers to have fun and learn together.
Throughout all of Pam’s career, she has been truly invested in developing the whole child. She has always shown a keen interest in how to best provide the pastoral support and care that children need within a Primary setting in, and how developing strong relationships with children are key to putting children in the best possible position to learn. In 2016, Pam became a Licensed Thrive Practitioner, which she describes as being ‘the missing piece of the jigsaw’. She is fascinated by the neuroscience and physiology, and how the Thrive Approach uses up-to-date research to really make a difference with all of our children. She has successfully introduced and implemented Thrive as a Senior Leader and was thrilled to become a Thrive trainer in 2018. Pam is very proud to become part of the Thrive team as the Relationship Manager in the Central (East) region.
Diane Curtis
Relationship Manager (South East)
Diane began her career in education in 1999. She has worked in Secondary and Primary phases supporting many children and young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, emotional difficulties and highly challenging behaviour. Diane gained HLTA status and went on to hold positions as Deputy to the SENCo/Inclusion Manager, Safeguarding Deputy, Pupil and Family Support and Parent Information Contact. Diane has always been passionate about working in a holistic way to support children, parents and carers with emotional needs and wellbeing.
Diane also held a role for five years at local authority level, as Assistant to Support Staff Adviser, this role included delivering the TDA Teaching Assistant Induction training module on Role & Context, devising and delivering an NQT induction module on Working with Additional Adults in the Classroom and was a member of the East Sussex HLTA selection panel and ran HLTA network meetings.
Diane first heard about Thrive in 2012 at an awareness session and felt immediately that all of her experiences had led her to this point, she completed her Thrive Primary Practitioner training in June 2012 and had a key role in embedding and developing Thrive in the school. She is passionate about Thrive and has seen some amazing developmental journeys using the Thrive Approach with children and families.
Diane was delighted to join the Thrive team in 2016, she is passionate about supporting others to develop their skills as Thrive Practitioners and ensuring schools and services are able to embed the Thrive Approach to improve life chances for children and young people.
Alistair Dewar
Relationship Manager (London)
Alistair worked in schools for 10 years. He completed his degree in Education and Music and then Primary Education PGCE. He has also completed the National SENCO Award.
His first post was as a class teacher with a mainstream primary school with a unit for hearing impairment which is where he developed an interest in supporting with additional needs.
After this, he took up the role of teacher in charge of an enhanced provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs at an Essex County Council provision called GROW.
Before joining Thrive in February 2020, Ali was the Inclusion Leader and SENCO at a primary school which had previously been two schools that had both been placed in Special Measures by Ofsted. He was part of the team which made rapid improvements and therefore the school was rated Good with Outstanding leadership by Ofsted after just 3 years. Alistair led the use of the Thrive Approach to improve behaviour at this school whilst also reducing exclusions and then helped 12 schools in Academy Trust to introduce the Thrive Approach at a Thrive Trainer.
Alistair, therefore, knows the difference that using the Thrive Approach makes to the lives of children and so is passionate about helping schools to introduce the Thrive Approach in their setting.
Melanie Fisher
Relationship Manager (East)
Mel has been working with children for over 25 years. She started in a village primary school supporting a child with Downs Syndrome on a 1-1 basis. This led to a job in a special school working with children who had complex needs including ASD and challenging behaviour. Working with children with ASD became a passion and the focus of the next few years. This time included working at a specialist residential setting in Norfolk now known as Acorn Park.
Feeling the need to return to a mainstream setting, Mel became a member of the Behavioural and Emotional Support Team known as BEST at a middle school in Suffolk. Here she enjoyed supporting children who were struggling to engage with learning and took this experience to a school in Norwich before working at a Specialist Resource Base for children with SEMH where her journey with Thrive began. Thrive Training commenced in 2012 and she became a licensed practitioner. Loving this role and wanting to take it to the next stage she completed the training to become a Thrive Trainer in 2018 and then was thrilled to be appointed to the role of Relationship Manager.
Having supported many schools, children and families in Norfolk throughout the SRB Outreach service, she is excited to be taking these relationships to the next stage across the East of England.
Kay Hamilton
Relationship Manager (Central West)
After gaining a Bsc Hons Biology, Kay went on to gain Qualified Teacher status after completing her PGCE. Working in a large secondary school, she found herself drawn to pupils that required additional support. In 2002 Kay took up the post of SENO and designated lead for LAC. Kay’s curiosity and interest in the underlying causes of behaviour took hold and led her to a post as a Specialist Behaviour Teacher for the Behaviour Support Service; both teaching in a Pupil Referral Unit and carrying out behaviour support across Worcestershire schools. Kay was later seconded within the LA to set up and run a small unit to provide behaviour support to mainstream pupils at risk of exclusion.
Kay continued to follow her love of neuroscience, in particular her understanding of attachment and developmental trauma, and she moved on to be Assistant Head and SENCO, then laterly Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit. In 2006, following an outstanding ofsted, she was placed on the National Register for Outstanding Leaders in Education, gaining a second ofsted Outstanding judgement in 2009. Following the Merge of two Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) Kay went on to be Deputy head and then headteacher of a KS3 /4 PRU in special measures. Kay has been a designated Senco, safeguarding and LAC lead throughout most of her career. She had also been a governor of a primary PRU setting for over 10 years.
It was in 2013 Kay embarked on her Thrive journey. For Kay this was a perfect marriage of her two passions; neuroscience and art! She was keen to implement Thrive into her setting which was instrumental in supporting the whole school community and bringing about rapid change in the school culture and ethos. After gaining her Thrive Practitioner Licence, Kay embarked on her journey to become a Thrive Trainer in 2015. Kay decided to return to mainstream as a Licenced Practitioner whilst also working as an Educational Consultant for social, emotional and mental health.
Kay is very excited to join the Thrive team and to continues to support both schools and pupils within her new role.
Dani Lawson
Relationship Manager
Dani has worked in schools for the past nine years since completing her degree in Childhood & Youth Studies and Social Psychology.
Specialising in early years education she spent the first six years as a nursery nurse at Doncaster Road Primary School where she also became a staff governor and active member of the personnel committee.
In 2012 she successfully completed the Thrive Licensed Practitioner training and became one of the lead Thrive Practitioners at the school, where Thrive was one of the core tools used to support the school moving out of Special Measures.
To further her skills Dani successfully completed the Thrive Action Plan Mentor course and went on to train as a Thrive Trainer.
Dani was delighted to join the team in September 2015 and now undertakes the role of Relationship Manager. She continues to share her experience and knowledge with other professionals to develop their Thrive practice and support children.
Dominique Sagar
Relationship Manager (Yorkshire and Humberside)
Dominique has been working with children for 18 years, firstly as a swimming teacher, then progressing onto working in a school as a teaching assistant supporting children on a 1-1 basis with Social and Emotional difficulties. It was here that she discovered her passion for working with challenging children.
Dominique then moved on to Doncaster Road Primary School as the behaviour support worker where she later commenced Thrive training in 2012 and successfully became a Thrive Practitioner. This in turn lead to her becoming one of the lead Thrive Practitioners in the school and playing a vital role in supporting the school out of special measures.
Dominique then went on to complete the Thrive action plan mentor course and then became a Thrive Trainer. She has already supported many schools and professionals in embedding Thrive into their own settings, and feels privileged to have done so.
She is now in the next chapter in her Thrive journey as she has become a Relationship Manager for the North and Central England.
Rose Webb
Relationship Manager (South West)
Rose began her career in Education as a Secondary Teacher of Religious Education, PSHE and Drama. Rose became curious about why some young people could access the classroom environment with greater ease than others and through adapting her approach, soon discovered the power of experiential learning, creativity and connected, purposeful relationships.
Rose was keen to gain greater experience in SEN and became a support teacher for young people with social and emotional difficulties alongside undertaking some in school SENCO experience. Rose quickly observed the transformative effect of securely building a trusting relationship with pupils who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences and her passion for nurturing intervention work grew.
Rose moved into Pastoral Leadership and Whole School development of emotionally intelligent approaches for optimal social and emotional development and well-being. Rose joined the schools Extended Leadership Team and became a Staff Governor, focussing on Safeguarding, Attendance and Well-Being, working towards improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
In 2016 Rose became a Thrive Practitioner and lead the implementation of Thrive in her setting. Rose became a Thrive Trainer in 2017, driven by a strong passion for the Thrive Approach and supporting delegates embarking on their own Thrive journey.
Rose was delighted to be appointed South West Relationship Manager and looks forward to working alongside schools in her region.
Case studies
While it is important to understand the model behind The Thrive Approach, what really matters is the impact that it can have in practice for the development of an individual child or young person.
View case studiesNext steps
If you would like to discuss more about Thrive and what opportunities are currently available in your area, please click the link below or call the Thrive team direct on 01392 797555.
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