On Track Barnstaple
“Thrive underpins the success
of our school”
On Track Barnstaple is an independent school providing specialist education for young people with a range of educational needs, including autism, ADHD, behavioural issues and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Many pupils have experienced unsuccessful school placements and struggle to see a future for themselves. With the help of Thrive, On Track has grown into a calm, caring school where pupils feel safe, valued and empowered to be themselves.
The Context
On Track Barnstaple offers a bespoke curriculum and personalised learning experience for every pupil.
The school’s mission is to ensure every young person has the opportunity to succeed and gain the skills they need to progress to the next phase of their lives.
- Location: Devon
- Pupils: 55 (ages 7–18)
- Thrive introduced: 2019
- Licensed Practitioners: 5
Why Thrive?
Deputy Headteacher Lucy Basey-Fisher had seen the impact of Thrive in a previous setting and was confident it would support On Track’s pupils.
Built on neuroscience, attachment theory and child development research, Thrive gave staff a clear way to understand pupils’ needs and support them through secure relationships and positive experiences.
Thrive-Online was also important. It enables staff to identify areas of pupils’ social and emotional development that need extra support, create action plans and monitor progress over time.
PERSONALISED SUPPORT FOR EVERY PUPIL
How Thrive was implemented
Every pupil at On Track has a bespoke, individually planned programme to support their emotional development.
- Each programme is implemented by the pupil’s key worker.
- Staff use Thrive to respond to individual needs and deliver learning in a way that works for each pupil.
- Thrive helps young people understand why they may react to certain situations in particular ways.
- Staff support pupils to find more socially appropriate ways of expressing their emotions.
- Thrive-Online data is shared with the leadership team each term. This data is used alongside attendance information to identify pupils who may need extra support, including interventions such as play therapy.
Thrive has helped us to achieve a calm, caring environment, where all of our pupils feel valued and have an opportunity to thrive at being themselves.
Lucy Basey-Fisher
Deputy Headteacher, On Track Barnstaple
A CALM ENVIRONMENT
Helping pupils feel safe and valued
Thrive has helped On Track develop a calm, caring environment where pupils feel valued and have the opportunity to be themselves.
Lucy says this has been central to the school’s growth: “We started with a handful of pupils and now have up to 62 young people on roll. Our pupil surveys show that they feel safe and like coming to school, which is so important to us.”
Pupil surveys are a key marker of success for the team, showing that young people feel safe and enjoy being in school.
Exclusions are very rare, and pupils are receiving fewer behaviour reports as a result of the positive relationships built between staff and pupils.
Impact on behaviour and engagement
The impact of Thrive can be seen in both whole-school culture and individual pupil progress.
One pupil went from 44 behaviour reports in one half term to eight in the next.
For Lucy, this reflects the difference a whole-school relational approach can make. Thrive enables staff to support the learner as a whole, ensuring personal development and helping children become ready to learn.
She says the whole-school approach, including Family Thrive, positively impacts “not only the students within the school, but also families, school staff and the wider community.”
a culture of care
Supporting pupils and staff
Thrive has become part of the culture at On Track Barnstaple, shaping how staff support both pupils and each other.
The Approach helps the team respond to challenging situations with consistency, empathy and curiosity, while keeping each young person’s individual needs at the centre. It also gives staff a shared framework to draw on, helping them feel supported as they work with pupils who may have experienced significant barriers to learning.
A colleague at On Track describes the difference this makes across the school community: “I feel truly blessed to be working in a school where Thrive has been proven to really make a difference to our young people and staff. We strive to cater for the wonderful uniqueness of each student and support our colleagues along the way. Thrive continues to prove a positive approach to some really challenging situations.”
thrive school of excellence
Recognition
On Track Barnstaple has been awarded Thrive School of Excellence, the highest level in Thrive’s Ambassador School scheme, recognising its work in supporting mental health and wellbeing.
Thrive has evolved to be a whole school approach in all that we do, securing the best outcomes for learners in their time with us.
Lucy Basey-Fisher
Deputy Headteacher, On Track Barnstaple
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