Sheep Dip Lane Academy
From firefighting behaviour to
calm classrooms
Sheep Dip Lane Academy introduced Thrive after noticing that some children were struggling to manage their emotions, which was affecting their ability to access learning. Staff wanted to move away from constantly firefighting behaviour and towards an approach that created lasting change.
By embedding Thrive across the academy, the team has placed positive relationships at the heart of school life, helping children feel safe, talk about their feelings and build the emotional skills they need to learn.
The Context
Staff at Sheep Dip Lane Academy could see that some children were finding it difficult to manage their emotions, settle and engage with learning.
The team needed a way to understand what was driving behaviour, respond earlier and help children build the skills they needed to feel safe, regulated and ready to learn.
- Location: Doncaster
- Trust: Exceed Learning Partnership
- Pupils: 241 (ages 3–11)
- FSM: 56.4%
- Thrive introduced: 2019
- Licensed Practitioners: 4
Why Thrive?
Sheep Dip introduced Thrive to better understand and support children’s social and emotional development.
Using Thrive, staff could identify children who needed additional support, understand the needs behind behaviour and respond with practical, targeted strategies.
The Approach also helped the school place positive relationships at the centre of its work, so children could build trust with adults, feel safe and develop vital social and emotional skills.
POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT THE HEART
How Thrive was implemented
The Sheep Dip team began by using Thrive-Online to understand pupils’ social and emotional needs.
- Thrive-Online was used to baseline pupils’ social and emotional skills. Staff were then able to identify children who needed extra support to reach age-related expectations.
- One-to-one and small group sessions were introduced for children who needed targeted support. Thrive Licensed Practitioners spent dedicated time building positive relationships with those children.
- As children began reintegrating into the classroom and engaging with learning, more staff were trained.
- Thrive was gradually embedded as a whole-school approach, so every child could benefit.
- All staff now receive continuing professional development on the Thrive Approach.
- One Licensed Practitioner is also a Course Leader for Family Thrive and a Thrive trainer, supporting parents, carers and colleagues across Exceed Learning Partnership.
I have become so passionate about using this approach. I truly believe we are making a difference to children’s lives and that’s the best job in the world!
Thrive Licensed Practitioner
Sheep Dip Lane Academy
calmer classrooms, stronger resilience
Supporting every pupil’s social and emotional development
Thrive is now woven into the academy’s culture, supporting the social and emotional development of every pupil.
Positive relationships are at the heart of Sheep Dip. Children feel able to talk to staff about their feelings and worries, and they are building the resilience to deal with tricky situations rather than giving up when things feel too much.
Behaviour has also improved as children become more aware of their emotions and learn to think before acting on strong feelings.
As one KS2 pupil explained: “Thrive has helped me manage my feelings and think before acting.”
Impact across the school community
Pupils and staff have fully embraced Thrive at Sheep Dip Lane Academy.
Children are feeling safer, more emotionally regulated and better able to learn. Staff are also seeing the difference that a consistent, relationship-led approach can make, both in the classroom and through targeted Thrive sessions.
One Thrive Licensed Practitioner said: “Seeing the progress our children have made is so rewarding.” Another described the impact more simply: “I truly believe we are making a difference to children’s lives and that’s the best job in the world.”
For class teachers, the benefit is just as clear. As one teacher put it: “The best thing about Thrive is knowing I’ve made a difference.”
thrive school of excellence
Recognition
Sheep Dip Lane 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.
“We are extremely proud to have been awarded the School of Excellence Award,” said Vice Principal Alison Parkhurst.
Viv Trask-Hall, Head of Theory and Practice at Thrive, said: “Sheep Dip Lane Academy is an inspirational school where staff have placed mental wellbeing at the heart of school life. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong and this has created a culture of wellbeing that means children feel calm, emotionally-regulated and ready to learn - they richly deserve this achievement."
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