Strengthen staff wellbeing and build a sustainable school workforce
Schools are facing growing pressure as staff support children and young people with increasingly complex needs.
Teachers and support staff are committed to helping every child succeed, but the emotional demands of the role can be significant. Supporting behaviour, wellbeing and inclusion often requires sustained relational work that can take a toll on staff wellbeing.
Creating sustainable school environments therefore means supporting both pupils and the adults who work with them.
The Challenge
Educators are supporting rising levels of need while managing workload pressures, recruitment challenges and increasing emotional demands in their roles. For schools to remain sustainable, staff need to feel confident, supported and able to respond consistently to children and young people’s needs.
Key context:
- Staff across the education sector report increasing emotional demands in their roles
- Supporting pupils with complex needs can create significant pressure on teachers and support staff
- Recruitment and retention challenges are affecting schools nationally
- Sustainable schools require approaches that support both pupil wellbeing and staff wellbeing
How Thrive supports staff wellbeing and workforce sustainability
Thrive helps schools develop consistent, emotionally informed approaches that support both pupils and staff.
Drawing on neuroscience and child development, the Thrive Approach helps schools to:
- Strengthen staff understanding of children’s emotional development
- Build confidence in responding to behaviour and emotional needs
- Create shared language and consistent approaches across staff teams
- Support collaboration and reduce isolation among staff
- Embed relational practice across the whole school
By creating shared understanding and supportive school cultures, Thrive helps staff feel more confident in their practice and better supported in their roles.
The Process
Proven impact on staff wellbeing
Independent evaluation by ImpactEd, including analysis of more than 2,600 schools and a two-year mixed-methods study, shows positive outcomes for staff wellbeing and morale in schools using Thrive.
- Staff wellbeing scores increased by 4.8% in Thrive primary schools over one academic year
- The largest improvements were seen among staff working most closely with pupils, including Teaching Assistants (+6.2%) and Thrive Practitioners (+5.3%)
- Staff consistently reported feeling less overwhelmed by the emotional demands of their roles
- These improvements were linked to clearer shared approaches, stronger collaboration and more consistent responses to pupils’ needs across staff teams.
“Thrive has improved the culture for staff because teachers want to teach — they don’t want to have to manage pupils that are disrupting a lesson. If our students are calm and ready to learn, we know our staff will be happier and more fulfilled too.”
Jayne Curd | Senior Leader for Behaviour, Meridian High School
Ready to strengthen staff wellbeing in your school?
Whether you’re leading a single school or supporting multiple settings, Thrive provides a clear framework for building emotionally informed practice and sustainable school cultures.
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Schools and settings
Embed emotionally informed practice across your school to support staff wellbeing, stronger relationships and improved engagement.
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Trusts and system leaders
Develop a shared approach to wellbeing, behaviour and inclusion across multiple schools.
Resources to support staff wellbeing and confidence
Discover practical ways to support staff wellbeing, reduce overwhelm and build a more sustainable school culture.
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Navigating disruptive behaviours: Strategies for school leaders
Gain insights into the causes of disruptive behaviour and learn effective strategies for addressing and measuring them.
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On-demand webinar: The neuroscience of belonging
A recorded session exploring why belonging matters and how it influences attendance and engagement.
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The 10 instant stress relievers (that no-one will notice you using)
These proven approaches are perfect for managing stress in the moment, helping you stay calm, focused, and in control throughout your day.
Take the next step toward lasting change across your school or system.
Join 2,600+ schools and thousands of educators already
transforming practice with Thrive.