As Pastoral and Wellbeing Lead at Elaine Primary School, part of the Inspire Partnership Trust, Victoria Thompson plays a key role in helping children feel safe, supported and ready to learn. From promoting positive wellbeing and behaviour to improving attendance, her work is centred on creating the conditions every child needs to flourish.
Committed to continually developing her practice, Vicky joined the Thrive Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship to deepen her understanding of the Thrive Approach and strengthen the support she provides to children with social, emotional and mental health needs. The programme gave her the opportunity to explore the science and theory behind Thrive and build her confidence in applying the Approach in her day-to-day role.
“I always reflect on my practice, and I wanted to embed some real understanding of how the Thrive Approach works day to day.”
The support behind the success
The Thrive Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship equips educators with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children and young people's social and emotional development, while gaining a Level 5 qualification and Thrive Licensed Practitioner status.
Throughout her apprenticeship, Vicky has been supported by the team at Elaine Primary School, including Head of School Emma Baldwin and Thrive mentor Kelly Richardson, their SENDCo and Assistant Head. Their commitment to creating the time, space and support needed for professional development has played an important role in Vicky's success and contributed to the school being recognised as Thrive Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Employer of the Year.
"Elaine Primary strictly adheres to the 20% off-the-job training requirement, ensuring I have dedicated, uninterrupted time each week to focus on my coursework," said Vicky.
She also noted that having dedicated time to learn, alongside regular support from her mentor, has helped her turn new knowledge into meaningful action for the children and colleagues she supports.
"My amazing mentor meets with me weekly to provide constructive feedback and helps me translate classroom theory into effective school-based practice. Kelly has worked closely with me to map out a clear progression route that aligns my growth with the needs of our pupils."
Building expertise that makes a difference
For Vicky, the programme provided a deeper understanding of the connection between children's developmental experiences, emotional wellbeing and behaviour. It strengthened her ability to recognise and respond to unmet needs, use Thrive's assessment tools to monitor progress, and advocate for children who need additional support. Learning how to use Thrive-Online has been particularly valuable, helping her identify need more effectively and plan the right support for each child.
"The impact of the Thrive profiles on my work has been amazing. It makes it so much easier because the profiles tell you the areas of need, the action plan and what steps you can take."
Colleagues at Elaine Primary have also seen the impact of Vicky's learning. Head of School Emma Baldwin has seen her knowledge and expertise grow, alongside her ability to demonstrate the positive outcomes her work is achieving for children.
"I have seen an increased confidence in Vicky’s ability to support the children. She is now measuring the impact of her work effectively and can share case studies with teachers and leaders around particular children's progress.”
Wider school impact
The impact of the apprenticeship has extended beyond Vicky's own professional development and is helping to shape practice across the wider school. Through her learning, she has supported a more consistent approach to behaviour and wellbeing, helping colleagues build shared understanding and ensuring children receive the right support when they need it. This growing expertise has also strengthened the school's capacity to create an environment where every child can reach their full potential.
"Kelly and Emma have shown immense trust in my development by assigning me to lead the implementation of the Thrive Approach across the school, providing me with invaluable hands-on experience in project management and high-level decision-making."
By embedding a shared approach across the school, staff are able to work more consistently, share best practice and keep children's wellbeing at the heart of what they do. Emma has seen this impact first-hand:
"It is invaluable. We have reviewed our whole approach to supporting SEMH across the school and the work that Vicky does is helping us to develop our children as young people, beyond their academic achievements."
Vicky’s experience
Reflecting on her experience, Vicky describes the apprenticeship as a valuable opportunity to deepen her understanding of child development and strengthen the support she provides to children every day. By developing a deeper knowledge of child development, pedagogy and the theory that underpins the Thrive Approach, she feels better equipped to support children and champion their emotional wellbeing.
"I feel that really understanding the theories, the pedagogy and spiral curriculums have helped me to better understand what I'm doing and that I am going in the right direction with these children."
For Vicky, the greatest value of the apprenticeship has been the impact it is having on the children she works with every day. The knowledge and skills she has gained are now embedded in her practice, helping her build stronger relationships, respond to children's needs with confidence and create the conditions for them to flourish.
When asked what she would say to others considering the apprenticeship, her message is simple:
"Do it. It's one of the best things I've ever done. The knowledge and understanding I bring to my workplace is amazing and the young children I work with thrive now because it's embedded in the practice that I do."
Vicky's story highlights the powerful difference that investing in professional development can make, not only for practitioners, but for the children, families and school communities they support. By building knowledge, confidence and expertise, the Thrive Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is helping educators create environments where every child feels understood, supported and able to thrive.
Looking to build confidence, expertise and a whole-school approach to wellbeing in your setting?
The Thrive Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship helps educators deepen their understanding of children's social and emotional development while giving schools the knowledge and capacity to create lasting change. Discover how the apprenticeship can support both your staff and your school community.
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