Dagenham school 'first in London' to be awarded Thrive Ambassador status

This article was originally published on the Barking & Dagenham website on 3 January 2020 and is available to view online here.

Thomas Arnold primary school in Dagenham, was recently awarded Ambassador status by Thrive, an education training provider. The Dagenham school becomes the first in London to achieve Ambassador status.

Thrive provides teachers with the necessary training required to make pupils feel safe and secure, as well as empowering them to meet their emotional and social needs.

Thrive encourages pupils to be creative, so that they can better understand and manage their emotions whilst developing their emotional literacy skills.

As a Thrive Ambassador School, Thomas Arnold will now act as an example to other schools in the area and share good practice. This will involve hosting Thrive workshops and awareness sessions for local Headteachers.

Monica Gallagher, Headteacher at Thomas Arnold, said: "I am very proud of the work that the Thrive team are doing to support the social and emotional needs of our pupils.

"Thrive has become an integral part of our school and we are looking forward to showcasing the work that we are doing."

The school was awarded Ambassador training in September.

One parent of a student said of the Thrive approach: "I know that at least one person or a team is willing to offer my child or every single kid in the school support for their Thrive needs.

"I have peace of mind knowing that my child is in the right school."

Nine out of ten Barking and Dagenham schools are rated "Good" or "Outstanding" by Ofsted.

Over to you

Reduced anxiety and behavioural incidents. Calmer classrooms filled with engaged leaners. Improved relationships with parents and carers. These are just some of the outcomes reported by settings embedding Thrive’s whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Are you ready to join them? Click here to get started.