Drawing on Thrive’s evidence-informed, relational approach, early years specialist Dani Lawson explores how PSED is evolving in early years settings, and why children’s needs are changing.
From your role in product development and innovation, what are you noticing about how early years settings are approaching PSED at the moment?
Personal, social and emotional development (PSED) remains firmly rooted as one of the three prime areas of the EYFS, but practice has become more intentional and reflective. Practitioners continue to model social and emotional skills through everyday interactions and play-based experiences, with greater focus on how these support self-regulation, emotional expression, and relationships.
Many settings are investing more deliberately in routines, predictable transitions, and shared language around emotions. This reflects what teams are seeing day to day, increased dysregulation, wider variation in social communication, and a greater diversity of need within cohorts.
In England, changes to the Ofsted inspection framework are also shaping this work. Leaders are reviewing not only what PSED provision they offer, but how they evidence its impact, using data alongside case studies and developmental journeys to show how provision is adapted for each child.
What questions or challenges are nursery leaders raising most often when it comes to PSED?
A consistent challenge is the need for ongoing professional development to build staff confidence and deepen understanding of PSED, particularly around regulation, attachment, and behaviour.
Supporting children with SEND and additional needs is a significant focus, alongside managing high staff turnover and maintaining consistency in relationships. Leaders also talk about the challenge of meaningfully engaging parents and carers in children’s social and emotional development.
One of the most common questions I hear is how to evidence the impact of PSED in a way that feels meaningful rather than like a box ticking exercise. There is a clear desire for approaches that are evidence based, practical, and easy to embed consistently, even within a transient workforce.
When a nursery manager or owner is reviewing their current PSED offer, what should they be paying closest attention to?
When reviewing a PSED offer, I encourage leaders to look beyond activities and paperwork. Effective PSED provision should be woven into everyday practice, while also being taught explicitly and intentionally.
This requires a clear understanding of relational approaches, the role of attachment in early social and emotional development, and the impact adult modelling has on children’s experiences. Relationships are not an add on, they are the foundation that supports learning, behaviour, and wellbeing.
Leaders should also consider how parents and carers are engaged as partners, and whether provision is meeting the needs of the children in the setting right now in a way that shows progress over time.
What makes Thrive’s approach to PSED different from other guidance or programmes available to early years settings?
At Thrive, we believe children flourish when they feel safe, seen, valued, and connected. A key part of what makes our approach different is the emphasis we place on the role of adults.
Rather than focusing solely on behaviour or outcomes, we support practitioners to understand themselves, their own responses, and how these influence children’s social and emotional development. Our work is grounded in neuroscience, attachment theory, and child development, and is brought to life through play, creativity, and arts-based experiences.
Thrive-Online supports this approach through tailored assessment and action planning for individual children or groups, alongside progress monitoring that helps settings evidence impact using data, case studies, and developmental journeys.
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Thrive talks a lot about a relational approach. What does that look like in day-to-day early years practice, and how does it shape PSED provision?
A relational approach means placing safety and belonging at the heart of everything we do. Children need to feel safe, both physically and emotionally, before they can explore, take risks, and learn.
In practice, this is guided by the principle of relationship before behaviour, connection before correction. Adults aim to be consistent, present, and emotionally steady, offering co-regulation when children need support and understanding behaviour as communication rather than something to be managed in isolation.
This relational thinking shapes PSED provision at every level. Leadership and culture place wellbeing at the centre of practice, with policies rooted in compassion rather than control. It creates calm, predictable environments with shared language around relationships, emotions, and behaviour, and ensures PSED becomes a golden thread woven throughout provision, rather than a standalone curriculum area.
How does Thrive support confidence without creating extra workload?
Thrive training builds on existing knowledge while strengthening understanding of brain and body development and the role adults play in supporting social and emotional growth. The focus is on clarity and confidence. Practitioners are supported with practical strategies and clear guidance, while Thrive-Online offers structured assessment and action planning that supports consistency rather than adding tasks.
Why is investing in a Thrive Early Years PSED provision a meaningful decision for nursery managers and owners right now?
Investing in PSED lays the foundation for everything that follows. When children develop effective stress regulation, they are better able to manage emotions, cope with frustration, and feel safe enough to learn through mistakes. This foundation supports communication, collaboration, and learning. A relational, evidence-informed approach to PSED supports not only children, but also the adults and communities around them, creating environments where everyone can thrive.
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Discover how Thrive can support your setting’s PSED journey. Explore our Early Years Provision.
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