Thrive Advanced Practitioner Apprenticeship FAQs

Employers will need to allow full-time apprentices six hours per week of off-the-job training. Part-time apprentices must allocate 20% of their working hours for this purpose.
Employers will also offer a mentor and facilitate the apprentice’s monthly virtual sessions and overall development.

It’s fully funded for those working in local authority schools or those paying into the apprenticeship levy. For non-levy payers, the government offers co-funding, covering 95% of the cost, or levy transfers are available for additional support.

This triple-award apprenticeship is an ideal fit for people who have previously trained as Thrive Licensed Practitioners (even if their licence has expired) because it builds on existing experience and knowledge of children and young people's wellbeing. 

If you're just starting your career pathway with Thrive, the 3-month Thrive Licensed Practitioner course or the levy-funded 18-month Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant Level 5 Apprenticeship would be the perfect place to start. 

Yes, it’s equivalent to a foundation degree (Level 5).

Completing this apprenticeship elevates your professional standing by equipping you with a triple award qualification. You'll become a Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant, a Thrive Advanced Practitioner and a Family Thrive Course Leader. You'll also be able to use post-nominal designations to demonstrate your commitment to professional standards and showcase your credentials and skills.

The apprenticeship equips you to amplify your support of pupils' social and emotional wellbeing, create a nurturing environment, build effective relationships, apply advanced teaching strategies, develop and evaluate learning plans and enhance your personal and professional development. 

Delivered by Best Practice Network, an Ofsted ‘Good’ apprenticeship provider, this programme combines evidence-based approaches with practical, on-the-job training. It opens pathways to more senior roles, boosts your professional credibility, and allows you to make an even more meaningful impact on the lives of children and young people you support.

Due to the time commitment, we'd typically recommend that only one candidate per setting takes part on any given cohort. 

The Advanced Thrive Practitioner apprenticeship focuses on promoting pupils’ social and emotional wellbeing, which often aligns closely with the needs of pupils with SEND. Many children and young people with SEND face challenges in managing emotions, building resilience, or navigating social interactions, and this apprenticeship equips you with the tools and strategies to support these areas effectively.

In your training sessions with your Thrive Licensed Trainer, you'll appraise and enhance SEND provision in the classroom and for individuals with specific needs. You'll also learn when and how to introduce which approaches to support the social and emotional development of those pupils with SEND. 

Yes, sessions are scheduled within typical school hours, with options for morning or afternoon to align with off-the-job training requirements.

This apprenticeship is a work-based programme for people already in employment.

Your employer will need to give you time during your working hours each week for activities and learning related to your apprenticeship. This is called off-the-job training.

Best Practice Network and Thrive will work with employers to ensure this time is spent on activities that both build the apprentice’s capabilities and benefit the organisation. For example, apprentices will be taught how to review, and audit Thrive practice in their setting before implementing any necessary changes then monitoring, evaluating and reporting on impact. 

Off-the-job training can include:

• Thrive training
• Inset days
• In-house training
• Mentoring
• Shadowing
• Conferences & seminars
• Reflective learning
• Networking
• Project work
• Research

The exact blend of activities will be agreed with the apprentice and employer at the start of the programme. 

Full-time apprentices are required to have six hours per week of off-the-job training, while part-time apprentices must allocate 20% of their working hours for this purpose.

This apprenticeship benefits your current role by equipping you with advanced knowledge and skills to enhance your effectiveness in the classroom and beyond. You’ll develop a deeper understanding of how to support pupils’ social and emotional wellbeing, an area critical for helping children and young people overcome barriers to learning and thrive academically and personally.

This programme also broadens your expertise, enabling you to:

• Apply a range of teaching and assessment techniques to tailor support to individual learner needs.
• Build strong relationships with learners, colleagues, parents, and carers, improving communication and collaboration.
• Implement evidence-based strategies to promote positive behaviour and emotional resilience in pupils.

The apprenticeship is most appropriate for those who have previously trained as Thrive Licensed Practitioners. As long as you meet all the other eligibility criteria, even if your licence has expired, you are still welcome to apply for a place on the Thrive Advanced Practitioner Apprenticeship. As part of the application process, we'll ask how long ago you completed wellbeing training. This will help us ascertain whether any catch-up training will be required before you start the apprenticeship.