A NEWTON Abbot based provider of wellbeing training for educators is celebrating after winning two prizes at the Digital Education Awards – including being named as the overall winner.

Thrive won the Digital Health and Wellbeing Learning Product of the Year category and was also unveiled as the Gold Winner at the event, which attracted entries from 14 countries.

Anna Smee, Thrive’s managing director, said: ‘We are delighted with our success at the Digital Education Awards.

‘Our mission is to help schools to support young people’s mental health so that they can fulfil their potential and become happy, confident and emotionally-resilient adults.

‘We believe that technology is as vital for wellbeing in schools as it is for every other aspect of learning and we are determined to reach our goal of improving the life chances of 1.5 million children and young people.

Thrive trains teachers and other educators to support young people’s mental health. The unique Thrive-Online platform allows school staff to benchmark children’s emotional wellbeing and identify gaps in their development and unmet social or emotional need.

Based on the needs of the child or group of children, it suggests bespoke strategies and activities that educators can use to help close these gaps and improve their mental health.

The impact and feedback from schools drives forward Thrive’s ambition to support more children and young people.

Amelia Joyner, Leader at Cullompton Pre-School, said: ‘The benefits of Thrive have been huge. We have a really broad range of children in the setting, with children from really stable family backgrounds through to children who are in child protection.

‘I find that creating a really special relationship is key to everything.’

A Thrive spokesperson said: ‘Thrive’s founders have backgrounds in teaching, education, social work and psychotherapy and the Thrive Approach is underpinned by a robust framework of neuroscience, attachment theory and child development research.

‘Formed in 1996, Thrive is a pioneer in using technology to measure and improve young people’s mental health.’

The Digital Education Awards aim to promote the people, products and platforms that are transforming education worldwide by harnessing technology.

The use of technology in education, known as edtech, is a growing sector that is worth more than £3.5 billion in the UK and is seen as an important way of helping teachers to improve the way they engage with pupils and the outcomes they achieve.

Ravi Ruparel, chairman of the Digital Education Awards, said: ‘We were delighted to see Thrive win both the Gold and category awards.

‘The awards are judged by an independent, global panel of experts that had many applications in 2022, our most popular awards to date.

‘We hope that this recognition helps Thrive to continue to help more children with their wellbeing.’

Thrive has also been shortlisted for a prestigious Bett Award, in the Wellbeing, Digital Wellness and Safeguarding Resources category.

The awards celebrate the creativity and innovation that can be found in education technology businesses and winners will be revealed on March 29 at a ceremony in London.