Tom Preston

Business Director, Thrive

Tom Preston is a Director of Thrive, the UK’s leading provider of social, emotional and mental health training and resources for schools, boosting attendance and behaviour, reducing exclusions, and improving staff and pupil wellbeing. Thrive is part of Supporting Education Group, which supports over 95% of all the school trusts in England through their SEND, qualifications and training, recruitment and professional services businesses. Prior to Thrive, Tom was a Director of Partnerships at Teach First. He is passionate about social impact, leadership, and strategy, a published author and based in Nottingham, UK.

School Improvement

1 Breakout sessions: Series three

Connecting attendance, belonging and support: What attendance mentoring is teaching us

This evidence-informed session explores early learning from the national attendance mentoring programme. We will examine how trusts are addressing persistent absence through relationships, belonging, family engagement and wider wraparound support. Speakers will share emerging findings, reflections from live delivery and practical considerations around sustainability, scalability and implementation across different trust contexts. You will gain practical insight into approaches that can strengthen attendance, inclusion, and pupil engagement. Ideal for directors of education, inclusion and school improvement, alongside attendance, safeguarding and pastoral leaders.