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Undershaw – where soft skills have hard value
Undershaw is awarded the Skills Builder Silver Award for coaching Skills for Life across the Curriculum. We utilise the Skills Builder Programme throughout the school in order to identify, coach,…
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Therapy
An integrated therapy programme is one of the main pillars of our provision at Undershaw. Effective, relevant and focussed therapeutic support is imperative for many of our students’ Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Therapy underpins the ability to learn in a classroom-based environment and to develop autonomy alongside interdependence.
Nanci Doyle, Head of Health and Therapies, leads her team from a range of specialisms such as:
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Speech and Language Therapy
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Occupational Therapy (including Sensory Integration Therapy)
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Physiotherapy
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Psychotherapy (including Dramatherapy and Art Therapy)
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School Nursing
The multidisciplinary approach at Undershaw ensures students are equipped to develop essential life skills, make and maintain friendships, develop social understanding and the functional independence necessary for their full and independent lives beyond the school gates.
Integrated Therapy
Therapists work with students on a one-to-one basis, in small groups, and in the classroom. Therapy is an intrinsic part of everyday school life. For example, we begin our week with PSHE where the Therapy Team lead on Regulation Activities. As stakeholders in their own success and well-being, pupils choose how they spend this time and are free to make use of some of our extensive facilities (our Hydrotherapy Pool or gym equipment) or base themselves outdoors in our idyllic surroundings. The Therapy team oversee the wide range of physical activities on offer, whilst Group Therapy and Social Communication Skills is overseen by Speech and Language Therapists (SaLT) and Emotional Therapists.
Daily Therapy Programmes
Many students have tailored Daily Therapy Programmes designed by therapists and delivered by specialist teaching assistants. The Therapy Team is fully integrated into the Undershaw staff team and takes part in break time and lunch time duties providing structured play and role modelling.
Communication and Feedback
The communication between Home and School is vital to the success of our child-centric model. Therapists are heavily involved in the Annual Review process for each student and the weekly Multi-Disciplinary Team planning sessions. These ensure each lesson and Form Time is tailored to meet the needs of each child.
