Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy team are involved in the assessment, provision and advice of specialist equipment for individual pupils, such as upper limb splints, seating, toileting and feeding. They also provide assessment and advice to education staff on access issues regarding pupils, such as computer access, posture management and fine motor skills.

Speech and Language therapy

The speech and language therapy department work with identified pupils who need support with their communication or eating and drinking. This may involve children who have difficulties with understanding and using language, producing intelligible speech and interacting with people around them.

Some children need an alternative system as their main method of communication or to support their speech.  This may be through the use of signing, symbols or a voice output communication aid (VOCA). Children may receive therapy individually, in a small group, through a programme carried out by school staff or by support within the classroom.

Drama Therapy

‘Supporting children and young people through loss and change.’

We work with:

•  A child or young person who faces a life limiting or life threatening condition.
• His/her brother(s) and sister(s)
• Children and young people who have experienced the death of a sibling due to a life limiting or life threatening condition.

Who are we?

We are dramatherapists registered with the Health & Care Professions Council.  We have many years of experience in working with children and young people affected by loss and change.

What is Dramatherapy?

Dramatherapy is a form of psychological therapy that enables the exploration of feelings and changes in our lives through an indirect and creative approach.

How do we work?

• We talk together and use a wide range of resources including:  drama, story, movement, puppets, art, music, photography and play.
• It is possible to work with children who are not able to talk as we use expressive movement and sound which helps them to communicate their feelings.
• We realise that no situation is the same and therefore we meet with each family individually to talk about what kind of help would be most useful to them.

We offer:

• Emotional support to children and young people to work through, explore and communicate their feelings and emotions
• A safe, confidential and contained space to work through the changes in their lives
• The opportunity to give voice to their loss and grief
• Liaison with others who support the family
• Individual dramatherapy sessions
• Group dramatherapy sessions

Emotional support so that children and young people can:

• Better understand their own needs and get them met
• Adjust to changes in their lives
• Express angry and difficult feelings constructively
• Have a place to tell their story
• Feel more secure in the world
• Become more emotionally resilient

For more information please contact Heather Williams Tel:  0208 274 6317

Music Therapy

In Music Therapy, the natural responses we have to music are harnessed and used strategically by the Music Therapist to help support social, emotional, behavioural, physical and educational development. Each session and course of therapy is uniquely tailored to the particular needs of the pupil.

In sessions, pupils are encouraged to take part in active music making with the therapist in whichever way they are able to.  This may include playing a range of accessible instruments and the use of voice and movement in both familiar and improvised music.  Sessions may help with skills such as listening and turn taking, engagement and concentration, co-ordination, emotional regulation, confidence and self-esteem: and can be particularly beneficial for pupils who have difficulties with communication and interaction.

Sessions may take place individually or in small groups, and are regularly reviewed to monitor progress.

Music therapy at St Giles is provided by the UK’s leading music therapy charity, Nordoff Robbins www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

ELSA

What is an ELSA?

The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) Project involves Educational psychologists training teaching  assistants to provide emotional literacy support programmes to children who have difficulties understanding, identifying and managing their emotions.  In recent years there has been a growing recognition that raising standards requires a more holistic view of children’s needs.

An ELSA is a specialist Teaching Assistant who works with children who are showing a range of emotional or social difficulties such as anxiety, low self-confidence, sadness, angry feelings or friendship issues.

ELSAs have been chosen because of their ability to build good relationships with children.

The ELSA discusses with the child’s teachers to set individual objectives for the child. The ELSA will then work with the child, either individually or sometimes in a small group, using activities targeted to the child’s needs.

Mrs  Gill Kramer  is our nominated ELSA.  She has worked with  children in her role as Teaching Assistant for 28 years and shown all the required personal and professional qualities to become our ELSA.

Following the successful completion of ELSA training Mrs Kramer is now working with children who members of our school community have identified as in need of some additional emotional support.

For more information please contact Gill Kramer via the school office