Other Professionals
The school has a range of specialised services available to pupils. Information on each service can be found below.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapist’s work with children to optimise and maintain movement and function. This could include the use of equipment, to promote independent movement, positioning advice and recommending a range of physical activities to support the child to develop their gross motor skills.
Physiotherapist’s often work within a classroom setting, to incorporate strategies and activities into their school day alongside peers. Physiotherapists complete training with school staff on a regular basis to ensure equipment is used safely and knowledge on topics such as postural management is developed.
Physiotherapists will see children at school, with or without parent/carer present (with your consent). If required, home visits may also be arranged, to see how your child is managing at home and order any equipment necessary, to assist with your child’s 24-hour management.
The Physiotherapy team currently has 3 qualified therapists and 3 technicians, who work in Riverwalk across the school week and can be contacted via school or by calling 01284 741786.
Speech and Language Therapy
The Speech and Language Therapy team work with children / young people to help them to explore and develop their communication and eating and drinking skills across the day. We support students throughout their journey in special School, from nursery to transitioning out to Post 16 services for as long as your child continues to need our service.
We aim to support your child to maximize their communication potential across the day and support generalization of skills in a range of activities. We use a Total Communication approach and value all methods of communication e.g. verbal language, vocalizations, gestures / signs, using photos / symbols, switches and high tech AAC devices.
The Speech and Language Therapy team will support your child in the following ways:
- Reviewing communication strengths and difficulties and implementing strategies to support these. This may be individually or within a group / whole class.
- Observation during sessions led by school staff.
- Joint working with class staff to facilitate access to the curriculum.
- Providing specific advice / training on the impact of communication / eating and drinking needs and strategies for managing these.
- Jointly setting goals with class staff, in liaison with parents
- Contributing to annual reviews.
- Providing advice on how to support your child’s independence.
- Providing a mealtime mat outlining your child’s eating and drinking needs and strategies to develop these skills further (if needed).
The Speech and Language Therapy team currently has 4 qualified therapists and 1 Speech and Language Therapy assistant, who work in Riverwalk across the school week. Our Speech and Language Therapy Assistants work with individual children across the therapist’s caseloads.
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY THERAPY TEAM
Please find below a list of the classes at Riverwalk and the name of the therapists covering each class as well as some useful contact numbers. Although each class has a named therapist, the therapy team works closely together and may work jointly with some children or support each other to cover classes depending on capacity and availability.
All therapists can be contacted via your child’s home / school book, by calling the school health office on 01284 764 280 ext. 478 or by calling the landline numbers for each discipline at the top of the table. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a specific therapist, please use the individual contact numbers / emails on staff photos at the bottom of this page. Therapists are not present in school on a daily basis but will get back to you as soon as possible.
