For students who are “Looked After”, we work closely with social workers and the Virtual School Team to ensure that students are fully supported.

Mr Daniel Mulchrone is our SENCo and is also the Designated Teacher (DT) for Children in Care.

Regular school visits are made by outside agencies. The school is currently working with the following teams/agencies:

• SEND and Inclusion service (including the Sensory Support team)
• SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
• Virtual School for Children Looked After
• Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Intensive Support Team (IST)
• Behaviour Specialist
• School nursing team
• Community Paediatrician
• Physiotherapist
• Occupational Therapist (OT)
• Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT)

Occupational Therapist

The Occupational Therapist (OT) works to help children with a range of difficulties, including physical disability, motor planning challenges, or sensory processing differences. The OT works with teachers to plan a range of daily activities for individuals and classes. They can also provide individual assessments and therapeutic interventions as required.

Speech and Language Therapist

Our private Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT) works across the school supporting students and teachers, by setting communication targets, providing training and fostering the Total Communication environment that we have at Wren Spinney.

Sometimes, students require more targeted support from the Speech and Language Therapist. In these instances, the Speech and Language Therapist works with students to enable them to communicate to the best of their ability by developing their understanding and use of language. A variety of methods are used to develop these skills and to facilitate communication with those around them. This includes using objects, photographs, symbols, gestures and speech. Some children use specialised equipment, such as communication books/boards or voice output communication aids.

Music Specialist

Our music specialist spends time with a variety of classes across the year and offers one-to-one sessions for some students. These sessions can address a number of sensory needs for children and adults with special needs as they provide concrete, multisensory stimulation (auditory, visual, and tactile). For example, the rhythmic component of music can assist in the cognitive organisation of sensory systems for those individuals diagnosed with autism. As a result, auditory processing and other sensory-motor, perceptual/ motor, gross and fine motor skills can be enhanced through music. These sessions support the development of skills such as:

• Release and exploration of emotions
• Listening
• Non-verbal and verbal communication
• Use of both gross and fine motor movements
• Sequential memory and recall of information
• Self-management of behaviour
• Verbal discussion
• Active, improvised music making (using both instruments and voice)

School Nurse

The school nurse works with pupils, parents, carers and teachers, offering support and advice on a range of issues, from care plans to sexual health and training on topics such as asthma and epilepsy. They play a vital role in children’s development, carrying out immunisation and screening programmes, managing medical conditions and acting as a point of contact on child protection issues. They can also sometimes provide advice for physical and emotional difficulties.

Behavioural Specialist

The behavioural specialist that we seek advice from is a highly trained specialist who supports children and young people with additional needs so that they can maximise their learning. During their time at Wren Spinney, they carry out an assessment of a child's strengths and difficulties and recommend actions aimed at improving a child's ability to access their learning successfully. Their advice may become involved if the provision and support in place in school are not having the desired impact.

Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

CAMHS is part of the NHS that assesses, diagnoses and treats young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties. They cover a very wide range of difficulties with a multidisciplinary team including nurses, therapists, psychologists, support workers and social workers, as well as other professionals. Referrals to CAMHS are made by GPs or social workers.