At Oaklands School, our dedicated team works together to meet the wide-ranging needs of our pupils. We are committed to providing tailored support to enable every child to achieve and develop to their best ability.

 

Autism Friendly Approach

Oaklands School is an autism-friendly environment. Our teachers and support staff work closely to assess and design individualised programmes to support pupils with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC).

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Targeted Support

We offer targeted support through a variety of therapeutic approaches to meet the diverse needs of our pupils.

• Trauma-Informed Practices: We employ a whole-school approach to support pupils who have experienced trauma.

• Inclusive Environments: Our school fosters inclusive environments to ensure all pupils feel valued and supported.

 

Specialist Support

We are committed to providing specialised support for pupils with complex needs.

• Individualised Support Plans: We develop and implement personalised support plans informed by Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

• Parent Engagement: We maintain open communication with parents, facilitating discussions and offering guidance to assist them in addressing their child's needs effectively. Additionally, we provide information to parents about courses and resources offered by local authorities, aimed at providing comprehensive support for their children's mental health and overall well-being.

• Therapy Evaluations: We conduct ongoing evaluations and reviews to monitor progress and adjust support as needed.

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Emotional Health and Well-being

We offer a range of therapeutic interventions to support emotional health and well-being.

• Play Therapy: Learning through play supports pupils who need support to express emotions. They will work with toys, equipment and materials to recreate issues that represent emotional conflicts that are important to the child. Through the play therapy process, children create play that resembles the emotional experiences they are struggling with internally. These experiences often cannot be expressed verbally. Children will select specific toys (e.g. small world play, role play, sand, instruments art and craft) to include in their play and use those toys to recreate issues that represent emotional conflicts important to the child. The child’s play evolves to enable the child to gain a sense of understanding and comfort over the situation resulting in gains in confidence, empowerment, empathy, and self-esteem. When facilitated by a play therapist, the play becomes focused on the emotional component of play. This leads to understanding, resolution, and re-establishment of balance in the child’s sense of well-being.

• Emotional Literacy Support: Trained teaching assistants who support our pupils, in learning to understand their own emotions, while becoming aware of and respecting the emotions of the pupils around them. ELSAs are teaching assistants who have had special training from educational psychologists to support the emotional development of children and young people in school. ELSAs help children and young people learn to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. They provide the time and space for pupils to think about their personal circumstances and how they manage them.

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Future Support

We are expanding our services to provide:

• Occupational Therapy: We will be offering occupational therapy services to support pupils in meaningful activities and daily life tasks. These types of activities can include self-care, productivity, and leisure activities. Occupational Therapy (OT) enables people of all ages to participate in meaningful activities (occupations) that they want, need, or are expected to take part in, looking to improve their quality of life and wellbeing. Occupations for children and young people may include self-care (getting ready to go out, eating a meal, using the toilet), being productive (learning in school, volunteering, caring for a pet) and play and leisure activities (playing independently or with friends, taking part in hobbies and socialising).

• Speech and Language Therapy: We will be providing speech and language therapy services to support pupils with communication difficulties, or with eating, drinking, and swallowing. Speech and language therapists work with teachers, parents, carers, and other professionals to provide support tailored to the individual pupils needs, as outlined in their Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

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At Oaklands School, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support to ensure the well-being and success of every pupil. We continuously strive to enhance our provision to meet the evolving needs of our school community.

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