Specialist Support
Here at Elms Bank we work very closely with a highly skilled and experienced team of specialists dedicated to giving our pupils and students the very best support, tailored to their specific needs.
Educational Psychology
The Educational Psychologist’s typical work may include delivering, supporting or modelling interventions on group work with pupils around themes such as anger management, friendship, self-esteem, bullying, stress management, transition from primary to secondary, and transition from secondary to college. This can be done by working with young people individually or in small groups to focus on a particular area for development.
For further information regarding Educational Psychology, click the link to the left.
Nurse
There is a team of nurses/health care support workers who work in school with at least one member of the team on site. The nurse will attend to the major-medical needs of the pupils and coordinates several medical specialists to attend school to see the pupils. These include appointments with the doctor, dietician, orthoptist, podiatrist, dentist, consultant paediatrician and the ophthalmist.
Contact Children’s Community Nursing Team
Physiotherapy
The physiotherapists are based at the Bury Living Well Centre and provide clinics at Elms Bank. The team in Elms Bank consists of a senior paediatric physiotherapist and a full time senior paediatric physiotherapy assistant. There is also a team leader senior paediatric physiotherapist and a senior paediatric physiotherapy assistant.
Contact Details
Visual Impairment Team
Pupils with a visual impairment are supported by the Visual Support Team. Support may include direct teaching, advice to schools, modification of resources, assessment of vision, provision and maintenance of equipment, teaching of specialist skills e.g. Braille, individual mobility sessions and liaison with statutory and voluntary agencies and orthoptists.
Hearing Impairment Team
Pupils with a hearing impairment are seen on a weekly basis by the Sensory Needs Team: Hearing who monitors and checks hearing aids and sets up and monitors FM systems so that students have the best possible listening experience.
Click on the tabs below to find out more about each area:
CEIAG (Careers Education Information Advise & Guidance)
Elms Bank School
We work with ‘Realistic Choices’ to provide our students access to Independent Careers Guidance in KS4. This involves a meeting to advise and a written report of guidance, which is shared with Parents/Carers.
There is no statutory guidance to say a careers adviser has be in attendance at an EHCP review but careers guidance should inform the Yr 11 review. Where a pre-review in Yr 11 has taken place between the careers adviser and young person, there should be a discussion regarding the guidance notes/summary provided to the review.
‘Where pupils have EHC plans, their annual reviews must, from year 9 at the latest, include a focus on adulthood, including employment. Schools should ensure these reviews are informed by good careers guidance.’ DfE October 2018 paragraph 54.
Elms Bank College
At KS5, in line with statutory guidance we offer students a second interview with ‘Realistic Choices’. The Government’s expectation is that every pupil should have at least one such interview by the age of 16, and the opportunity for a further interview by the age of 18. ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers’ DfE October 2018 paragraph 79.
Teachers, students, parents and carers should discuss the student’s Yr14 destination in every Annual Review, to ensure short term targets are identified and have been addressed each year. If any students are without a clear transition plan then an additional Careers intervention should be identified as an action in the Annual Review.
In Bury, the Connexions/ Local Authority SEND team, run a small core offer of support that may be available for some students, without a clear pathway for the end of Yr 14. If this is not appropriate advice will be offer by ‘Realistic Choices’.
Hydrotherapy
The school has a fully equipped hydrotherapy pool. The pool is serviced by two changing rooms, one with a changing bed and hoist system, the other a standard dry side changing room. There is also access to a cool-down room and various swimming aids and teaching pool equipment.
Pupils accessing the hydrotherapy pool for hydrotherapy sessions are put into three different groups:
- Those who require hydrotherapy with physiotherapy input. Sessions for these pupils can be facilitated by the school Physiotherapy Team with support from class staff.
- Those who do not have physiotherapy as a requirement but who would physically benefit from using the pool. Programmes can be advised by the Physiotherapy Team, but they would not have responsibility for this programme.
- Those for whom hydrotherapy provides a sensory or calming experience.
Staffing levels are high in the hydrotherapy pool and pupils complete an initial pool assessment which is transferred to a pool activity log. This includes targets for the pupils to work towards while on pool sessions. School staff are trained to use the hydrotherapy pool and also receive moving and handling training. Students are always supported by familiar staff when using the hydrotherapy pool to enable targets to be worked towards and monitored efficiently.
Speech & Language Therapy
At Elms Bank we are committed to providing a supportive communication environment which encourages and promotes all methods of communication for our pupils to express themselves and to communicate effectively. We are proud that within school we have pupils using signing, symbols, switches and digitised communication aids as their voice. Please see our video of essential signs - these are the signs we have agreed are the most important for our staff and pupils to use.
The speech Therapists work across school and college on the following:
- Understanding and Use of Language
- Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems (AAC) e.g. Signing, Symbols, Communication books, Communication Aids, iPad apps for communication and PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
- Speech Sound Production
- Social Use of Language (Pragmatics/Social Skills)
- Feeding and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)
The team's role is to work with individual pupils but also to develop and support communication within the school as a whole. They are also trained to assess feeding and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia).
All pupils at Elms Bank have access to speech therapy with the team being based onsite. In order to provide the most effective input pupils are assigned into categories based on their level of need - universal, targeted or specialist.
Contact
Please get in touch with Rebecca if you have any concerns about your child or need advice.
E-mail: maleedy.r@elmsbank.oaklp.co.uk
Work Mobile: 07519 616836
The Specialist Speech Therapist contact for feeding and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) is currently Vickie Mason - Email victoria.mason2@nhs.net
Resources
- essential sign sheets
- symbols for home routine
- week timeline
- now / next board
- Symbols for key ring
Useful links
There are some useful links and downloads in the left hand side of this page for the signing system we use in school and across the speech therapy service in Bury, Experts in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology (AT) based in Oldham and lots of information about alternative communication methods (AAC- alternative and augmentative communication), plus Timeline symbols for home.
Outreach Service
Oak Learning Partnership Outreach provides support for the inclusion of all learners across primary and secondary settings in Bury. As a Trust we include Elms Bank School, Unsworth Primary School and Hazelwood High School. The Outreach Team comprises of experienced Senior and Middle leaders, Specialist Teachers and highly experienced Teaching Assistants. The service caters for a range of individual needs from 4 to 19 years.
The aim of the Outreach Support is to transform lives using a highly inclusive educational approach. We work with professionals to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to ensure the best possible outcomes for each and every student within Bury.
As a trust we care deeply about every learner within the Bury community, as such OakLP Outreach works with a number of other agencies, including health and education to ensure effective collaboration we believe that no student should ever be left behind.
As well as coordinating a strong SENCO Network across the authority, OakLP Outreach can offer schools bespoke packages that involves an SEN review followed by highly detailed action plans to support best practice. Furthermore we offer a range of CPD, including Trauma Informed Practice, Inclusive Classrooms and Behaviour de-escalation. We see CPD as vital to the success of all students, as such we work to ensure strong partnerships with all of the schools in Bury, giving them opportunity to visit our schools to witness best practice; this has included TA Development Drop Ins and whole school strategic support.
If you require any further support or information please contact outreach@oaklp.co.uk