School Health & Therapy Teams

The Health Team at The Ridgeway School consists of nurses, physiotherapists, a speech and language therapist and an occupational Therapist (and their support staff). The team work as an integral part of the school community, working in partnership with pupils, parents, carers and teaching staff. The aim of the team is to ensure that the health needs of the pupils are met so that they may achieve their full potential whilst at school.

Nursing Team NHS

Our team comprises of two qualified nurses and one health care assistant. We are an integral part of the school community and provide training and support for the school staff to meet the individual health needs of the children and young people at school. This enables all students to fully access their education and reach their potential regardless of the complexity of their health needs.

We carry out an initial health assessment prior to the pupil starting school to ensure that any health needs are identified. We train and support the school staff to ensure safe management of epilepsy, administration of medications, enteral (tube) feeding, oxygen administration, suctioning, asthma and infection control, catheterisation, and anaphylaxis.

The Nursing Team regularly liaise with other professionals within the community, including GP’s, community nurses, paediatric consultants, dieticians, the continence service, and social services.

School Nursing (Specialist Schools) -> Link to website 

Physiotherapy Team

If your child requires physiotherapy input a referral will be made to the team. Your child will then be allocated to a physiotherapist for an assessment. If further intervention is required this may take the form of advice, direct intervention and/or a physical management programme in order to meet the needs of your child.

The physiotherapy team work closely with school staff and parents to provide an appropriate physical management programme. The physiotherapist will provide the training required to school staff so that this programme will be implemented throughout the school day and monitored regularly. The physiotherapist will oversee your child’s specialist equipment and orthotic needs.

Wheelchair and Orthotic clinics are held at school and parents are very welcome if they would like to attend with their child.

Should you wish to contact us regarding any aspect of your child’s physiotherapy provision, please feel free to call us directly at school on 01252 717128.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Team

Speech and Language Therapy is provided onsite at The Ridgeway School, and funded by Surrey County Council. We are an integral part of the school team: 

• Louise Mead (Team Lead; louise.mead@surreycc.gov.uk), 
• Jasmine August (Speech and Language Therapist; Jasmine.August@surreycc.gov.uk), 
• Molly Minter (Speech and Language Therapy Assistant; Molly.Minter@surreycc.gov.uk). 

The therapy team collaborate with school staff to embed communication strategies in lessons and social activities. We spend time in classes with students and staff, offer training, work with the leadership team, and problem solve to make sure all students have an effective way of communicating, and reasons to communicate. 

Universal & Targeted Support 
We help schools create an environment with high quality communication support, using a total communication approach.
We offer advice, resources, modelling and coaching for school-run intervention groups targeting language and social communication skills.  
We offer further support at school’s request e.g. classroom audits, training and advice for staff, attendance at parent’s evenings and supporting staff to set communication targets. 
  
Specialist Support 
When children need more support from our team, we offer individual, paired, or small group sessions, in and out of class. We monitor and review progress, and contribute to the Annual Review for all pupils receiving specialist input. 
 
Dysphagia
We also oversee dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties) across the school. We provide training and advice to school staff and our aim is to promote safe, efficient and enjoyable mealtimes. Some students will need assessment, and for key adults to receive advice and specific training on implementing recommendations in order to support them with their eating and drinking.
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language, communication or feeding skills, please contact your child’s class teacher or the school SENCO in the first instance.

If you wish to contact us to discuss your child with the SALT team please call us directly on 01252 717128

Occupational Therapy (OT) Team

Occupational Therapy enables people to participate in daily life to improve their health and wellbeing. Daily life is made up of many activities (or occupations). Occupations for children or young people may include self-care (getting ready to go out, eating a meal, using the toilet) being productive (going to nursery or school, or volunteering), and leisure (playing with friends or doing hobbies).

Occupational Therapists will spend time finding out what the child and family’s typical daily life and what they want, need or are expected to do. They will work together with the child, family and other key people to evaluate what helps or hinders their involvement in daily life roles. Together possible solutions will be developed such as exploring alternative ways of doing things or making changes to the environment to support participation.

Occupational Therapy is has two support levels.

Pre referral Universal and Targets and post referral Specialist.

• A Whole School/Universal approach where therapists share professional knowledge and skills with educational staff and parents to improve engagement and participation of children in a range of home school occupations.
• Targeted Service is designed to support children and young people who are at risk of reduced participation in everyday activities, delivered via a telephone advice line, school/nursery link visits, workshops, training and occupational therapy recourses packs and advice sheets.

• Specialist Occupational Therapy Services provide for children with identified physical and developmental learning needs which impact on their participation. Use of an individualised intervention approach to teach strategies, recommendation of specialist equipment , advice on environmental modifications, parent coaching approaches, individualised home and nursery/ school occupational therapy programmes and specialist evidence based therapy delivered individually or in a group setting.

If you wish to contact the Occupational Therapist regarding your child’s Occupational Therapy needs please call us directly on 01252 717128

If you wish to refer your child to Occupational Therapy please call the One Stop (Centralised Referral) on 0300 222 5755.