Clinical & Therapeutic Services
Supporting pupils’ wellbeing, communication and emotional growth through specialist care
At Reddish Hall School, the Clinical & Therapeutic Team plays a central role in shaping the supportive, nurturing environment that helps our pupils flourish.
We believe that children learn best when they feel safe, understood, and emotionally regulated — and our clinical team works side‑by‑side with education staff to make this a reality every single day.
Our therapists, psychologists and specialist practitioners offer a rich blend of therapeutic approaches, helping pupils build communication skills, develop self‑understanding, regulate their emotions, and grow in confidence and independence. The team works closely with families, teachers and support staff, ensuring therapy is not something that happens in a room “apart from school”, but something woven gently and thoughtfully through a child’s experience of daily school life.
Speech & Language Therapy (SaLT)
Our Speech and Language Therapy service supports pupils to develop the communication skills they need to express themselves confidently and engage fully in learning and relationships.
Suzanne Fisher – Speech and Language Therapist
Suzanne brings a wealth of experience from the NHS and specialist SEND charities. Her training has equipped her to understand language development through a trauma‑informed lens, and she is passionate about helping pupils find their voice — whether that is through developing speech sounds, building expressive language, understanding more abstract vocabulary or engaging more confidently in social communication.
She works closely with staff and families to ensure that communication support is joined up, meaningful and practical. This may involve one‑to‑one sessions, small group work or whole‑class strategies designed to make the learning environment communication‑friendly and accessible for everyone.
Rachel Davis – Speech & Language Therapy Assistant
Rachel joined Reddish Hall after completing her degree in Speech and Language Therapy, bringing a gentle, neurodiversity‑affirming approach to her work. She supports pupils with speech sound development, social interaction and communication profiles, and works alongside Suzanne to model strategies in classrooms and build pupils’ confidence in communicating in ways that feel authentic and comfortable to them.
SaLT’s Contribution to School Life
The SaLT team provides training for staff, develops resources such as visual supports and word webs, and offers consultation for teachers to help them understand and support individual pupils’ communication needs. They also help embed OFG’s Inclusive Communication Framework across the school, ensuring communication is everyone’s responsibility.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Our Occupational Therapy service helps pupils develop the sensory, motor and functional skills they need to feel grounded, regulated and ready to learn.
Suzanne (Sue) Peek – Occupational Therapist
Sue has spent many years supporting young people with a wide range of needs, including mental health challenges, sensory differences, neurodiversity and SEMH difficulties. Her therapeutic approach is practical, strengths‑based and child‑centred. She helps pupils discover the strategies that work best for them — whether that relates to sensory regulation, independence skills, coordination or building the confidence to participate more fully in school life.
Austin O’Hare – Occupational Therapy Apprentice
Austin joined us in 2022 and now studies Occupational Therapy while delivering high‑quality intervention and support. His sessions blend structure and creativity, supporting handwriting development, sensory integration, fine and gross motor skills, and functional independence. Austin also draws on his musical talents, offering therapeutic music‑based sessions that help pupils build confidence, communication and rhythm while discovering new passions — sometimes leading to further study in music beyond school.
- psychotherapists
- speech and language therapists
- occupational therapists
OT’s Role in School Life
Occupational Therapy is threaded through the school day. Strategies may include creating sensory‑friendly environments, supporting movement breaks, adapting classrooms to increase access or helping pupils practise real‑life skills that support independence and emotional wellbeing.
Dramatherapy
Led by Claire Quigley — Dramatherapist
Dramatherapy offers pupils a creative, expressive and emotionally safe space to explore their inner experiences.
Claire works with children who may find it difficult to express feelings through words alone. Through movement, role play, story and symbolic exploration, pupils are supported to make sense of emotions, relationships and experiences that may otherwise feel overwhelming or confusing.
Claire specialises in trauma and attachment‑informed practice. Her warm, attuned approach helps pupils feel grounded and connected, using creativity as a bridge to emotional expression and regulation.
She is also involved in national research projects — including Arts for the Blues — which aim to increase access to creative therapies within mainstream psychological services, and supports training for Manchester CAMHS practitioners in integrating creative therapeutic models into their work.
Art Therapy
Art Therapy provides pupils with a calm, contained and non‑verbal space to explore feelings and experiences creatively. Many children find it easier to communicate through imagery than through language, and art therapy helps them build emotional literacy, resilience and confidence through the process of making and reflecting
- supporting neurodiverse young people
- delivering art therapy within educational settings
- using creativity to support emotional regulation and expression
Psychology & Psychotherapy
Our psychology and psychotherapy provision offers more in‑depth therapeutic support for pupils with complex emotional needs or those who benefit from sustained and relational therapeutic work. This may include long‑term psychotherapy, therapeutic assessment, trauma‑informed formulation and guidance for teaching staff.
These approaches help pupils understand their emotional world, develop healthy coping strategies and build trusting relationships.
How Pupils Access Clinical Support
When a pupil joins Reddish Hall, their EHCP is reviewed carefully to understand any existing therapeutic provision or unmet need.
As they settle in, needs may emerge from conversations with staff or parents, from wellbeing concerns, or simply through observing how a young person interacts with the school environment.
Once a referral is made, our Clinical Lead reviews the information and, where helpful, brings it to the weekly Multi‑Disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting. This team discussion ensures that the pupil is matched with the therapeutic discipline most suited to their needs.
Before therapy begins, clinicians take time to gather a full picture of the pupil. This may include reading relevant reports, consulting staff and families, and observing the child in both classroom and unstructured settings. This careful process helps ensure therapy feels relevant, safe and personalised.
Therapy blocks vary: psychotherapy is often offered in 12‑session cycles, while SaLT, OT, dramatherapy and art therapy may be delivered in shorter or longer programmes depending on the child’s goals. All clinicians use a model of assess → plan → do → review, and progress is monitored through Goal‑Based Outcomes, which are reviewed termly with the young person, staff and parents. These reviews help determine whether therapy continues, changes direction, or transitions back into universal support.
How Clinical & Education Work Together
One of the strengths of our clinical model is the way therapy and education work in harmony.
Our clinicians are present throughout the school day, guiding staff in trauma‑informed approaches that help pupils feel secure and connected.
Staff are supported to use PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy), and clinical input helps shape lesson structures, communication supports, transitions and the emotional rhythm of the school day.
The team also offers reflective practice sessions, giving staff a confidential space to reflect on challenges, share strategies and deepen their understanding of pupil needs.
Regular clinical CPD ensures staff stay up to date with therapeutic approaches, including communication‑friendly practice, sensory regulation, co‑regulation and relational support. Clinicians also model strategies directly in classrooms, supporting teachers and support staff to apply therapeutic thinking in real time.
Our Therapeutic Model
Therapeutic support at Reddish Hall is not a stand‑alone service — it forms part of a wider whole‑school ethos.
- Universal support includes trauma‑informed environments, communication‑friendly classrooms, sensory strategies and supportive routines that benefit every child.
- Targeted support offers short‑term groups, MOTSI interventions, communication programmes and creative therapies for pupils who need a little extra help.
- Specialist support provides individual therapy, psychological formulation and long‑term therapeutic input for pupils with more complex needs.
This layered approach ensures every child receives the right support at the right time, with compassion and consistency.
Working With Families
We believe that therapeutic work is most effective when it is a partnership.
Families are invited to share their insights, join reviews, contribute to goals and stay informed about progress. Clinicians offer strategies for home and work closely with parents to help children feel supported across all areas of their life.
