Olsen House School

Therapy

Therapy at Olsen House is integrated and values-led, not an add-on. Our Vision & Values inform relationships, the way we scaffold regulation and how we celebrate growth: kindness in interactions, ambition in goals, inspiration through meaningful success.

Our therapeutic curriculum aligns SaLT and OT with everyday teaching so strategies transfer into lessons, routines and relationships. Therapists audit provision, train staff, screen students and co-design plans so communication, sensory regulation and independence improve where learning happens. Staff are trained in Thrive and Emotion Coaching, creating predictable, low-arousal classrooms with high empathy and clear guidance.

This whole-school approach is embedded through CPD cycles, coaching and quality assurance (QA). Current priorities in our School Development Plan (SDP) include evaluating therapeutic impact in classrooms, aligning goals across education and therapy, and expanding staff capability so therapeutic conversations become routine. These actions sit alongside recognition, Postcard Fridays, merits and “Good News” calls that make progress visible and motivating.

Impact is evident in engagement, attendance and outcomes recorded in our SEF: as regulation improves, participation and qualifications rise. Our non-confrontational, relational approach, rooted in shared language and consistent routines, has reduced high-level incidents over time.

Therapy also connects to Outdoor Education and cultural capital. Graduated challenges, residentials, watersports, and climbing build self-efficacy, teamwork and sensory confidence. We plan these deliberately, linking therapeutic goals (communication, planning, coping with change) to real contexts where skills generalise. In short: care and high expectations go hand in hand, enabling students to feel safe, capable and ready to learn every day.