Clinical Therapy

A Therapeutic Approach Across Our School

At Castle Garden School, our clinical model is an integral part of our whole-school approach. It helps us create a therapeutic, neurodiversity-affirming environment in which every student is understood, supported and able to access learning.

Our transdisciplinary team works alongside education staff to develop a cohesive, reflective and evidence-informed approach to each student’s wellbeing, communication, sensory needs and overall development. By bringing clinical expertise and educational practice together, we aim to understand each student as an individual and provide support that is meaningful, consistent and responsive to their needs.

Our Key Principles

1. Multiprofessional Expertise

Our clinical offer brings together a range of professional expertise, including:

• Creative Psychotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Clinical Leads
• Skilled SEN educators working in partnership with clinicians

Our team works collaboratively with class staff to develop a shared understanding of each student and ensure that support is individualised and consistent. This transdisciplinary approach helps clinical understanding inform everyday interactions, classroom practice and the wider school environment.

2. Evidence-Informed and Reflective Practice

Our clinical model is guided by approaches that help us understand students’ individual needs, build positive relationships and support their development.

• Ask, Accept, Develop (AAD): recognising each student’s strengths, communication style and individual needs, and supporting their development in ways that respect who they are.
• Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP): recognising how previous experiences may influence a student’s sense of safety, relationships and responses to the world, and providing support that promotes emotional safety and trust.
• The 3 C’s Approach — Connect, Co-Regulate, Co-Reflect: prioritising connection and supportive relationships, helping students manage difficult experiences alongside trusted adults, and reflecting on what helps them feel safe and ready to engage.

As a developing school, we place particular importance on building strong connections and supporting co-regulation. Reflective practice enables our staff to consider what is working well, learn from experience and adapt their approach as students’ needs develop.

3. Sensory- and Communication-Friendly Environments

We recognise that students communicate and experience the world in different ways. Our environments and approaches are designed to support these differences and help students feel understood, comfortable and able to participate.

This includes:

• Sensory-friendly classrooms that consider individual sensory needs and how the environment can support engagement and regulation.
• Multimodal communication approaches that value different forms of expression and support students to communicate in ways that work for them.
• Dedicated sensory spaces, including our Soft Play area, The Reef, and our Sensory Room, The Cove, which offer opportunities for sensory exploration, regulation and therapeutic support.

These spaces form part of our wider approach to supporting students throughout the school day. How they are used is guided by individual needs and the support that will be most helpful to each student.

4. A Flexible and Tiered Clinical Offer

Our clinical model is designed to be responsive and personalised, recognising that students have different needs and may benefit from different levels of support at different times.

Whole-School Support

A therapeutic culture is embedded across the school. Clinical understanding informs the approaches used by education staff, helping all students benefit from an environment that recognises their communication, sensory, emotional and developmental needs.

Group Support

Short-term, focused support may be provided to groups of students with shared needs or goals. This creates opportunities to develop and practise skills in a supported setting.

Individual Support

Where appropriate, students may receive time-limited, direct clinical intervention delivered by one or more clinicians. This focused input supports specific priorities and provides opportunities to practise, consolidate and develop skills.

These levels of support work together as part of a coordinated approach. The aim is to provide the most appropriate support for each student, at the right time, while helping them apply and develop their skills in everyday situations.

5. Parent, Carer and Family Involvement

We see families as essential partners in understanding and supporting each student. Parents and carers bring valuable knowledge of their child’s experiences, strengths, needs and ways of communicating.

Our clinical and education teams work with families through:

• Workshops for parents and carers.
• Opportunities to understand and explore strategies used in school.
• Regular communication and collaboration around students’ needs and progress.

Working in partnership helps us build a shared understanding of each student and, where appropriate, promote greater consistency between home and school. We value the insights families bring and recognise the importance of listening, sharing information and working together.

6. Professional Development and Innovation

Developing our practice is an ongoing process. We are committed to ensuring that staff have opportunities to build their knowledge, reflect on their work and strengthen the support they provide to students.

Our clinical model is supported by:

• Continuous professional development, helping staff develop their skills and understanding.
• Transdisciplinary working, bringing clinical and educational expertise together.
• Research, innovation and development within the wider organisation, supporting the ongoing development of practice.
• The Clinical Excellence Framework, which helps guide consistency and quality in our clinical approach.

Through collaboration, reflection and continued professional learning, we aim to ensure that our practice remains thoughtful, responsive and informed by the needs of our students.

Working Together to Support Every Student

Our clinical model is not limited to individual therapy sessions. It is part of how we understand students, build relationships, shape supportive environments and help remove barriers to learning and participation.

By bringing together clinical expertise, educational practice and family partnership, we aim to support every student to develop their communication, wellbeing, confidence and independence, and to make meaningful progress towards their individual goals.