At Burlington House School, Speech and Language Therapy is an integral part of our educational provision. Communication underpins learning, emotional wellbeing and relationships, and many of our pupils need structured, specialist support to develop these skills successfully. Our registered Speech and Language Therapists work as part of the multidisciplinary team, so that communication is supported throughout the school day, not only within therapy sessions.
Assessment and a graduated model of support
We follow a graduated model of provision, offering universal, targeted and specialist support so that intervention is proportionate, responsive and meaningful. All pupils complete a communication assessment on entry to identify strengths and areas of need, which may explore listening and understanding, vocabulary and expressive language, grammar and sentence structure, verbal reasoning, speech sound development and social communication. Findings, alongside any EHCP recommendations, teacher input and professional judgement, inform an individualised therapy plan that is reviewed regularly.
Support across the school
Communication-friendly practice is embedded across the school through classroom strategies, adapted teaching and close collaboration with staff. Our therapists also contribute to wider initiatives that build social interaction and confidence, such as supported games clubs, quiet lunch and structured enrichment. In Years 3 to 8, timetabled sessions form part of the curriculum and develop core skills such as conversational confidence, emotional awareness, vocabulary and perspective-taking. In Years 9 to 14, pupils may access both targeted group work and direct one to one therapy, depending on their profile of need.
Areas we support
Our therapists support pupils with understanding spoken language, expressive language, social communication, emotional literacy, self-advocacy and independence in communicating their needs, and speech sound development where clarity affects intelligibility. Across all of these, our aim is to develop confident communicators who can take part fully in learning and social interaction.
Working together
The Speech and Language Therapy team is in school five days a week and attends parents’ evenings for pupils with an allocated therapist. Provision is reviewed termly, and pupils receiving therapy are given updated targets and reports. Close collaboration with staff and families is central to our approach, so that pupils can practise and generalise their skills beyond therapy sessions.
Speech and Language Therapy at a glance
- Registered Speech and Language Therapists, in school five days a week
- A communication assessment for every pupil on entry, with a graduated model of support
- Timetabled sessions in Years 3 to 8, with group and one to one therapy in Years 9 to 14
- Termly reviews, targets and reports, with close collaboration with families
Explore the school
Book a visit
To see how our support could help your child, come and meet our team at an open morning.