“The children receiving speech and language therapy from Magic Words are all making great progress and achieving their outcomes. We can see improved self-confidence and even some of our most complex children are visibly communicating more effectively.”
“Having a speech and language therapist available one day a week in a primary school is invaluable.“
Sarah Pearce, SENCO, Heronsgate School
Written by: Magic Words Staff - Andrew Fraser (Marketing Exec), Meghan van der Walt (Specialist Speech & Language Therapist)
At a time when funding is being cut and schools are fighting to find local speech and language support for SEN pupils, more than ever before, we see the value and importance of the work that we do as speech and language therapists. Speech and Language UK is an organisation focused on raising money, developing tools and resources for schools and nurseries, giving advice and guidance to families as well as putting pressure on politicians to enact change. According to their latest study and 5-year strategy, the number of children with speech and language difficulties/differences in the UK has increased to a staggering 1.9 million children - the highest number they have ever recorded.
Here at Magic Words Therapy, we understand the hugely positive impact that speech and language therapy can have on a child’s development. The earlier they can be assessed and start regular therapy sessions focusing on their unique needs, the better the outlook for that child’s future wellbeing and happiness.
In our case, we offer in-person therapy at 7 clinic locations, as well as effective speech and language therapy services to 100+ schools across the South East of England, the Midlands and London - helping thousands of children and young people to shine by removing barriers to their communication development and learning. We carefully structure our sessions to ensure children and young people are stretched enough to learn and develop their speech, language and communication skills - while maintaining the fun and enjoyment that keeps them motivated. Our therapy spaces are laid out in such a way that learning, development and fun always take priority.
One of our specialist Speech and Language Therapists, Meghan van der Walt, spends part of her week working at Heronsgate School in the heart of Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes. Meghan has built a strong rapport, not only with the pupils, but with the headteacher, SENCO, support staff and parents of the children she supports.
Sarah Pearce - SENCO at Heronsgate School has been a huge advocate for the services that Magic Words provides to the pupils at her school. “The children receiving speech and language therapy from Magic Words are all making great progress and achieving their outcomes. We can see improved self-confidence and even some of our most complex children are visibly communicating more effectively.”
We are passionate about our schools service because, time and time again, we see how effective speech and language therapy provision can be when it is prioritised and schools have consistent specialist input from a designated therapist or therapy team.
“Having a speech and language therapist available one day a week in a primary school is invaluable” said Sarah. We can also ensure that our children with EHCPs have a speech and language report for their annual reviews and appropriate outcomes set for their next steps – something that just is not possible with the NHS backlogs.”
On top of supporting pupils individual needs, our therapists aim to also offer schools guidance at a universal, whole school level. Meghan also had the opportunity to speak to Rebecca Styles - Speech, Language & Communication HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) at Heronsgate School about her experience with our schools service. “Meghan joined us well into the school year, after the long absence of a therapist, and she has fit in like a member of our staff. She is very knowledgeable and obviously cares deeply about the children she works with. In turn I have seen that they are very comfortable with her and have witnessed their confidence and engagement rise, particularly with a non-verbal child, who now does not avoid eye contact with me.”
Our schools service is designed to be flexible to accommodate different budgets and the specific needs of each school and its pupils. When Meghan asked Julie Dankwa - Learning Support Assistant running a SEN classroom at Heronsgate about her experience working closely alongside a Speech and Language Therapist from Magic Words, she had this to say:
“It is so important to have Magic Words Therapy in school because it taps into areas of a child's speech, language and communication development in ways that someone less specialised may not be able to. Meghan is very approachable, and the children warmed to her quite quickly. She is always happy to answer any questions and suggests strategies to help support the children I work with.”
Our therapists are dedicated to offering valuable guidance and support to SENCOs and headteachers at a universal, whole school level. They aim to help embed strategies and techniques that maximise each pupil’s communication potential. Our team of therapists can see pupils individually, in groups or a combination of both and we are proud to offer in-class therapy and joint teaching for pupils experiencing a broad range of speech, language and communication difficulties and differences, including but not limited to: Autism, Situational Mutism, Stammering, DLD, d\Deafness, Speech Sound Difficulties, Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia.
If you or someone you know would be interested to learn more about our schools service here at Magic Words Therapy, head over to our contact page to get in touch – we look forward to hearing from you!
