Oaklands School Wave model of therapy provision

At Oaklands, we believe in supporting our students in a holistic, all-rounded way. Therapy is not something that happens only during scheduled sessions - it is embedded across the entire school day. Whether in the classroom, on the playground, or during enrichment activities, therapeutic strategies are integrated into every part of school life.

All school staff at Oaklands are highly skilled and trained in delivering therapeutic strategies under the guidance of our qualified therapy team. Regular training throughout the academic year ensures that staff remain confident, informed, and equipped to support our students effectively. This shared approach allows therapeutic strategies to be woven into everyday interactions, supporting consistent development in communication, motor skills, and independence.

The Oaklands School Wave Model of Therapy Provision

Students at Oaklands School are assessed during their first year at the school and placed within our Wave Model of Therapy Provision. This model, designed with reference to national best practice and tailored to meet the specific needs of our students, ensures that all children benefit from consistent, high-quality support. Students are reassessed at the end of most Key Stages to ensure their needs remain met across each stage of their academic journey. 

The total number of hours outlined in our Wave Model indicates the hours of contact that students have with a therapist within our team; however, it does not reflect the total hours of therapy exposure that our students receive. We take careful and intentional care to ensure that our students are exposed to all types of therapy strategies consistently, throughout their school day.

Wave 3 – Universal Support

Wave 3 is the foundation of our model and includes strategies accessible to all students. The goal is to promote access to the curriculum, support language and communication, and encourage independence. This is achieved through a collaborative approach between the therapy team and school staff, including:

• Staff training sessions on INSET days
• Parent education through coffee mornings led by the therapy team
• Therapist input in curriculum planning, helping embed strategies into subject-specific teaching
• Whole-class observations, where therapists provide staff with strategies that can be done in class to improve access to lessons
• Therapy Overview Reports, written by qualified therapists to summarise input and outline any changes in provision

Our therapists train and support school staff so that therapeutic strategies are built into everyday learning. This means our students benefits from therapy throughout the day, across different settings, and with consistent practice. In fact, many students make more progress this way than they would from a single weekly session, as the strategies become part of their daily routine.

Students on Wave 3 are exposed to an extensive list of strategies throughout the day, as therapy is embedded into everything we do at Oaklands. Some of these strategies are outlined on our approaches page.

Wave 2 - Targeted Support

Some of our students may require input in addition to the universal offer to allow them to focus on a particular goal, or to help them with an area of their learning. These students are placed on Wave 2.

In addition to universal input, students on a Wave 2 might have access to one or more of the following:

• An individualised programme, focusing on a targeted goal. This is set up and modelled by a qualified therapist, followed by additional training for support staff to carry this out
• Access to a small group, where students work on the same goal together. These groups are created by our therapists, and can be run by therapists, therapy assistants, or trained support staff.
• Time towards additional comprehensive assessments and reports, particularly for our new students or students transitioning between Key Stages
• Trialling of specialist equipment, identified by a qualified therapist 

Our therapy team will review these students to help them return to a Wave 3 level, indicating that they can access their day with the many strategies already in place. 

Wave 1 - Intensive Support

A small group of our students may require intensive, direct support from our therapy team. This may be a result of them not being able to access their learning despite additional input, or may be appropriate if the student is working on a new goal where additional input is required. 

In addition to universal input, students on a Wave 1 might have acces to one or more of the following:

• A session of block therapy, consisting of 1:1 sessions with a therapist over a short period of time, following which, these sessions may be taken over by the therapy assistant or trained support staff
• Additional parent training and support if a new device or intensive strategy is being introduced

Our therapy team will continue to review these students to help them return to a Wave 3 level, indicating that they can access their day with the many universal strategies already in place.

 

 

Further detail on all levels of support, including possible breakdowns of provision, can be found in our full Therapy Policy.