Shapwick School

Cynthia qualified as a speech and language therapist in the early 1970s. During Cynthia’s first two posts, working as a Speech and Language Therapist for Somerset and Salop County Councils, she gained much general experience with children and young people working in a wide variety of settings – health centres, schools for educationally subnormal children (both moderate and severe), a residential school for ESN girls with additional behaviour problems, a hospital children’s assessment centre, an adult training centre for learning disabled people. She was involved in the setting up and running of a number of intensive speech and language therapy courses, ranging from some for pre-school children to others for older pupils with stammers.

Cynthia then worked as a Speech and Language Therapist at Somerset Health Authority where she was tasked with improving the service offered. This role also allowed her to pursue her interest in special education as she worked at a special school for severely educationally disabled children and two opportunity playgroups.

Cynthia then changed direction, due to the demands of a young family, and worked as a warden in sheltered housing for the elderly.

In 1988 Cynthia was looking for suitable educational provision for her second son, who was significantly affected by dyslexia, and came across Shapwick School. At the time there was a vacancy for a Speech and Language Therapist which Cynthia secured.

Her role involved developing the therapy service from scratch, identifying the needs and how they could best be met, supporting staff by training and regular liaison, maintaining links with the families of all pupils (a number of whom live abroad). Service policy has continually evolved. In October 2000, and again in June 2004, the service achieved the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ Accreditation ‘Signed Up to Quality’, the service being only the second one in the UK to gain this and the only service to do so twice.

Cynthia’s post has enabled her to develop her knowledge of specific learning difficulties within a specialist setting, adapting and using many of the principles learned elsewhere and developing methods of approach to suit the children. The department has grown to include three Occupational Therapists and four other Speech and Language Therapists.

Cynthia travelled to South Africa in 2006 as part of a professional delegation with THRASS UK to visit and work in rural schools in the Mpumalanga province, and to visit schools in the Johannesburg area looking at the development of language and literacy skills there.

Sandy has always worked in specialist paediatric fields including developmental verbal dyspraxia, developmental coordination disorder and dyslexia.

She is particularly interested in the conjunction between language disorder, dyslexia/dyspraxia and autistic spectrum disorders and emotional resilience, cognition and independent learning in adolescence.

Before joining Shapwick Sandy set up a speech and language therapy department at a school for children with severe autistic disorders and other learning difficulties. She was also Head of Department in a specialist school for children and young people with motor disorders. Sandy has also practised privately, working specifically with children with complex language disorders, in conjunction with local authority primary and secondary schools.

In her spare time Sandy teaches music and runs a specialist music group on a Saturday morning. She also ran a Beaver Scout colony (6-8 year olds) for seven years. Her hobbies include singing, composing, wind & string ensembles, reading, maths and sciences.

Sheila was awarded a Master of Arts in French and German (with Linguistics). Sheila was subsequently awarded a BSc in Speech Pathology & Therapy.

She has wide experience working as a Speech & Language Therapist and has held positions in Lancaster, Crewe, Frenchay and Weston Area Health Authorities/Trusts. When her children were young she also worked in a variety of roles in a Nursery and a First School, including being a Chair of Governors for a First School.

Sheila’s interests include modern foreign languages, reading, walking, skiing, gardening and Scottish Country Dancing.

Kath qualified as an Occupational Therapist (OT) from Derby School of Occupational Therapy and has held a number of senior positions in London and the South West. She holds professional membership with:<br/>

• The Health Professions Council<br/> • The British Association of Occupational Therapist<br/> • The National Association of Paediatric Occupational Therapists<br/> • The Sensory Integration Network of Ireland and the UK<br/> • The Pilates Foundation UK. <br/> <br/> Courses attended by Kath since joining Shapwick School in January 2007 include: <br/>

• Children and Adults with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) (2007) <br/> • Practical approaches for working with adolescents and adults with DCD/Dyspraxia and overlapping specific learning difficulties (2007) <br/> • Sensory Tool Kit and Tools for Teens (2007) <br/> • Using ICT to support people with Dyslexia ( 2008) <br/> • Pilates Matwork Instructors course (2007 – 2008) <br/>

As well as working as an OT Kath has been involved as a volunteer with an opportunity playgroup in South Somerset and has just completed her training as a Pilates matwork instructor.

Prior to joining Shapwick Kath has held a number of positions working in Social Services in Devon, Bristol and Somerset, and for the Health Authority in London, Bath and Bristol. More recently she has worked as: <br/>

• Senior OT for Bristol Children’s Hospital – working in mainstream and special schools and working jointly with Physiotherapy colleagues running School for Parents based on Conductive Education. <br/> • Motability OT for the Southwest – assessing and advising clients on suitable vehicles and mobility solutions including drive from wheelchair adaptations. <br/> • Social Services OT working in Frome, Glastonbury and Wells – carrying out assessments of clients in their own homes. <br/>

Carole gained her BA (Hons) in History and French from the University of Kent, Canterbury and then went on to take a Master of Arts degree in Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University. Carole followed this by taking a BSc (Hons) degree in Occupational Therapy and was awarded first-class honours.

Carole worked as an Occupational Therapy Technician from 2000 for five years at Paulton Community Hospital and followed this by working as an Occupational Therapist with the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease (RNHRD) working with both children and adults prior to joining Shapwick.

In 2007 Carole was winner of the British Health Professional in Rheumatology Award for a clinical evaluation of a desensitisation framework she developed for the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Carole has presented at the National Conference for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in 2007. She holds professional membership with the following: <br/> • Health Professions Council<br/> • British Association of Occupational Therapists<br/> • Children, Young People and Families<br/> • College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section: Rheumatology<br/>

Carole completed her ‘Sensory Integration’ training in March. She has four children and is a member of her local book club.

Jess completed her BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy degree in 2007, which was awarded by the University of the West of England.

Jess is a HPC registered occupational therapist and has a keen interest in working with children and young people.

Prior to training as an occupational therapist Jess worked for a variety of companies in the UK and abroad over a six year period. In her spare time Jess is a Team Leader for a Junior Church Group which involves managing a group of 50 children aged between 9 and 11 years.

Fran studied Occupational Therapy in Liverpool, where she gained her Diploma. Since this time she has had a variety of experience having worked in hospitals in Merseyside, Liverpool Social Services and in Barnet General Hospital, London. She has worked with both children and adults.

Since started at Shapwick School in late May 2005, she has broadened her knowledge by attending several courses – including Paediatric Assessment, Brain Gym and Practical Approaches for working with Adolescents with DCD/Dyspraxia.

She holds professional membership with the following: <br/> • HPC – Health Professions Council<br/> • BAOT – British Association of Occupational Therapists<br/> • COT SS CYPF – College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section: Children, Young People & Families. <br/>

Fran currently works across both Shapwick Prep and Shapwick Senior sites and enjoys the challenges her work brings.

She has four children and enjoys yoga and drama. She is currently studying for the British Wheel of Yoga Teaching Diploma.