Specialist staff
Educational Psychologist
Mike Beswetherick
Mr Beswetherick is a chartered Educational and Occupational Psychologist who spent more than 30 years working with local authorities in both mainstream and special schools.
Since 1990, he has also worked with various organisations facilitating recruitment and organisational change. Before becoming a psychologist, he taught in a large secondary school and worked in a senior List D school in Scotland.
Speech and Language Therapist
Marilyn Shah
Support for the speech/language and communication needs of the pupils at High Close is provided by a fully qualified and Health Professions Council registered speech and language therapist of many years experience, Mrs Shah.
All pupils receive an assessment of communication skills on entry to the school which provides the basis of advice offered to the teaching and care staff to help meet their learning and social development needs.
Mrs Shah also provides ongoing support for a wide variety of communication needs via shared work with staff, and group or individual work with pupils, including social communication skills and preparation for independence.
Occupational Therapist
Catherine Elsey
Mrs Eley is a qualified and HPC registered Occupational Therapist and has worked in many different settings including independent practice and for the NHS.
Pupils are referred by the staff and are assessed to identify functional difficulties and their level of ability to enable optimum independence.
Where indicated, intervention strategies are introduced, involving all those involved with the pupil’s education to help optimise independence for activities of daily living, including education, leisure and self care.
Psychotherapist/Counsellor
Jacqui Morgan
Mrs Morgan is a qualified counsellor and holds a diploma in Child Development Psychology. She has worked for many years in private practice and for local agencies and has recently joined the school as a consultant.
Young people are referred by staff and she then discusses their counselling needs. Following this, Mrs Morgan may offer the young person six weekly sessions during which time she will assess their counselling need. Although her sessions are confidential, she considers collaboration with parents/carers and school staff to be an essential part of the process.
SENCO
Mrs Rachel Smith
Dyslexia Specialist
Patricia Vokes
Mrs Vokes is a member of the teaching team. She is a qualified teacher with many years experience of teaching pupils with special needs in both mainstream and special schools.
Mrs Vokes holds a Dip SpLD which allows her to carry out diagnostic testing and to make special access arrangements for pupils sitting examinations. She is a specialist in the teaching of pupils with dyslexia.
Music Tuition
Pat Hood
Mrs Hood ran her own music school for 10 years before joining the staff of High Close. She provides individual tuition to pupils who are interested in learning to play the piano or guitar or who would like singing lessons.
Her focus is on developing an enjoyment of music at whatever level can be achieved. Mrs Hood encourages her pupils to perform in front of the school and enjoys watching them grow in confidence and self-esteem.
