Physiotherapy Hub

Physiotherapy Service

We believe in therapy through play.  Learning to ‘move’ should be fun and is a fundamental part of a child’s development, helping them interact and learn within their environment.   

Our onsite physiotherapy team assesses and provides, where appropriate, pupils with individually tailored programmes and equipment specific to their needs.  Through specialist assessments, posture management advice, integrated MOVE goals, personalised physiotherapy programmes, we strive to support each child to access movement opportunities right across their day.  They regularly practice skills which are important to them, enabling them to be the best they can be.

Our team supports orthotics and wheelchair school-based clinics and works in close partnership with the community physiotherapy and occupational therapy teams, to ensure a seamless service is delivered for each child.  Our dedicated team uses a variety of therapy interventions; this is based on what each child needs at that specific point in their development journey. This ranges from therapy groups, rebound therapy, hydrotherapy and mobility.

The team is led by Dr Frances George, PhD, a consultant physiotherapist, who not only ensure a high quality of service is delivered across the School but also ensures evidence based innovative practice is at the forefront of our therapy service development. The School is at the forefront in leading on best physiotherapy practices for children with complex physical needs; driving innovation in the field of research to support children’s development and therapeutic approaches to posture and movement.

For more info see our research page. 

Therapy Hub

The Hub is a specially designed physiotherapy learning environment. The hub environment can be tailored to specific individual needs or group sessions.  This allows pupils to have fun and engage in movement activities through a play experience whilst participating in their therapy.  Pupils may have regular, timetabled therapy sessions, either individually or in small groups which work across a range of core therapy skills such as sitting, standing, walking, balance and posture. 

Rebound Therapy

We have a sunken trampoline as part of the Hub.  This allows us to create an accessible and different learning environment for those children with severe physical and learning impairments.  Rebound therapy can help a child’s core stability, balance, strength and co-ordination when it cannot always be challenged on land, for example a child with more significant disability can use the rebound effect to achieve a movement that they cannot achieve on land.

MOVEment and Mobility

Humberston Park School is a MOVE (Movement Opportunities via Education) Centre of Excellence.

We encourage all pupils to gain as much independence as possible in all aspects of their lives: One of the most important aspects of independence is the ability to move.  As a School, we place great importance on our MOVE curriculum.  The MOVE programme enables children with physical impairments to improve their skills in independent sitting, standing, walking and transferring through functional goals.   We have a MOVE link in each class who works alongside our physiotherapy team.

The physiotherapy team includes several MOVE trainers and delivers a varied and comprehensive staff training and development programme assimilating MOVE and physical development.  This ensures staff have the specialist skills and knowledge required to effectively support each child in their movement learning, physical development and Independence.