Music Therapy

There is music therapy provision two days per week at Fiveways; our music therapist has specialist experience in working with young people with learning difficulties and is state registered through the Health and Care Professions Council. Individual and group Music Therapy sessions are offered across all areas of the school on a referral basis.

What is Music Therapy?

Music Therapy is a unique method of creative communication that takes place between the young person and the Music Therapist and which develops over a series of regular sessions. Music Therapy provides a valuable support for our young people at Fiveways, offering opportunities for the development of communication, interaction, self-expression and creativity. Music Therapy also supports the emotional and psychological needs of our young people enabling them to express themselves in a supportive and safe environment.

Our Music Therapist works closely with the team through regular meetings with staff and by providing reports for review meetings. When required the staff have opportunities to support the children in the Music Therapy sessions and therefore some of the approaches used in Music Therapy have an impact across the whole school curriculum.

What happens in a Music Therapy session?

Music Therapy sessions are structured around the needs of the individual or group. The music in the sessions is largely improvised with the therapist using sensitively judged musical responses, giving the child a sense of being heard and responded to in a special way, allowing them to develop their own musical language through instrumental play, body movements, vocalisations or gestures.

A large selection of percussion instruments are available, plus a piano; the therapist supports, reflects and acknowledges the child’s contributions within the musical relationship.