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Information for Schools ( Information for Parents is Here )
Key Points
When an art therapist is engaged the whole school benefits. The staff team is made aware that provision has been made for the emotional needs of children in order for them to gain access to the curriculum. The causes of inappropriate behaviour in the classroom are dealt with appropriately in a distinct space away from lessons. This is understood and appreciated by staff and pupils alike.
No specialist equipment is required other than the usual art materials found in the classroom.
Sessions are scheduled to fit in with the school timetable and classroom staff.
In order to
maintain confidentiality of the artwork made in art therapy, schools and
organisations must provide a lockable cupboard, cabinet or closet etc
with limited access for storage of art therapy artwork
The Art Therapy Room
The art therapy space is a container, both literal and symbolic, for the therapeutic work that occurs within it. Art therapy offers a space for the child away from the classroom and other obligations where privacy and confidentiality is maintained.
On a practical level, the ideal room contains a range of art materials, a sink or other source of water, suitable work surfaces, and is large enough to enable freedom of movement.
Therapist and child meet regularly in this same room, which should be quiet and free from intrusion whilst sessions are taking place. This is essential in order to create an atmosphere of safety and trust. If the room is consistently experienced as a safe place, it takes on a special significance for the child becoming a space where difficult feelings can be expressed and explored.
Setting Up Art Therapy in School
Art therapy provides pupils with an extremely accessible method of communication without reliance on verbal dexterity. It is a powerful tool and requires careful planning throughout the setting up process. It is helpful if the first meeting between the art therapist and head teacher includes:
A brief definition of art therapy outlining the psychotherapeutic nature of art therapy as distinct from an art lesson or recreational art. No former knowledge or experience of art is required from the referrals and technical ability is of no relevance.
The art therapist can take his/ her approved police check form to this meeting and give the head teacher details of their state registration number and British Association of Art Therapists membership.
It will benefit the head teacher to have an outline of the art therapist’s schedule so that a suitable time table may be drawn up to complement the school’s schedule. For example, we will see 4 individual pupils or 2 individuals and 1 group over the course of 1 school day. In explaining the tasks that the art therapist carries out between the clinical sessions the art therapist will enable the head teacher to identify the most appropriate times to arrange regular meetings and to schedule KS 1 and 2 children around literacy and numeracy hours etc.
The Art Therapist
After joint discussion about pupils who might be appropriate for the service, a number of pupils may be identified for priority. The head teacher should be given a referral form for each child, a letter of permission to be sent to parents/ carers and an evaluation of service form. The referral and evaluation forms should be completed by a member of staff who knows the referred pupil well. The permission slip should include an invitation for the parent/ carer to meet with the art therapist before work commences.
A future meeting can be scheduled for the art therapist and relevant class teachers and SENCo to meet to discuss the art therapy programme. During this meeting the art therapist can arrange the best time each week for feedback sessions with the class teachers involved. It is helpful for us to be kept informed of changes and developments for those pupils referred to the service, and some art therapy feedback can be made available to school staff. This is also a good time to arrange classroom observations before work commences. In addition it is very important to appoint a member of the staff team to act as a weekly liaison member of staff (normally the SENCo) between the art therapist and the staff team. These meetings are invaluable for whole team communication and usually last for 15-20 minutes on average (please note: this is not the same as clinical supervision which usually takes place off the premises on a weekly basis with a registered art therapy supervisor).
It is advisable for the art therapist to arrange a whole staff team workshop and case study presentation before clinical work commences. This could be carried out in a staff meeting or included as part of INSET. The staff training will introduce the concept of ‘therapeutic boundaries’ which we put into place within school during a pupil’s session. We meet with pupils at the same time and in the same uninterrupted room each week. The reasons behind this are carefully explained in the staff workshop. Also the work is relationship-based and therefore we ask staff not to ask for, or to discuss, information from a pupil’s art therapy session. It is important to convey that the therapy sessions should never be used as either a reward or a punishment. At the staff meeting we will also discuss the importance of working carefully towards an ending with each pupil at the expected point of closure. Most of the art therapy work is non-directive; the pupil identifies what material to bring to the sessions.
We will also take this opportunity to discuss confidentiality with the staff team, and how to address the matter if a pupil doesn’t want to attend a session. It is quite normal for adult and child clients to experience some ambivalence about attending therapy at some point in their programme; after all, this is a forum to address some quite difficult experiences. Gentle encouragement is important here. Also, on their return to the classroom from an art therapy session it helps to give your pupils a few minutes when they are not expected to be on task to help them to reacclimatise to the classroom environment.
The
art therapist will need to establish the best time to go through all of
the referred pupils’ records, including the child protection files,
before work can commence. Liaison with other agencies may be necessary
to avoid repetition or conflict with other interventions.
Click Here to find out more about our Art
Therapy Package
Referral
How the referral process works in schools can differ depending on the staff team and the art therapist. However, art therapy referrals in schools generally come from class teachers, SENCos (Special Education Needs Coordinator) and Head Teachers. Other outside agencies might include social workers or educational psychologists. The art therapist may be given a list of pupils, whom staff would like to be considered. From this, the art therapist and other professionals, such as the SENCo or Head Teacher, can begin the process of selection. This can also include a therapist's observation of a pupil in class. Other factors, which need to be considered by the therapist and staff team might include:
Time available - If only ten sessions are available, it may not be suitable
to work with a child who needs long term work.
Other therapies - If a child is already seeing a counselor, therapist or family therapy. Too much therapy could 'over load' a child.
Group or individual
- It maybe be just group work is available, which is not always a suitable
intervention for every child.
It is important that staff involved in the referral process understand
how the therapeutic process works so that they are able to make appropriate
referrals. The referral process is assisted by education and communication
within the staff team, mainly through art therapy literature and whenever
possible a presentation and experiential workshop.
Parental consent is another important part of the referral process. This is generally done via a letter being sent home, which is accompanied by an information leaflet for parents. Parents are given the opportunity to meet with the therapist prior to therapy to discuss any queries or concerns.
The Referral Form
The art therapy referral form is designed to gather all available and relevant information about a pupil together onto one form. The Art Therapy in School Service referral form is split into three sections. The first section, part A needs to be completed by the referrer and includes reason for referral, outcome hoped for, other professionals or agencies involved and details of any child protection procedures. Part C, requires details of difficulties at school, at home, attitude towards adults, peer group, family history and structure. It is important that the referrer takes time to complete the referral form as it helps the art therapist to create a framework for the art therapy - what problems may be brought into therapy, the aims of the work and any insights into how the therapy may progress, particularly if other professionals have worked with the child on similar issues.
To download our referral form:
Click Here
to download the Word
version
- or - Click
Here to download the
PDF version
(To save either
of these forms to your harddrive, right-click on the link and select
'save target as...')
Assessment
Generally after four weeks the therapist completes an assessment report. This considers the following:
• Themes and issues which are arising
• How the child relates to the therapist
• How the child works with the art materials
• Body
language and communication
Some therapists also use this assessment to give a time scale for the
therapeutic work. Other therapists review the work each term/half term,
in the form of written/verbal feedback.
