Occupational Therapy students complete innovative school placement in Draperstown

Three final-year Occupational Therapy (OT) students have completed a successful placement at St. Colm’s High School, Draperstown as part of an innovative new pilot.

The initiative was born out of the recognition that school pupils could benefit from occupational therapy support being provided within the school setting.

The Northern Trust, as a lead partner in the Thrive Sperrins initiative, worked with St. Colm’s High School, the Workspace Group, and Ulster University to enable the three students to undertake the unique placement within a mainstream school.

As part of their placement, the OT students worked with pupils on ways to support both mental and physical aspects of school life. This included support for regulation, emotional wellbeing and the more physical aspects of education, such as pen grip. They also provided advice to school staff about the importance of the physical environment, such as room set up, desk layouts and the impact this can have on learning.

ABOVE: Staff and pupils from St Colm’s High School, Draperstown along with staff from the Northern Trust and final-year Occupational Therapy (OT) students who have completed a successful placement at the school.

Mairead Gribbon, Principal Occupational Therapist for Mental Health at the Northern Trust, said: “As a Trust, we are committed to exploring innovative ways to deliver our services so that we can best meet the needs of our communities. This pilot has demonstrated how important and beneficial it can be when we bring our expertise out into the community and provide support closer to home. It’s about helping people thrive in their everyday environment. Having Occupational Therapy students in secondary schools is so valuable because it is a stage where habits, identities and coping strategies are forming. The feedback from the school and pupils has been tremendous."

Mairead added: “As an Occupational Therapist, I’m passionate about providing our placement students with hands-on experience across a diverse range of practice areas, from community through to acute so this has been a novel opportunity this year. For the students themselves, they have been able to see the positive difference they have been able to make over the course of the past five weeks and they should be very proud.”

Sinead McAllister, Principal at St Colm's High School, said: "We've been extremely lucky to have had the three OTs in the school, and I think they've virtually shadowed all our students, and the impact has been phenomenal.

"Just making small adjustments in the classroom and around their learning, I can see how students are now able to talk very eloquently about their feelings and it has really built up their confidence."

Clare McMonagle, Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Ulster University and Role Emerging Placement Coordinator, said: “This placement reflects the strength of the partnership between Ulster University and St Colm’s High School demonstrating the value of the role emerging practice within occupational therapy.

"Over five weeks our students demonstrated a high level of professionalism, initiative and leadership in developing their role within the school setting, highlighting the significant contribution occupational therapy can make. I am extremely proud of their achievements and sincerely grateful to the staff and pupils for their support and collaboration.”

Occupational Therapy student Ryan Greene, outlined some of the support that he provided: "A big stressor that would come up is anxiety around exam time, and worries about making friends, so we would give them coping mechanisms around that.

"So with anxiety, it's just getting to think about where you feel it, how often you feel it, what first comes to mind and what the physical and emotional responses are, breaking it down like that can really help."