Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

experiences. The leadership team at Cottenham recognises this need to play and be
creative which is one reason it has fully supported music therapy.
It was unusual for a mainstream secondary school to have music therapy when I first
set up the post in 2003 and, according to published literature, it was the first
secondary school in the UK to employ a music therapist directly. This new music
therapy post was the focus of an article in the Times Educational Supplement (TES)
the following year. This is significant because the research project arose from this
early innovative work. It was necessary to consolidate and provide an evidence base
for this new field. My work in a mainstream secondary school (and its local feeder
primary school) attracted attention because it was a new direction for music therapy
in education. Although I worked with students with learning disabilities, as is more
commonplace in special schools, I also worked with students with complex emotional
difficulties such as those who had suffered loss through bereavement or been
excluded from their previous school. It was reported in the TES that ‘for music
therapy to find a place in a mainstream secondary school – furthering the cause of
inclusion and helping pupils with a wide range of needs – is a significant departure’
(Hinds, 2004).
3.3 The special school: The Centre School
In November 2008, when the Learning Support Unit had over 50 registered full-time
students, it became a school in its own right and was named The Centre School. It is
organised specifically for students with complex emotional and behavioural
difficulties who cannot manage in mainstream education. This school is distinct
because it is on the site of a normal secondary school so, whilst the students are
excluded and attend a separate unit, they are not isolated. The Centre School is
federated with the college and the schools share their resources so they remain firmly
linked. The mainstream college plays an important role in helping to reintegrate
students from The Centre where possible. For example, a student in The Centre
School can access mainstream classes with support, and a mainstream student who is
struggling can be helped by attending The Centre School.
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