A Day in the Life of a Speech and Language Therapist
- Jill Primrose
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
Ever wondered what we get up to when we’re working in schools? No two days are ever the same, but here’s a glimpse into a normal day in school for me
8:15am – Starting the Day
I arrive at my allocated school for the day and spend some time saying hello to School Staff and setting up my resources for the day. I often then begin by checking emails, reviewing the caseload and preparing the day’s upcoming sessions. I usually bring a flask of tea which always helps me to get going!
9:00am – Morning Sessions
My mornings usually begin with seeing some of the children on my caseload. On a typical day, I can find myself supporting a variety of children, from those needing help with their speech sounds, or their language skills, to those who stammer or need an alternative method of communicating putting in place. Recently, I’ve been enjoying using books as part of therapy sessions, the children have really enjoyed these, and this has allowed me to model language in an engaging and natural way.
My sessions with children also often include feeding back to Teaching Staff and helping them to understand how to support the child over the week until our next visit. This is a great time to catch up with Teachers and Teaching Assistants and I’m always grateful to have this time with them within their very busy day!
11:30am – Notes and Planning for the afternoon
After my morning sessions, I take time to write clinical notes for each child I have seen and reflect on their progress. This is often a great opportunity to reflect on what I can change next time, which is an important part of being a Therapist. I also spend some time planning my afternoon sessions.
I also spend some time letting parents know that I’ve seen their child for therapy. Again, this is an opportunity to make sure parents know how to support their child during the upcoming week.
12:30pm – Lunch Break
Time for a break! I usually try to spend some time away from my laptop as I find this helpful to recharge.
1:00pm – Afternoon sessions
In the afternoon, I will then see some more children from the caseload. Often this is a good opportunity to see children who have recently been referred to the caseload. I will then carry out a longer session which allows me to get to know the child and carry out any assessments that are appropriate. I’ll then spend time afterwards scoring and analysing these to plan my next steps, as well as speaking to parents/carers and finding out more about the child from their Class Teacher. This wider information gathering is so important to building a bigger picture of the child and their communication skills inside and outside of school.
3:00pm – Note writing and resource making
My day ends by writing more clinical notes and creating ‘carryover’ work which I share with Teaching Staff and parents. An individual session with a child helps kick start change and teaches new skills, but it is the practice outside of sessions which really helps them to embed them and make progress. I also spend this time writing any reports for children I have seen for assessment.
4:30pm – Wrapping Up
Before I know it, the day is done! It’s a good time to reflect on the day and process all that has happened. I also then contact the School SENCO to update them on what has been achieved in that day and to plan for the next session (usually the week after). After that, it’s time to go home and put the kettle on after a busy day!
Being a Speech and Language Therapist in a school means I’m never bored— every day is different! One day I might be delivering a parent coffee morning, and the next I’m providing training for teaching staff. My favourite part of working in a school is being part of a wider community. I love the moments that make school life special, like seeing the creativity poured into each Easter Bonnet and hearing Christmas songs being rehearsed as the festive season approaches. It’s such a privilege to play a role in children’s lives during this important time and to see the progress they make with our help.
