Communication

Some pupils are highlighted as having severe communication needs and therefore require communication intervention.  A ‘Communication Curriculum’ has been devised and added onto Educater.  Our communication offer has been written detailing our approach to communication across school. Please also see our overview with additional information.

Class staff have baselined the pupils against the tracker and will re-assess at the mid-year and EOY point to track progress.  Class interventions include use of Colourful semantics, specific SaLT intervention targets and/or staff facilitating play following evidence based research that language acquisition will develop after important play and attention skills are learnt. (see appendix 1)

The following areas tracked are:

Social interaction, emotional understanding, oral motor coordination, receptive language and expressive language.

Communication Champions

The following staff have agreed to become a Communication Champion 2020/2021.  This role involves delivering set activities to meet a child’s speech and language target – set by SaLT.  We plan to set learning walks to share good practice (Spring 21) and have requested communication training for all staff from SaLT.  Specific staff are involved with planned training and will be given additional time to share good practice.  Each communication champion has received a communication pack which is a zip lock pack containing resources to meet individual targets and tracking sheets, highlighting ‘steps to success’.

2020/2021 staff Communication Champions

Staff Continued Professional Development 2020/2021

All staff will complete a self-directed course in Communication and Understanding (1/2 day) online through Communication Trust:  https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/projects/professional-development/online-short-course

Colourful Semantics

Overview: It is aimed at helping children to develop their grammar but it is rooted in the meaning of words (semantics).

Word Aware (SaLT Recommended)

Overview: Practical, comprehensive resource designed to support practitioners in the provision of effective vocabulary development in children of all abilities.

Nuffield Early Language Development

Overview: The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is a 20-week programme for children who show weakness in their oral language skills and who are therefore at risk of experiencing difficulty with reading. Developed by a team of academic experts and underpinned by evidence demonstrating a positive impact on children.  The course will be delivered 30mins x per week to pupils with weak receptive and expressive language skills. (to be decided)

How the interventions will work within school will be depending on the training and how we wish to use it to meet our needs.

Speech and Language Across School

Many pupils across school have an active target and are known to Speech and Language.  Speech and Language will review the targets per term and are available through TEAMS if we require any additional support.  Communication champions will track the progress of the set targets and record within their packs.

Play and Active Learning

As a pilot scheme, we are tracking ‘Active Play and Engagement’ for pupils who benefit from play based learning. This scheme is to track pupil progress of those working below stage 1 in Learning Behaviors.  The Active Play and Engagement curriculum was written for pupils to capture basic foundation skills required to build on, for effective communication to take place.  Attention Autism was delivered to the whole of class 3 to develop joint attention skills (Sept 20) and all achieved.  The Active Play Curriculum is tracked on Educater and all pupils were baselined Autumn term 1. 

How pupils/staff/parents are supported

• All communication champions have their own group e-mail address; communicationchamptions@stonehillsch.co.uk where regular information, research and training opportunities are sent.
• Mrs Chambers has allocated 1hr 30mins per week intervention time, supporting lower school staff/pupils in the delivery of communication and 1hr 30mins per week supporting the delivering of communication in upper school.
• Mrs Chambers will liaise with Speech and Language Team on a twice monthly (at least) basis.
• Communication section to be added to the website (Jan 21) to support families understand how communication is developed at school.
• Parental Communication Champions are added as a group through SEESAW
• Parents of highlighted pupils will receive a ‘parent friendly’ communication pack signposting effective support in the home – through SEESAW

Useful tips

Language Acquisition Pyramid