Communicating effectively
The Oral Language Programme runs across our primary schools. It aims to ensure that every one of our primary schools are “communication friendly” so that all children can develop the language and communication skills they need to be successful in school.
The programme is made up of two main strands:
1. Primary Talk is a training programme for teachers, delivered by speech and language therapists. Teachers learn how children’s communication develops and what to do if they're worried about a child in their class. They also learn about activities that can be used to develop talk in the classroom.
2. The Nuffield Early Language Intervention and TalkBoost, both of which are fun, small-group teaching programmes for nursery and reception pupils. The programmes boost pupils' confidence and vocabulary when speaking and telling stories.
The teachers' view
Following speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) training at Ark Oval Primary Academy:
- 86% of teachers said they were either confident or very confident at being able to identify children with SLCN.
- 90% said they were confident or very confident in their awareness of what makes a communication friendly classroom’.
- 100% said they were able to make adjustments in class to support all children’s language and communication skills’
- 95% said they were confident or very confident that they could remove the barriers to learning for a child with SLCN.