School Improvement

HELP YOUR PUPILS COMMUNICATE

THE

GUIDE TO...

Failing to spot early indications of speech and communication needs can give to rise to serious issues in years to come, says Claire Westwood

Imagine not being able to fully express your thoughts, opinions, feelings and needs. What challenges might you face if you struggle to

understand what’s being said to you, or to follow instructions?

This can be a daily experience for the more than 1.4 million children in the UK – equating to around 1 in 10 – who have some form of speech, language and communication needs (see bercow10yearson.com), but by

identifying and addressing these appropriately, primary school teachers can make a real difference to their lives.

THE IMPACTResearch previously published by Save The Children showed that one in four five-year-olds struggling with language didn’t reach the expected level in English at KS2, compared to one in 25 of children with good language skills (see tinyurl.com/psm-rtr).

The same further found that one in five five-year-olds with language difficulties didn’t reach the expected standard in maths, compared to one in 50 children with good language capabilities. If left unaddressed, SLCN can affect a child’s ability to access all areas of the curriculum.

There can also be an increased risk of these children being excluded from school, or coming into contact with the youth justice system further down the line. Approximately 60% of young offenders have communication difficulties (see tinyurl.com/lcd-jo-2007). Working as part of a youth offending team, this is something I’ve

observed on a near weekly basis.

THE RIGHT SUPPORTSLCN can manifest in a variety of ways, but also appear to present as other conditions. Visible signs of SLCN can include challenging behaviour, withdrawal and/or difficulty in acquiring social skills, making it important for teachers to be aware of the signs and what to do next. More broadly, primary schools have a key role to play in ensuring that

9PRIMARY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT

As of September 2019, Ofsted will combine its ‘Teaching, learning and assessment’ rating with the ‘Pupil outcomes’ grade, thus

creating a new ‘Quality of education’ measure. The regulator’s aim is to lessen the reliance on exam results as a measure of school quality, by taking into account a school’s broader curriculum offering.

Having found no common definition for ‘curriculum’, Ofsted has come up with the following working definition to help inform inspectors’ conversations with schools about their curriculum:

‘A framework for setting out the aims of a programme of education, including the knowledge and understanding to be gained at each stage (intent) … translating that framework over time into a structure and narrative, within an institutional context (implementation) … [and] evaluating what knowledge and understanding pupils have gained against expectations (impact).’

Think about and discuss your curriculum using the three focal points cited in that working definition, and prepare to discuss your curriculum with inspectors from this perspective.

In practice, that means being clear in how you answer three key questions: What are you trying to achieve through your curriculum (Intent)? How is your curriculum being delivered (Implementation)? What difference is your curriculum making (Impact)? Involve all members of staff early, so that everyone can talk about your curriculum consistently by the time of your next inspection.

Remember that there’s no magic formula for the perfect curriculum – you

Imogen Rowley examines what Ofsted’s new ‘quality of education’ measure means for schools

should always have sound justification for why you are or aren’t doing something, and how this relates to your curriculum intent. What follows are some suggestions for how you might be able to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

Prioritise phonics and the transition into early reading at KS1, and encourage older children to read widely and deeply. Encourage reading for pleasure at all ages, and feed language, writing and maths skills throughout all subjects.

Offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum, but make sure that these are purposeful and link with what’s being taught in class.

At KS2, don’t focus too heavily on English and maths to the detriment of the wider curriculum. Similarly, try not to spend a disproportionate amount of time on SATs preparation, such as mock tests and booster classes

Instead, consider offering specialist focus weeks or project days where all pupils come off-timetable, giving you the opportunity to provide broader provision in non-core areas such as technology, science or the humanities.

Imogen Rowley is a Lead Content Producer at The Key – a provider of up-to-the-minute sector intelligence and resources that empower education leaders with the knowledge to act

@TheKeySupport

thekeysupport.com

OFSTED’S NEW FRAMEWORK– WHAT’S NEXT?

effective interventions are put in place early on to support children with speech and language difficulties.

To that end, tools are available which enable primary teachers to carry out timely assessments of children’s speech and language development if they suspect there might be an issue. We in the Children’s Therapies team at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust wanted to do something to help, which led to us partnering with GL Assessment and developing a new speech and language toolkit for primary schools.

WellComm Primary is designed to help schools quickly identify children between the ages of six and 11 who may be struggling with their speech, language and communication skills. The screening process can be completed in less than 20 minutes by school staff, without the need for additional training, with children given a red, amber or green score indicating the presence or otherwise of SLCN.

The toolkit also includes The Big Book of Ideas for teachers, which contains a series of activities, games and strategies designed to develop and strengthen language and communication skills both in the classroom and at home.

Meeting children’s communication needs throughout their school career is vital for ensuring that they’re able to access the curriculum, build social relationships and maintain a high level of general wellbeing. There’s no question that effective screening and monitoring of children’s speech and language skills can make a major difference throughout their primary years and beyond.

Claire Westwood is a senior children’s speech and language therapist at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and the author of the WellComm Primary Toolkit

@GL_Assessment

gl-assessment.co.uk/ WellCommPrimary

10 PRIMARY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT