SEN


In the run-up to her seminar at Nasen Live later this month,


Communication Champion Jean Gross outlines how improving communication skills can have a profound effect on SEN pupils’ future life chances


A


s we approach the end of the academic year I know that despite the fantastic progress we have already made with the 2011 National Year of speech, Language and Communication (the Hello campaign) there is still


much to be done. Hello seeks to reach a broad range of audiences


– parents, children and young people, the children’s workforce and commissioners and providers of services. we have already seen some extraordinary projects emerge from the secondary settings but I am keen to ensure that as many secondary schools as possible participate, benefit from the resources provided and share their own good practice.


Identifying pupils who need help


A key aim of the national year is earlier and improved identification of children and young people who need extra help to develop their speech, language or communication skills (sLCN). For secondary schools and settings, the message is that pupils with sLCN need to be identified so that they can be provided with appropriate interventions, or referred to specialists for further support. Tracking subsequent progress is also equally


important. schools are now very skilled in tracking pupils’ progress in literacy and maths, to make sure they make expected levels of progress. Relatively few schools, however, track progress in


speaking and listening with the same rigour, so this might perhaps be an area to focus on when looking at priorities for the new academic year. The poster “what’s typical talk at secondary?”


(available from the Hello website) describes expected progress in language development over the secondary years, and can help you with tracking.


Problems in identification


Research shows that many children with sLCN go unidentified – 65 per cent of young offenders, for example, were found in one study to have sLCN, but in only five per cent of cases had this been previously known. Department for education “PLAsC” (Pupil Level


Annual school Census) data also suggests possible problems in identification. The graph on this page shows a declining proportion of children identified by their schools as having sLCN as their primary need, as they move from key stage 1 to key stages 2, 3 and 4. At the same time, the proportion of children with specific or moderate learning difficulties, or behaviour difficulties, identified as their primary need rises as we move up through the age groups. A speech and language problem in key stage 1


“becomes” a literacy problem in key stage 2, and a behaviour problem in key stage 3. The underlying speech, language or communication need is unlikely to have gone away, but it may no longer be obvious to the child’s teachers. some schools, like Beal High school in Redbridge,


featured below, have recognised this and probe below the surface to better understand the needs of their intake. seNCOs might want to consider following their lead and screening for sLCN whenever a pupil is struggling with literacy, has BesD (behavioural, emotional or social difficulties), or is at risk of exclusion.


Case study – Beal High School


Beal High regularly has large numbers of children coming in at year 7 who have been identified by their primary school as having learning or behaviour needs. The school undertakes detailed work to identify any underlying sLCN that might have been missed. Cognitive Abilities Tests (CATs) are used with all the new intake in september. Pupils with significantly lower verbal than non-


verbal skills on the CATs, or with low scores across the board, are targeted for further investigation via round-robins asking staff about their performance in class. As a result of training, subject staff have become increasingly skilled in identifying potential sLCN. “This child is not remembering things… his sentence structure isn’t right,” they may note. As a next step,


SecEd • May 5 2011


The importance of communication


the school may ask their speech and language therapist to assess and advise. As a result of these systems, the large group of children with non-specific learning or behaviour difficulties has been reduced by the end of the first term, and specific difficulties – sLCN, dyslexia, dyspraxia – identified so that appropriate interventions can be put in place.


What next?


If you understand the importance of prioritising sLCN in your setting but are unsure of the next steps, the monthly themes for the national year might offer a place to start.


June – Imagine life for those that struggle. Help subject colleagues get to grips with sLCN – give them the Hello booklet Misunderstood, which explains the basics and how to help students with difficulties.


July – Skills for work, life and play You might suggest that students take a workout in BT’s Talk Gym, a new online resource to support young people in developing their communication skills. Have a look too at the words for work programme, which involves business volunteers in supporting talk in schools (see further information).


August – Talk and go Involve pupils in planning a “family talk” activity for a local museum or visitor attraction.


September – Back to school Use the new Hello activity pack to implement a talk- only day in school – no writing. Get into podcasting,


learning each other’s languages (from signing to home languages to teenspeak). Train older students to act as talk volunteers with younger children. Have student teams investigate how communication-friendly classrooms are, and report back.


October – More than words Develop the use of signs and symbols in school – have a look at the visual support audit online (see further information).


November – Celebrating communication This month provides a chance for you to win an award for the most communication-friendly secondary school or college of the year. Log on to the Hello website for details of how to apply.


December – Talk to the future Take stock of where you want to go next in developing a whole-school approach – like the school in the case study below.


A whole-school approach to SLCN


More and more schools are working over time to develop a whole school approach to sLCN. At elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language College in Camden, for example, staff have worked with the local speech and language therapy service to implement individual therapy for pupils with significant difficulties, targeted small group work, and whole-school approaches to learning and teaching in classrooms. All year 7 pupils have been screened and those


needing help with communication skills access six-week modules of small group work. There are


Changing needs? Pupil Level Annual School Census from the Department for Education suggests problems in identification. This graph shows a declining proportion of children identified by their schools as having SLCN as their primary need as they move from key stage 1 to key stages 2, 3 and 4. At the same time, the proportion of children with specific or moderate learning difficulties, or behaviour difficulties, identified as their primary need rises as we move up through the age groups


modules, for example, on active listening and social communication skills. speech and language therapists team-teach


everyday lessons, working with one faculty at a time, and highlighting ways of adapting questioning styles, supporting pupil listening skills, and developing the skills needed for group discussion. science staff, for example, have focused on how


to improve explanations through clearer definitions of terms and increased repetition. each pupil and class involved is monitored carefully to evaluate the impact of the programme. evidence to date shows improved learning and


behaviour. Pupils describe the benefits as increased ability to listen and focus, and having an expectation now that they should understand what they hear in a lesson why not contact your local speech and language therapy service, or the charity ICAN which runs a great programme called secondary Talk, to discuss what might be possible in your setting?


• Following the recommendations from the 2008 Bercow report on services for children with SLCN, Jean Gross was appointed as England’s first Communication Champion. Her role is to work across government, delivery partners and other stakeholders to co-ordinate and build on initiatives to improve services for children and young adults with SLCN.


Nasen Live Seminar


Jean Gross is working in partnership with The Communication Trust to co-ordinate the National Year of Communication “Hello”, and will be hosting a seminar session at the Nasen Live event in Bolton on May 25 and 26 on “what works for children with speech, language and communication needs?” This will include updating delegates on the latest


evidence for what works for children with sLCN – at wave 1 (everyday classroom and subject teaching), wave 2 (small group interventions delivered by school staff), and wave 3 (partnerships with speech and language therapists).


Further information


• Nasen Live: www.nasenlive.org.uk • The Hello Campaign: www.hello.org.uk • words for work: www.literacytrust.org.uk/ words_for_work


• The visual support audit on the use of signs and symbols in school: www.symbolsinclusionproject. org/evidence/cfe/warwickshire.htm


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