TRAINING

Our training empowers staff with the confidence, skills and knowledge they require to identify and support the speech, language and communication needs of their pupils now and in the future. We can help you achieve tremendous benefits for both pupils and staff in a number of different ways.

Key features of our approach are:

  • Training within the school environment: our on-site delivery avoids the disruption and costs associated with teaching staff travelling to an external training centre. This also allows us to discuss your queries and possible strategies in the environment most suitable to you – your school.
  • A focus on your specific needs: all training is bespoke according to the needs of your individual school. Tailoring training programmes to your specific requirements ensures that you retain control over the areas you would like us to focus on, meaning that all training has the maximum impact and offers the right support at the right time for your staff.
  • Skills transfer: training sessions can contribute to the CPD of teachers and teaching assistants. Transferring our skills to your staff is an extremely cost-effective way to ensure the communication needs of your school are being properly addressed.
  • Comprehensive service: our training programmes and sessions include the provision of all relevant resources and materials, as well as time for attendees to ask questions of our specialist speech and language therapists about particular situations and/or children they would like further advice on.
  • Follow-up support: we can arrange for follow-up visits later in the year to refresh ideas, help you set up groups that will develop communication skills quickly, or discuss specific children and strategies as you move forwards. Observing staff in action and working alongside them reinforces strategies and gives them the confidence to put skills into practice.

Our wide variety of training, advice and support sessions for school staff provide a way to make the broadest improvement in the communication skills of the children they teach – with the benefit of gains in reading ages, comprehension, and, in many cases, behaviour.

 

Mainstream Schools

Statistics show that speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are now the most prevalent type of SEN in our mainstream primary schools, and that the numbers of children with SLCN are increasing each year.

Mainstream schools are now expected to manage a complex range of needs. Yet when it comes to SLCN, school staff are frequently unable to access the support they need to identify and put strategies into place that will help their pupils access the curriculum.

We have a range of topics on which training can be given, including:

  • Developing story-telling from spoken word to written structures
  • Implementing a whole-school communication strategy
  • Creating a communication-friendly environment in specific classrooms to develop all children’s communication skills
  • Improving social skills and friendship skills
  • Developing strategies to improve the learning and use of new vocabulary in both spoken and written expression
  • Phonological awareness & speech sound support
  • In-depth ideas to support children with communication difficulties in the classroom

However, because our training is tailored to your school’s exact needs, if there is a subject not covered in this list which you would particularly like advice about, we will work with you to devise a suitable training package that will meet your requirements.

 

Special Schools

Evidence has repeatedly shown that the majority of children in special schools have underlying speech, language and communication needs, but many schools struggle to access the specialist support they require to ensure their pupils can achieve their full potential.

That’s where we can help. We’re experts in training staff within the EBD environment and helping them to maximise the positive benefits that the correct support can bring. We’re also experienced in working with children with profound and multiple handicaps, where communication can play a crucial role in improving the quality of life of a child.

We’ve been working with a variety of local special schools since 2003 so we understand the difficulties that you face, and the strategies that are most effective for your situation.

Some of the most popular topics we are asked for advice on include:

  • Communicating with symbols and advice implementing PECS
  • Parental support through the use of Hanen
  • Communicating with signs
  • AAC: alternative forms of communication, both high tech & low tech
  • Intensive interaction
  • Developing social skills, friendship skills, interaction, and behaviour

We can show you strategies that work, and make a real difference to the learning abilities of your students.