I've worked in special needs teaching for more than 30 years, including nine years running Meath School in Surrey, and I am reminded daily of the fundamental relationship of children's speech, language and communication to their achievement at school, behaviour and self esteem. Linguist and language specialist, Gordon Wells, wrote: "Almost every educational skill presupposes the use of language". This is the bedrock for learning and for children's literacy, social and emotional development.
Communication difficulties are common in the classroom. In 2000, Law et al found that 10% of children have long-term and persistent speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), and will need extra support to access the curriculum, make friends and achieve their potential. The recent statistical release from the Department for Education shows that SLCN is the most commonly reported special educational need (SEN) among primary school children – more prevalent than autism and dyslexia. It is also a feature of other special educational needs such as hearing impairment and learning disabilities.
For mainstream teachers, the knowledge and expertise to develop children's communication skills and to identify SLCN can make a difference to all children in their classroom, as well as those with SEN. I always recommend that teachers consider the language levels of learners who are reluctant or refusing to engage. A child with behavioural problems, or a child who makes slow progress, could have communication difficulties at the heart of their challenges.
At Meath School, we are passionate about working with local colleagues to ensure that the needs of children with SLCN beyond our school are identified and understood. Meath is a non-maintained special school – one of two run by children's communication charity, I CAN - which provides specialist education, therapy and care of the highest standard for children with severe and complex SLCN. Each classroom has a core team of teacher, speech and language therapist plus at least one learning support assistant (LSA). Class sessions – particularly language related teaching - are jointly planned by the teacher and the speech and language therapist.
As one of the few UK primary schools specialising in support for learners with SLCN, we are at the cutting edge of practice. We are closely involved with Literacy, Language and Communication Research Practitioner Network, based at Royal Holloway, University of London which provides opportunities for researchers and practitioners working with pupils with SLCN to promote best practice. Meath has also been awarded the Schools Network Research Charter mark, at the penultimate "extending" level – which recognises the research cultures and evidence-based impacts of schools.
Collaboration has been identified as a feature of outstanding special schools. Unusually, as a non-maintained school, Meath is a full and active member of our local authority confederation of primary schools, Runnymede South. We help train and support our teaching colleagues in the confederation to better support children with SLCN.
In Surrey, our local SEN co-ordinators have identified universal wave 1 training - as part of the three waves of intervention programme - for all staff as an effective way to ensure that all children can access learning and make progress. Through the confederation, Meath staff have delivered wave 1 training to whole school staff groups as well supporting individual teachers to modify their practice and classroom environments to help specific children. We give teachers strategies for communication so that everyone in the class can understand and take part in the lesson; strategies such as slowing pace, adding in pauses for thinking time, simplifying vocabulary and supporting talk with visual prompts. Working with the local teaching assistants has also resulted in the joint production of a practical handbook, "SLCN – how can you tell and what can you do?".
Through "in-reach" days, children from confederation mainstream schools will visit Meath for up to one day per week with a teacher or LSA from their school. Meath staff also reach out into local schools to help support a teacher on the job with strategies to use with learners who have SEN.
This cross-confederation working has resulted in colleagues reporting improvements in classroom behaviour, attainment and engagement with learning for pupils in local mainstream schools. For children who struggle and may feel "bottom of the class", learning alongside other children with different abilities can be a real boost. When children return to their own schools, teachers tell us that pupils have increased self esteem as well as the confidence to take risks in lessons, ask questions and be more proactive in their learning.
To mix with children from mainstream schools during our Learning Together Days is fantastic for Meath pupils, as it helps build their confidence and social skills, and raises their aspirations. There is a definite cross fertilisation of expectation, skills and strategies among Meath staff too.
It is vital that pupils with SLCN or other special needs are identified and supported as early as possible to help their educational, social and personal development. Our experience shows that partnership working by mainstream and special schools from all sectors will have a positive effect on teaching and learning for children.
Janet Dunn is headteacher of I CAN's Meath School, a twice Ofsted rated outstanding special school for children with severe and complex speech, language and communication needs, including Asperger's Syndrome. Meath School is also on the Ofsted Outstanding Providers list.