"Language Link and Speech Link have become foundational tools in our school’s approach to language development."
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to chat with us! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what you do?
You’re welcome! I am Nicola Sheldon, and I am a SENCo at Doha English Speaking School in Qatar.
Lovely to meet you. What made you feel that our packages could work well for your setting?
Drawing from experience using Language Link and Speech Link where I worked previously in the UK, I advocated for the introduction of these tools in my new role.
Infant Language Link allows us to identify children who would not have otherwise been flagged. Some seemed to be getting on well in class and were particularly adept at using non-verbal communication, making it difficult for teachers to recognise any underlying language difficulties without formal assessment.
It sounds like Language Link really helped uncover hidden needs. Has it influenced how you support your children now?
It has – introducing Language Link helped standardise our approach. Staff receive training and the classroom resources empower staff to improve quality-first teaching across the board.
The programme helps bridge communication between support staff and classroom teachers, and conversations about pupils’ progress are now backed by objective data. Teachers often express surprise at children identified by the assessments, admitting they wouldn’t have otherwise noticed the language gaps.
That’s wonderful. What impact have you seen from using Language Link over time?
We’ve seen fantastic outcomes. Pupils from our early intervention groups are now progressing confidently. Our Year 1 cohort, which previously received FS2 assessments and interventions, is now achieving age-appropriate scores and making solid academic progress. Importantly, external referrals have decreased, indicating that early in-school support is working.
We’ve also strengthened our relationship with speech pathologists, using the Language Link data to support collaborative planning.
If you look at the bigger picture—what would you say has been the overall difference these tools have made?
Language Link and Speech Link have become foundational tools in our school’s approach to language development. They’ve improved outcomes, empowered staff, opened-up parent communication and most importantly, ensured that no child goes unnoticed. The return is undeniable.
It’s been a pleasure hearing how Language Link and Speech Link have become part of your school’s success- thank you, Nicola.
How we help international schools
"We’ve seen tangible improvements not only in language development but also in behaviour, confidence, and classroom focus."
Great to meet you. We’d love to know a bit about yourself and your school.
Hello – I’m Nicola and I’m an EAL Teacher. I work at the British International School, which is a community co-educational school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We have over 1,300 students from over 60 countries and more than 240 staff from 20 countries.
That’s a very varied student population. What language profiles do your children typically have and what challenges came from these?
Many of our children speak English in the classroom but are immersed in other languages—often Arabic—at home. While these children appear fluent, their receptive language skills can be masked, making it difficult for teachers to spot gaps in understanding.
Our teaching team recognised the importance of consistent, high-quality teaching strategies. We needed a way to embed these strategies consistently across all classrooms and support early identification of any underlying SLCN.
You’ve used Infant Language Link for a year now. What made you choose this package and have you noticed any differences since you started using it?
Our head of Early Years, inspired by training on SLCN, saw the importance of early identification and sought a tool that could pick up all learners—particularly those with hidden needs. Infant Language Link has provided exactly that.
The assessments and interventions have had significant impact—helping us deliver support faster and more effectively. We’ve seen tangible improvements not only in language development but also in behaviour, confidence, and classroom focus.
It must be so rewarding to see so many changes. What do you like the most about the Infant Language Link package?
The tools are easy to use—for both children and teachers. The listening and language interventions are ideal for our younger learners. Even our older pupils benefit from discreet strategies like thumbs-up/thumbs-down check-ins to show understanding.
Have you involved parents at all?
Yes, sharing the results with parents has been key to our success. The assessments have helped parents understand their child’s specific needs and what support is required.
We’ve also used the Parent Portal to give families access to activities and advice and held workshops to demonstrate how to use it.
Thanks, Nicola – it’s clear you’re doing amazing work with your learners. Lovely to hear how Infant Language Link is helping along the way!
Prices for International Schools