Issue 26, Page 17-19: Welcome to The Link Community

The Link magazine exclusive giveaway

We have 2 copies of occupational therapist, Kim Griffin’s new book, Success with Sensory Supports to give to the first 2 schools pulled ‘out of the hat’ on Friday 14th July 2023.

Sensory needs are being recognised as a vital part of learning, development and engagement within the classroom and are being used more often to make education both accessible and fun.

For a chance to get your hands on a copy, just email: helpdesk@speechlink.co.uk

FREE Cyber Security Training

After reading about the importance of safeguarding your pupils’ data (page 6) you might be interested in some training for yourself and other staff members.

The NCSC has produced FREE Cyber Security Training to raise awareness and help school staff manage some of the key cyber threats facing schools and comprises of a ‘self-learn’ video and a presentation pack for group delivery. A certificate is available on completion of the training.

Access the training here: www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/cyber-security-training-schools

TAKE PART IN OUR INFANT LANGUAGE LINK STUDY

There is just enough time for primary schools in Education Investment Areas (EIAs) in England to register to take part in our Infant Language Link study in partnership with Education Endowment Foundation and the Sheffield Hallam University. The national study will be investigating the impact of schools using Infant Language Link across Year 1.

There are many benefits to schools participating in research. Your school will be adding to the evidence-base of what works in education in England helping drive forward reform and excellent practice.

Find out more at: speechandlanguage.info/study

Hands up who wants to know more about supporting language difficulties in the classroom?

We can help you to support the language needs of students with our speech and language therapist-led Link CPD Language Course.

NEXT COHORT COURSE DATES

Module 1: 28th September 2023

Module 2: 15th January 2024

speechandlanguage.info/cpd

SLCN News

Not a subscriber to Speech and Language Link? Then sign up to The SLCN News online newsletter for the latest speech, language and communication news, tips and advice on supporting speech and language in the classroom.

speechandlanguage.info/linknews

School Spotlight

Speech and Language Practitioner, Les Elvin says: “Cudworth and Barnsley are very special places to be, where everyone has a place of belonging!

Churchfield School works on the motto ‘Grow, Achieve and Shine’. However, these are much more than words or a motto. At Churchfield we enable all our children to grow as independent learners, achieve more than they ever believe they could and shine as unique individuals.”

I always say:

I’m passionate, not perfect. No child is ever the same and it’s good to be different.
A question a day will keep their own doubt away!
If you grow as a professional so will the children. How full is your toolbox?
Don’t dread it, buy into it as a long-term project.
Success can be measured in smiles too not just progress tables and pie charts in reports.
If you need a moment out or are feeling overwhelmed, make sure you take a coffee with you and remember it’s not always as bad as it may seem.
Teamwork does make the dream work!

And finally remember that, “In life one thing is certain, Friday will come”

Speech and Language Link subscriber information for this term

Here’s a quick checklist of things that need to be complete before the end of July:

Post-Intervention measures entered
Intervention groups closed
Reports printed where necessary
Please DON’T create your 2023-2024 classes or enter new pupils before September, as we will be ‘rolling over’ classes during the holidays. Your new cohort can then be uploaded quickly and easily in September, using a CSV file exported from SIMS or any other MIS.
Look out for your monthly subscriber newsletter.
Our team will be exhibiting at nasen Live in Birmingham on July 7 – come and say hello!

So far, this academic year, our Speech Link and Language Link users have:

Carried out 207,203 assessments
Created 13,288 intervention groups to support speech and language skills

This means we’ve helped identify thousands of pupils with having speech, language and communication difficulties who can now be supported with Speech Link and Language Link interventions, both in-class, 1-1 and in small language groups.

Well done to our amazing schools!

Get in touch: WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR SCHOOL NEWS

Have you got something speech and language focused that you would like to share with our community? It could be your own top tips, a case study, or something else you think other schools would be interested to read about. Send over your ideas to claire.chambers@speechlink.co.uk and we will feature as many schools as we can. We look forward to hearing from you.

Events Team

In March we set off for Liverpool to co-present a bespoke Link conference in partnership with Knowsley LA. We have been working with Knowsley LA for the past 6 months to create and deliver a speech and language conference in line with their current 0-25 strategy for speech and language support and we were delighted to meet the 100+ delegates that attended on the day.

The event consisted of live presentations from Kate Freeman, consultant: speech and language in education and the Knowsley local authority team along with carefully selected recorded sessions from our previous Link Live conferences, including the fantastic author and poet, Michael Rosen and Baasit Siddiqui, from Channel 4’s Goggle Box.

The Link Live team are really excited about the prospect of future partnerships with local authorities and multi-academy trusts to create and deliver tailored speech and language conferences for their schools.

If you would like to know more about these conferences, please email the team at: linklive@speechlink.co.uk

PICTURE BOOKS TO HELP YOU TALK ABOUT TOUGH TOPICS

Every teacher and TA will need to support pupils going through difficult times and picture books are a great way to help pupils with SLCN make sense of something that may be difficult for them to understand.

The Book Trust, the UK’s largest reading charity has some lovely picture books to help you talk about tough topics while exploring emotions your pupils might be experiencing.

These are great books to signpost caregivers to, as shared reading with their child will also support the child’s emotional wellbeing.

Books support across the age ranges 3-8 years. Find out more here: www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/t/picture-books-to-help-you-talk-about-tough-topics/

The Speech and Language Link Facebook Group

Join the conversation with 700+ members and receive weekly videos and posts from our speech and language team, take part in fun, short polls and surveys and share good practice.

Have you heard of The Thirty Million Word Gap?

In what has become iconic research, disadvantaged four-year-olds in the US were found to have heard 30 million fewer words than other children. This is a staggering and extraordinary idea. Researchers also identified a difference in the type and quality of interactions experienced by less well-off children with quality and quantity found to be of equal importance.