Our professional development programmes focus primarily on developing early language and communication, the foundational skills which children need to become competent and capable learners and to succeed in KS1 and beyond.
Early language skills are one of the strongest predictors of later outcomes, especially literacy. Children with strong language skills at the age of five are much more likely to be strong readers at the age of 11.
Almost one English child in four does not meet the expected level of language development by age five. For children living in poverty this rises to one child in three: by the age of 5 disadvantaged children already up to a year behind their advantaged peers on average.
We focus on:
- developing early language and communication to give children the foundation to become capable learners and to succeed
- diminishing the difference between disadvantaged children and their peers
- evaluating and improving the quality of provision and practice in Foundation Stage, supporting key principles of effective learning within prime and specific areas of the curriculum
- supporting teacher leadership, building strong teams within the EYFS and enabling higher level discussions with the SLT.
Course content typically includes:
- An introduction to language development as the foundation of later learning
- Training on the Environment Rating Scales as a framework to analyse examples of good practice
- Support in developing an effective system to assess children’s language development in order to inform day-to-day practice
- Training on how children learn language and how that learning can be effectively supported
- A series of modules on rich contexts for language development, linking theory and practice. These frequently include: books and reading; play, maths; investigation, exploration and problem-solving; sustained shared thinking
- Support to implement new learning within the classroom
- Training and support for engaging the wider EYFS team in the approach