Secondary Talk

Secondary Talk is I CAN’s programme to ensure support for young people’s speech, language and communication needs in secondary schools. Over the next year I CAN will be developing the programme and then piloting it in 15 schools that are representative of Secondary school environments across England.

Communication, the ability to express ourselves, understand others and be understood, is the foundation skill for learning, life and work. Despite the crucial role of communication skills, huge numbers of young people struggle with them. In some secondary schools as many as 75% of young people have inadequate language skills to access the curriculum and wider school life. Within this group 10% have a communication disability, either as a specific condition or as part of another disability or special need. Most of them attend mainstream secondary schools.

Secondary Talk will develop support for schools at three levels:

1. Universal: supporting all children’s communication development and helping schools identify those with difficulties.

2. Enhanced: supporting children with delayed communication development.

3. Specialist: supporting children with severe and complex speech, language and communication needs.

In ways appropriate to these three levels and according to schools’ areas of focus, Secondary Talk aims to:

• Support and build confidence of secondary school staff in supporting the Speech, Language and Communication of all secondary aged pupils.
• Provide the focus, structure and capability that will enable secondary schools to support the communication skills of all pupils, taking into account existing local and national structures, approaches and resources.
• Support pupils who have impoverished language or communication difficulties within whole class and whole school settings, and through small group work, so they are included in and have positive experiences of learning and socialising in school settings, in and out of the classroom.
• Meet the needs of pupils with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) as specific impairments or as part of another special educational need or disability. It will define and facilitate the specialist help they need and which local authorities should provide access to in order for these young people to reach their potential in communication and social skills and academic achievement.

Link to Talking Point

Many of you have already given us permission to feature aspects of your excellent and innovative practice on Talking Point.

Should more of you be inspired to send us details of useful resources or descriptions of your exciting work that can be shared please contact I CAN's information team by e-mail: info@ican.org.uk or call 0845 225 4073.

There is also a discussion forum for Secondary Talk on Talking Point. To access this go to www.talking point.org.uk, go to forums, and read the instructions in the Secondary Talk Forum at the bottom of the page.

To register your interest in Secondary Talk please contact secondarytalk@ican.org.uk