Beyond Words: Early Identification of Speech & Language Needs

“There are fewer Speech and Language Therapists per head of population in Wales than any other part of the UK, as reflected in our membership data.”

— Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

RCSLT Wales: Education and Training Paper (2023)

In Wales, children with speech and language difficulties are waiting longer than ever for specialist support. But what can we do now in schools?

This online training equips Nursery to Year 6 Teachers, TAs, and Language, Literacy & Communication Leads with practical tools to identify and support children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) from day one.

Whether you're confident or completely new to SLCN, this course is for you.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

✅ Child language development basics

✅ Recognising speech and language difficulties

✅ Screening and assessment tools

✅ Practical classroom activities and resources

✅ Effective strategies for engaging with parents

✅ How to collaborate with Speech & Language Therapists

👥 Who Should Attend?

• Nursery to Year 6 Teachers
• Teaching Assistants
• Literacy/Communication Coordinators

Angela Coates is an experienced Independent Education Consultant with over 20 years of expertise across primary education settings. For the past 12 years, she worked within a Nurture Unit, gaining a strong reputation for successfully leading some of the most challenging classes.

As part of her role in the Nurture Unit, Angela also carried out advisory work for Local Authority mainstream schools, alongside holding key responsibilities within the Senior Leadership Team, with a focus on safeguarding, pastoral care, and family liaison. Her work often involved supporting pupils attending both nurture and mainstream settings, giving her valuable insight into how to effectively blend inclusive practices across both environments.

Now running her own consultancy, The Nurture Pro, Angela delivers training and coaching for schools, parents, and education professionals, specialising in ALN (Additional Learning Needs). You can find more about her work here: The Nurture Pro Facebook Page.

Qualifications:

• BA in Language and Communication
• NGN (Nurture UK) Qualified Nurture Teacher
• Level 3 OCN Forest School Practitioner
• Group Theraplay® Trained
• Mental Health First Aid Trained
• Former Volunteer with SNAP Cymru

Angela is deeply passionate about ALN and remains committed to supporting teachers in both mainstream and specialist settings to confidently implement the ALN reforms and deliver inclusive, nurture-based education.

🎥 This session will be recorded and available to view for 7 days after the event.

Please note: You must register to receive the recording — even if you can’t attend live.

A Note About Data Collection

This training is funded by the Welsh Government funded Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF).

Please note that, for you to receive support from the WULF programme, we are required to collect specific information from you during the registration process. This information is collected for project monitoring and evaluation purposes only.

For full details of how your information will be used, please view our Privacy Notice.

Get in touch with wulf@neu.org.uk prior to making your booking should you have any queries or questions about providing the information requested.