SEND Toolkit - Developing Communication Skills

A practical Toolkit of strategies for supporting pupils who are beginning to develop communication skills, aimed at teachers and TAs.

Cherry Garden School is Southwark's specialist primary school for children with complex learning differences from age 2-11. This is one of three SEND Toolkits suitable for Learning Support Assistants, Teachers and other school staff working with pupils with a high level of need. They are designed to give you training in some of the strategies we use at Cherry Garden which you could take back to use in your own setting.

This SEND Toolkit day is focused on developing communication skills. It will help you if you are working with any children who are beginning to use single words or joining a few words together &/ who are able to respond to symbols or signs (Cherry Garden Branches 4-7).

You will receive training from our Outreach team at Cherry Garden (Alice Frost & Anna Parsons) in a range of key communication strategies that we use at Cherry Garden to support pupils. The day will include a Makaton Taster from a Makaton Tutor, symbols for routines, chat boards, communication books and sensory stories.

You will also have a tour of the school before the children arrive.

We have two other SEN Toolkit courses, which will have a different focus. Please choose the course most relevant to the children you are working with.

If you would like advice on which course would be most suitable for you, please email outreach@cherrygardenschool.co.uk and we would be pleased to help.

This training is now free of charge for all Southwark state primary schools and maintained nursery schools, and will be £50 for staff from non-Southwark schools/ other professionals.