Mary Elliot is a communication responsive environment that prioritises communication as the key to succeeding in learning and life. Its aim to promote independence and quality of life through a culturally rich environment.

In order to foster the federation’s core values and rationale of developing self-confidence, self-respect, responsibility and self-reliance, aspiring to become a centre of excellence for communication will only serve to pique pupil’s curiosity and inspire them through offering an insight of how to access their worlds using a variety of differentiated communicative methods.

A range of teaching approaches are utilised to enable pupils to experience different methods of communicating in order to prioritise affording them the opportunity to express and celebrate students potential. All communicative strategies taught across the school are interchangeable and complement each other, enabling fluidity of learning and coherence across the curriculum subject. This opportunity to frequently ‘bump into language’ and have opportunities to communicate in a meaningful way, allows pupils to be a proactive part of the society around them and be fully included in all areas of life. At Mary Elliot we strive to develop social communication and emotional regulation through the use of appropriate strategies regardless of academic level.

Expressive and receptive communication is pitched at different levels in accordance with pupils’ Special Educational Needs. These multifaceted approaches to language are integrated throughout the curriculum and timetables have been adapted to include communicative strategies to be visible though out school.

Additionally, we foster a multiagency approach to communication working alongside Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) to discuss and agree elements to work towards with class staff which are worked on as a continuation within the curriculum. These are reviewed by SALT on request if teachers feel that they need initial assessments adapting in order to effectively challenge pupils’ learning and extend their communication.

Dr Karen Treisman 2017 states that ‘Every Interaction is an Intervention’. This quote is a true reflection of the schools ethos that values each individual child for who they are through partnership with families and the community. We recognise that forming strong relationships forms the basis of effective communication interventions. Furthermore, the school’s culture reinforces the actuality that all pupils with Speech and Language Communication Needs (SLCN) require significant support as a result of careful planning and meaningful interventions. This is what we aspire to achieve.

It is a core element of Mary Elliot to ensure that every student that leaves for adult life is able to express their wants, needs and opinions using whatever strategy they deem motivating.