Elklan Language Friendly School

Enhancing Communication at Bridgelea: Our Commitment to Supporting Every Child

Bridgelea is proud to be an accredited Communication Friendly Setting, an achievement recognised through the ELKLAN award. This accreditation underscores our commitment to understanding the speech, language, and communication needs of all our children, ensuring that support is consistently at the forefront of our educational approach. We strive to create a classroom environment tailored to meet these individual needs, and our staff are highly skilled in adapting their communication styles to engage effectively with each child.

The ELKLAN Communication Friendly Setting (CFSc) accreditation is granted to institutions that prioritise training and support for all their staff in communication and language development. To receive this recognition, we have demonstrated our dedication through targeted interventions and the successful implementation of a comprehensive Communication Policy.

As Manchester’s Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), Bridgelea provides education for children who have been excluded from mainstream primary schools, are at risk of exclusion, or have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan that names Bridgelea as their supporting school for Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs. We proudly received our Communication Friendly School award in 2013, and have maintained our accreditation since then; notably, we were the first Primary PRU in the country to achieve this status. Our ongoing efforts include extensive staff training to uphold the high standards set by ELKLAN practices within our institution. We have recently started the Gold accreditation in 2025 to enhance this further.

We have maintained these high standards in several ways:

• Communication Counts Training: All new staff members undergo this essential training.

• 2 Level 4 Elklan Leads We have two Level 4 ELKLAN practitioner to enhance expertise within our team. We have added an Elklan HLTA to this team in 2025.

• Rolling Programme of Courses: We offer accredited Elklan Speech and Language Support for children aged 5-11 years. We have introduced Elklan SEMH Accredited CPD 2024/25.

• Financial Commitment: Allocating funding for these initiatives underscores Bridgelea’s priority on advancing communication within our setting.

The school commissions two days of Speech and Language therapy each week, focusing on both the assessment of children and the capacity building of staff.

Supporting Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN)

To ensure effective support for our students, we have implemented several strategic initiatives:

• Establishment of Non-Negotiables: Each classroom has a set list of non-negotiables that guides class teams, including labelled drawers, pegs, and visual timetables.

• Communication Passports: Created by our speech and language therapist, these documents outline individual needs and strategies to aid children's learning.

• One-Page Profiles: This person-centred tool assists in identifying strategies that support children in their learning and emotional regulation. Developed collaboratively with the child and teacher, these profiles incorporate Elklan-type strategies, such as processing time and blank level questioning.

• Communication Charts: These highlight emotional difficulties faced by children and provide clear vocabulary scripts to support self-regulation during challenging moments.

• Provision Maps: Our inclusive provision maps effectively outline the range of support available to students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

• The Zones of Regulation: The ZOR is displayed in each classroom to help children identify their feelings, facilitating self-soothing and reflection on incidents. This intervention incorporates specific vocabulary and contextual activities, progressing to relate known feelings to real-life scenarios.

• Curriculum Displays: Classrooms feature opportunities for children to learn new vocabulary and subject-specific language through a variety of engaging strategies.

• Tailored Visual Aids: Visuals to support independent learning are adapted to the needs of each student, particularly in mixed-year group classes.

As we continue our journey, we remain committed to ensuring that every child at Bridgelea receives the support they need to thrive in their learning and personal development.