The Talking Base is a specialist resourced provision attached to Barrington Primary School for an identified group of children diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and other related barriers to learning from Year R to Year 6.

There are currently 9 children in The Talking Base.

The criteria for admission are as follows:

• The child should have an EHC Plan, indicating their primary need as specific language impairment. It is not suitable for children whose primary need is Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

• There should be evidence of a significant discrepancy between non-verbal and verbal abilities, where the non-verbal abilities fall within the average range.

• There should be no primary hearing difficulties needing input from the Hearing Impaired Service.

• Social and emotional difficulties should not be the main cause for concern, although it is recognised that these may be a part of the underlying language disorder.

• All children in The Talking Base integrate into the mainstream school at Barrington for assemblies, lunchtimes, playtimes, music and other curriculum areas as appropriate, as well as whole school and/or peer group special events and activities. Further levels of inclusion are arranged according to a child’s individual need and circumstance. Some subject inclusion is supported by resource staff, some is completely independent. This is deliberate and carefully planned for, in order that pupils experience real-life opportunities and to apply and generalise skills, learning attitudes and self-help strategies.

Referral for a placement in the Talking Base is sometimes made at the same time as the child’s EHC is being written. It may also be started at the Annual Review of a child’s EHC plan. The decision to place a child in a resourced provision is made by the local authority, but the SENCo, Specialist Teacher, school Head Teacher, Governors and Specialist Speech and Language Therapist are also involved.

We have a very comprehensive transition procedure and package to help children prepare for moving into and out from our provision.

The speech and language therapy provision at Barrington is currently 2 x half a day each week. Programmes devised by the NHS Speech and Language therapists are delivered throughout the week by specialist teaching assistants.

Speech and Language therapy within the Talking Base aims to use a child’s strengths to minimise weaknesses and concentrates on areas of speech and language development in which a child is most likely to make change and progress in their overall ability to communicate. Therapy intervention may be direct or indirect and may be provided individually, in pairs or in small groups or within the classroom. Therapy targets are planned in collaboration with teachers, Talking Base staff and parents. Teachers and therapists both recognise that sharing knowledge and skills enhances the role of each profession.

The Talking Base aims to provide a high level of first hand experience for learning, particularly vital for long term memory, conceptual semantic links, comprehension and vocabulary development in students presenting with Specific Language needs (e.g. visits to local shops etc). Regular “learning challenges” to calm, alert, re-energise or refocus attention control and enhanced opportunities to practise motor skills activities are an integral part of the school day.

We capitalise on, and enhance, pupils’ compensatory visual and kinaesthetic strengths, providing a highly multisensory learning environment, including Signalong and Cued Articulation signing systems, as well as symbols (e.g. Communicate in Print), real artefacts, images, photos, colourful semantics, and interactive ICT, to augment communication and support comprehension, expressive language development and curriculum access.

Our highest priority and guiding principle over arching all our practice is to ensure the emotional wellbeing of each and every child. Our ethos establishes trust within even the most fearful child (who may have experienced much communicative failure even while still at a very young age due to the “hidden handicap” of language disorder). Our pupils feel safe to take learning and communication acquisition risks through the development of good self-awareness, ambitious but tenable personal targets, and excellent self-esteem building.

Only then are pupils enabled to grow their gradually increasing confidence and independence, paving the way for accelerated progress towards fulfilling each child’s potential.

Please click here to see the progress and attainment tracking information for Talking Base

Attainment and progress tracking

Please click here to see our Summer Term newsletter

 Talking Base Summer class newsletter

British Values in The Talking Base

We promote ‘British Values’ through our spiritual, moral, social and cultural education which permeates through the school’s curriculum and supports the development of the ‘whole child’.

We recognise that such development is most successful when those values and attitudes are promoted by all the staff and provide a model of behaviour for our pupils.

Pupils placed in The Talking Base will have opportunities to experience British Values and the SMSC curriculum both in their mainstream classes and through a more personalised approach in the Resourced Provision. 

Please click here to read about British Values and SMSC in The Talking Base.