Answer extracted from the Education: Joining the Dots podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How do schools in the trust identify speech and language or oracy needs across different age groups?
Identification of speech and language issues early is absolutely key, and schools achieve this through aligned assessment procedures that support inclusive excellence. Many schools have adopted standardised tools like GL Welcome to generate greater consistency and understanding across their settings, ensuring all students—regardless of age—are supported to communicate effectively about different subjects, emotions and feelings.
Aligned assessments across the trust
The challenge for multi-setting trusts is not just identifying need, but doing so in a way that is consistent and equitable across all age groups. Rachel Simons explains that schools within Cabot Learning Federation, a trust of 35 settings serving children from age two to 19, have adopted aligned assessment approaches to address this precisely. This consistency means that a child identified with oracy needs in the early years receives the same quality of support framework as a secondary student.
Adopting a shared assessment tool like GL Welcome allows schools to speak the same language when discussing speech and language development. A point detailed in the episode, this standardisation reduces gaps where some children might slip through undetected because their setting used different criteria or benchmarks.
Universal oracy development, not deficit-only identification
Identification is not purely about labelling children with deficits; it is about recognising oracy development as a universal need across the entire pupil population. All students, regardless of ability or age, benefit from intentional support to articulate thoughts and feelings across different contexts and subjects.
This shift from a problem-focused lens to a development-focused one means that even children without diagnosed speech and language disorders are helped to refine their communication skills. As Rachel Simons discusses in this podcast, this creates a culture where oracy is everyone's responsibility, not a specialist intervention reserved for a few.
"If young people struggle to communicate effectively, many will communicate in other ways, often through challenging behaviour."
Rachel Simons — Reading Lead and Primary English Lead at Cabot Learning Federation, a large trust of 35 settings in the southwest of England supporting children from age two to 19. Rachel works within the school improvement team to support all schools' adults and learners across primary, secondary, post-16, alternative and specialist provision.
This observation reveals why early and consistent identification matters so profoundly—unmet speech and language needs do not simply vanish; they reshape how children engage with school and with others. Identifying and addressing these needs through aligned assessment frameworks directly prevents escalation into behavioural or attendance challenges later.
For a deeper look at how schools are measuring the real-world impact of oracy strategies on student outcomes, the full episode explores concrete examples from secondary staff who have seen student writing quality improve significantly through oracy-focused teaching.
See also
What impact has oracy development had on behaviour and attendance in schools across the trust?
Schools engaged with oracy work, such as those partnering with Voice 21, show transformation in student behaviour and higher attendance rates. One school that struggled but now thrives credits oracy development as transformative, with behaviour improving dramatically.
How does Cabot Learning Federation ensure that oracy development is effective across the entire age range from three to 19?
Equity through education is woven through everything they do with an intentional curriculum beyond the national curriculum. Every child has the right to be heard and supported to communicate effectively across all age groups.
How prevalent are speech and language issues across Cabot Learning Federation and what trends have been observed in recent years?
There is a growing number of speech and language needs apparent in early years and throughout other year groups. The pandemic has impacted this, as has reduced conversation at home and increased screen time among children.
Key takeaways
- Early identification of speech and language needs is critical to supporting inclusive excellence in schools.
- Standardised assessment tools like GL Welcome enable consistent identification and support across multiple school settings and age groups.
- Oracy development benefits all students, not just those with diagnosed deficits—universal communication support reduces behaviour and attendance challenges.
- Multi-setting trusts must align their assessment procedures to ensure no child slips through undetected regardless of which setting they attend.