It is estimated that 10% of children will be affected by long-term and persistent speech, language, and communication needs (Public Health England, 2020), and that around 4 in 10 of those will go through our school system unidentified (Communication Trust, 2014).The impact on their education is stark: Just 15% of pupils with SLCN achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in year 6 (compared with 61% of all pupils) (ICAN & RCSLT, 2018).
More recently, the Listening to unheard children report (Speech and Language UK, 2023) estimated that 1.9 million children (1 in 5) are behind with their talking and/or understanding of words. It also found that children who struggle to talk and understand words are six times more likely to be behind in English and 11 times more likely to be behind in maths at age 11.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting Headteacher Update and reading some of our content for professionals in primary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcasts
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday
Already have an account? Sign in here