Miles Coverdale Primary School Speech and Language Unit
Welcome to our Speech & Language Unit
Our Speech & Language Unit is a specialist provision within Miles Coverdale Primary School for children aged 3–11 with significant speech, language and communication needs.
We provide a language-rich, highly supported environment, where children develop the skills they need to communicate, learn and thrive — while remaining fully included in the life of a vibrant mainstream school.
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Recognised for excellence in speech and language provision
Our provision is recognised both locally and nationally for the quality and impact of its work.
- We are featured as a case study in national guidance for specialist speech and language provision in England, highlighting our integrated, inclusive model of support.
- We have been awarded DLD Friendly Status by NAPLIC (2026–2028), recognising our whole-school commitment to supporting children with Developmental Language Disorder.
These recognitions reflect the strength of our approach and our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-informed practice.
What our DLD Friendly Status means
Achieving NAPLIC’s DLD Friendly Status recognises that:
- All staff across the school have a strong understanding of Developmental Language Disorder
- There is effective collaboration between teachers, therapists, families and other professionals
- The school actively promotes awareness of DLD within the wider community
- Families are supported through clear communication and signposting to appropriate resources
- High-quality practice is embedded across the whole school
This reflects our belief that supporting speech and language development is a whole-school responsibility, not just the role of the Speech and Language Unit.
Who is our provision for?
Our Unit supports children who:
- Have an EHCP with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) as their primary need
- Present with significant difficulties such as:
- understanding spoken language
- using vocabulary, sentences or grammar
- producing clear, intelligible speech
- Are otherwise as able and healthy as their peers
- Benefit from a small, specialist class for part or all of the school day
- Thrive socially when supported to communicate
Our provision is not suitable for children with:
- Severe learning difficulties
- Primary sensory needs requiring a low-arousal environment
- Significant SEMH needs requiring specialist provision
- Echolalic/gestalt language profiles
- British Sign Language as their primary mode of communication
What makes our provision unique?
A language-first approach to learning
Language is at the centre of everything we do. Teaching is carefully adapted so that children can understand, process and use language across the curriculum.
We explicitly teach:
- vocabulary
- sentence structure and grammar
- narrative and comprehension skills
Specialist staff and high levels of expertise
Our provision is delivered by a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team including:
- specialist teachers
- trained teaching assistants
- a speech and language therapist
All staff engage in ongoing professional development and are trained in specialist approaches such as:
- Shape Coding
- Word Aware
- Paget Gorman Signed Speech
This ensures a consistent, evidence-informed approach across all areas of the provision.
Joint planning and personalised support
A key strength of our provision is the close collaboration between teachers, therapists and teaching assistants.
Together, they:
- plan learning and interventions
- deliver targeted support
- review progress and adapt provision
This joint working ensures that every child receives highly personalised support and is recognised as a key feature of successful specialist provision.
Integrated speech and language therapy
Speech and language therapy is embedded throughout the school day, not delivered as a separate or occasional intervention.
Our specialist therapist works alongside teachers and teaching assistants to:
- deliver direct intervention
- model strategies in class
- ensure therapy targets are reinforced continuously
This integrated approach is a key feature of effective specialist provision and supports strong outcomes for children.
Inclusion and belonging
Children in the Unit are fully part of the school community.
They take part in:
- assemblies, trips and whole-school events
- lunchtimes and playtimes
- clubs and enrichment opportunities
- mainstream lessons such as reading and phonics
We believe children learn best when they feel they belong. Our model ensures pupils benefit from both specialist support and meaningful inclusion.
Working closely with families
We recognise that families play a vital role in supporting children’s development.
We provide:
- regular home–school communication
- “All About Me” communication profiles
- parent workshops and stay-and-play sessions
- collaborative target-setting and review meetings
This partnership approach ensures consistency, shared understanding and sustained progress for every child.
A typical journey in our Unit
Every child’s journey is unique, but all children benefit from:
- small class sizes and high adult support
- structured opportunities to develop communication
- increasing confidence and independence
For example, a child may initially require significant support to understand language and express ideas. Over time, through targeted teaching and integrated therapy, they become more confident communicators and increasingly able to access learning alongside their peers.
What families say
“Since joining the Resource Base, my son has made remarkable progress in his speech and language skills in an incredibly short time.
His confidence has soared, and for the first time, I can have meaningful conversations with him.
The support is not just helpful — it is essential. I feel part of the team and fully supported.”
Admissions and next steps
Placements are made through the Local Authority SEN Team.
- Suitable for children from Reception to Year 6
- Visits and informal conversations are warmly welcomed
📞 0208 743 5847
📧 admin@milescoverdale.lbhf.sch.uk