Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
Nationally, many children struggle to talk and understand words. If you have concerns about your child’s communication, please speak to your child’s class teacher or the SENDCo.
What are speech and language issues?
Children develop communication skills at different rates, but some pupils may experience difficulties that affect how they say sounds, understand language or take part in conversations. These might include:
- Speech sound difficulties – challenges with making sounds clearly so that others understand them (e.g. finding some sounds hard to say)
- Language and understanding difficulties – struggling to understand others or use words and sentences appropriately
- Social communication needs – finding it hard to take turns in conversation, use language for different purposes or interact with others
- Fluency differences – like stammering or uneven flow of speech
These can affect learning, relationships and confidence in school and everyday life.
Support and Services in Hertfordshire
You can find information and support for speech, language and communication needs through local services, including:
- Hertfordshire Local Offer — Information about services for children and young people (including SLCN support and self-help resources).
- Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy — The NHS service offering assessment, advice and therapy for children and young people aged 0-18 (and up to 25 with an EHCP). Professionals work with families, schools and settings to support development and communication skills. Parents and carers can contact the service for information and referrals.
- Speech, Language, Communication and Autism Team — Specialist advisory support for schools and families to help pupils with communication needs access the curriculum and thrive socially and academically.
- DSPL (Delivering Special Provision Locally) — Local groups that help signpost families to SEND support, including speech and language information and networks
National Support and Information Websites
These organisations offer helpful resources, guidance and practical advice for families, professionals and young people.
Phonics
Why phonics matters:
Phonics teaches children how sounds link to letters — an essential foundation for reading and writing. Good phonological awareness (the ability to hear and work with sounds in spoken language) helps children recognise sounds, blend them into words and build literacy skills. It also supports accurate speech development and confidence in communication.
School-based phonics programmes, paired with strategies to model and practise sounds correctly, help children:
- learn the right way to say each sound
- break words into sounds to support reading and spelling
- build confidence in speaking clearly and reading fluently
Phonics isn’t just about literacy — it supports clear speech and listening skills too, particularly for learners with SLCN. For more information about phonics at Pixmore, including information on how to support your child to accurately say sounds, visit our Phonics curriculum page.
