Speaking and Listening at Farnborough Grange

At Farnborough Grange, regardless of the child’s first language, we aim for the children to be able to speak clearly using a range of vocabulary. In listening, we aim for our children to be attentive listeners, developing their ability to take part in group discussions, make contributions, listen to others and work collaboratively.  

We promote high quality speaking and listening, by adopting a variety of strategies such as:

• Teacher modelling of dialogue (turn taking, offering opinions and inviting responses)  

• Modelling listening (respecting, even if disagreeing with other’s viewpoints)  

• Modelling values (encourage participation by all, praise sensitivity)  

• Providing a wide range of contexts for speaking and listening  

• Providing clearly structured tasks which require pupils to participate in talk 

• Showing children how to organise and structure their speech and to use vocabulary and syntax to communicate more complex meanings using Colourful Semantics and R Time.   

• Communicating with different audiences 

• Children engaging in role play, storytelling, freeze frames and other opportunities to use language creatively and imaginatively  

• Performing to others e.g. assemblies, plays  

• All adults within the school understand that they need to provide appropriate models of language when addressing members of the school community   

• Staff are aware of and meet the needs of children with English as an additional language 

As children enter Reception, they are assessed using Language Link and, where appropriate, Speech Link to ascertain any barriers in their speech and language skills. If any are identified, they are supported through small group/ 1:1 interventions to support them reaching age expected expectations.