Communication is at the heart of life; it is pivotal to sharing our joy and sadness, building relationships, advocating for ourselves and engaging in learning. At Silverwood School we want to provide an environment that fosters a sense of safety and promotes self-advocacy and regulation, in order to enable our students to develop communication skills for life. We recognise that communication is all-day, every day and seek to offer meaningful opportunities for students to experience, learn and practice their communication skills.
Meet the Communication team
Nicky Caslin – Lead SENCo
Faye Booth – Total Communication Lead
Hannah Simkins – HCRG Speech and Language Therapist
Angela Fairgrieve – HCRG Speech and Language Therapist
Ruth Jones – Speech and Language Therapist
Rosie Raikes-Palmer – AAC support
Becky Nottingham – SENCo
Julie Inglis – SENCo
Katie Baxter – SENCo
Ciorstan Malcolm – SENCo
Communication Bill of Rights
The Communication Bill of Rights sums up everything we strive to achieve at Silverwood. It is a tool that informs our students and supporting adults as to what and how communication should take place. It speaks to students feeling confident to advocate for themselves, asking questions and seeking support with their communication. It helps adults set their expectations too, in terms of what support they must be providing and considering when working with our students.
Honouring all communication
Many students at Silverwood use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to communicate. AAC may look different for everyone and so we immerse all our students in a Total Communication Environment. This allows each individual to discover their preferred way of communicating.
What does a Total Communication Environment look like at Silverwood?
All students at Silverwood have access to a Total Communication Environment. The AAC strategies used across classes include:
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Makaton
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Symbols – created using Widgit software
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Photos
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Communication boards
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Communication books
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Voice output communication aids – single message, multi-message
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Grid for iPad
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Grid 3 (touch and switch access)
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Eye gaze
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Objects of reference
Our staff model AAC at every opportunity, for a variety of different purposes. This enables Silverwood students to develop secure communication methods that can be used at school, at home and in the wider community.
Silverwood Core Vocabulary
The Silverwood communication team have developed a core vocabulary of signs and symbols that we believe everyone should know. We use Makaton signs and Widgit symbols to teach this vocabulary to our pupils. You can learn these signs by watching some of our pupils and staff model them in the video. We encourage parents to use this vocabulary at home – please contact a member of the team for support or resources.