Speaking and Listening

We prioritise Active Listening & Skilled Speaking at Meadowfield and highlight communication as one of our key values. 

We understand that a child needs to be able to speak a sentence with confidence and clarity before they can write that sentence with confidence and fluency.  We create an inclusive space where children with SEND feel supported and heard – ‘Every child understood’ - and know that communication goes beyond words.  We are proud of the diverse heritage of our families and celebrate the wide range of languages spoken in our community.  We acknowledge differences in accents and dialects; at the same time, we focus on giving children the tools to allow them to access and apply standard English grammar when necessary.  We give equal weight to speaking and writing as means of self-expression, and strive to put pupil voice at the centre of what we do.  We want our learning environments to be language rich - not only in terms of display & the resources available to the children, but also through quality spoken interactions between us all.

We give our children ‘Time to Talk’ and have a whole school oracy approach to develop all children’s confidence.  We encourage ‘Me Time’ before ‘Twos/trios/team Time’ to ensure that partner talk pushes the children to express themselves to the best of their ability.  Our aim is always to strive to make every child’s voice heard; we want our children to know that their opinions matter and that respectful debate and discussion are vital to society.