Communication Friendly Settings (CFSe) report shows that Elklan training really works!
We knew it all along, but now we have the evidence to back up our claims that Elklan training is cost-effective and really works! Elklan was commissioned by the London Schools Excellence Fund to improve attainment in English, Maths and Science in 2 primary and 2 secondary schools and 1 special school in London.
What did the project measure and what were the outcomes?
- The project measured participants' communication knowledge and use of observable strategies pre and post-training and corroborated the findings through observations in all the schools by an independent observer. A significant percentage increase in knowledge and use of appropriate teaching and learning strategies ranged from 22 - 32%.
- A questionnaire was completed pre and-post training which tested staff knowledge of specific strategies. Significant gains in knowledge regarding resources to assist differentiation were made. Knowledge of Mind Maps, Blank levels of questioning and Vocabulary Tiers (ref : Language Builders 2012) increased in the range 79 - 99.5%
- Teacher confidence was assessed via a questionnaire which demonstrated an increased confidence in identifying and supporting children with SEN and SLCN up from 67% pre-training to 73% post-training.
- Teacher confidence was also assessed through staff interviews by the external observer, and the results were positive: 80% of teaching staff reported they felt they had the knowledge they needed or knew where to go to seek more help. They spoke of feeling confident about implementing their new knowledge, which is confirmed in the increased number of strategies observed at the post-training stage.
- Pupil attainment data was available from the primary school and the special school. At the time of writing the report the secondary schools had not finished delivering the cascaded training. The primary school however had almost completed its cascade training via inset days and twilight sessions by July 2014 and the impact of this can be seen. The percentage increase in children attaining more than the benchmark in these subjects significantly increased between July 2013 and July 2014. This progress was maintained in 2015.
- Pupils were consulted in focus groups and discussions were facilitated around the topic of communication. Pupils' identification of strategies was insightful. Pupils in all mainstream schools were able to reflect upon how they are taught. They identified strategies taught within Elklan's training. In particular, the primary school pupils were very clear about teachers using visual aids and other auditory strategies to help them remain focussed.
So what were the conclusions?
The project demonstrated that Elklan’s Communication Friendly Settings Programme had significant positive impact on the quality of support for speech, language and communication in 2 primary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 special school. The approach was found to offer good value for money, partially as a result of an effective and cost-efficient cascade training model. It is therefore recommended that it is made available for replication within other schools across England.
