Communication and Language

At Brackenhill, early communication and language development is central, particularly for pupils with English as an Additional Language, those new to English, and children from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds. Children are immersed in a language-rich environment using approaches such as Talk for Writing, Scribble Club, Drawing Club, and the WellComm toolkit, supported by reading, stories, rhymes, role play, and structured questioning. Staff adapt communication for non-verbal or pre-verbal pupils, model new vocabulary, and build confidence in speaking. Nursery focuses on word acquisition, which continues in Reception with explicit teaching of Tier 2 vocabulary. The school values multilingualism, encouraging children to use their home language to support both linguistic and cultural development, recognising that a strong foundation in the home language aids English learning. Staff engage with families about home languages, celebrate multilingualism, and support children through phases such as the quiet phase and code-switching.

It also important we mention that at Brackenhill, we understand and value that speaking more than one language has lots of advantages for children, and that children will learn English from a strong foundation in their home language. For this reason, we encourage families to use their home language for linguistic as well as cultural reasons. Children learning English will typically go through a quiet phase when they do not say very much and may then use words in both languages in the same sentence. EYFS staff communicate with parents about what language they speak at home, try and learn key words and celebrate multilingualism.