Transforming Communication, Confidence and Inclusion

Spotlight on communication and interaction, with Alex.

No two days are the same for our Advisory Teacher for Communication and Interaction, but one thing remains constant: helping children find their voice and ensuring schools have the tools to support them effectively.

From early language development in EYFS to supporting specialist provisions and shaping whole-school oracy strategies, Alex provides practical, evidence-informed support that helps children communicate with confidence. Through observation, tailored interventions and staff development, schools gain expert guidance to strengthen communication and inclusion for individual children and throughout schools.

Alex takes us through a typical month as advisory teacher with Applied psychologies, and Natalie, SENDCo at Welholme Primary in Grimsby, tells us why Alex has been an integral part of their team for four years:

Inside the Role: A Month with Alex, Our Communication & Interaction Advisory Teacher

I was tasked with writing ‘a day in the life’ of an advisory teacher type post and honestly found this quite difficult as there is no ‘typical day’ in my working life. So instead, I thought I’d focus on the range of work I might cover over a month. With that in mind this is a snapshot of the type of work I will be doing in the month of June.

One day each week I visit the same school, which is something I absolutely love, as it provides consistency and I get to really know the staff and children I work with. In a job where I visit lots of different schools and am quite often only in a setting for a few hours this consistency is so welcomed. At the school I work across the nursery and FS2 classrooms working with individual children who have been identified as needing further support to develop their communication. For some of the children they need support around their confidence as communicators as they may be quiet within the busy setting but thrive during times of one-to-one adult support. Others have difficulties with their sentence structures and grammar or specific speech sound difficulties. I arrive for the start of the school day with my trusty ‘bee box’ in hand which is full to the brim with activities and items to engage the children. The range of activities I do with the children varies so much it might be using Colourful Semantics to help them think about sentence structures, what’s in the bag to encourage attention and introduce new vocabulary or games to encourage turn taking and confidence.

Other school visits I have planned this month include a full day in a school working with their hub setting. The morning is due to be spent observing, thinking about what they have in place that is working well to support their cohort of children and if any changes could be made to help further support the children. The afternoon will be spent feeding back to the staff and an opportunity for them to talk about each of the children individually.

A visit to a specialist secondary SEMH provision is also in the diary where I will be completing student voice work with some young people using the mapping of the school landscape tool. I have found this to be a very effective tool to act as a catalyst for young people to open up about aspects of school life they may not have shared before.

The feedback gathered can then support the school in making meaningful changes to help make that students school experience better.

I have a follow up visit planned to a primary school to work with staff who are supporting children in EYFS who are non-speaking or minimally speaking. During my previous visit I spent time observing and speaking with staff to highlight areas of practice that were working well. I also helped them think more about the types of communication the children where using and how these could be developed further. During my next visit I will get the opportunity to work with more staff in the EYFS and observe in their KS2 communication support base in the morning when they focus on oracy activities.

In addition, I have my next clinic day coming up. Clinic days are a relatively new addition to my role. These are online sessions where school staff can book a one-hour slot to discuss a pupil or a cohort they would like to support further. The hour session gives the member of staff the time to explore concerns in depth. Together we unpick what is and maybe isn’t currently working well and I make suggestions and share resources or signposting to help move the situation forward. The clinic sessions are held online so they enable me to reach schools I might not normally be able to support. They are open to all Applied Psychologies schools and are usually booked via the schools link educational psychologist.

I also have ongoing project helping a school redevelop their oracy policy. We have opted to use Voice 21’s oracy framework, which explores the different skills involved in communicating such as physical, linguistic, cognitive and social & emotional. We’re using these areas to explore each oracy skill included in the policy. We will then look to include a range of examples of whole school and classroom experiences the children can be exposed to help them develop each oracy skill.

Of course, not all of my work happens in schools. A significant part of my time is spent writing reports, intervention records and visit summaries to send to schools as a record of my involvement as well as a range of admin tasks. I also really value the opportunity to connect with my Applied Psychologies colleagues through online individual and group supervision sessions. I am already looking forward to seeing everyone in person during our service development day in July. Here’s hoping the ice cream van will pay us a visit like it did last year!

Here's what Natalie, SENDCo at Welholme Primary Academy Grimsby, had to say...

Alex is an exceptional Communication and Interaction Specialist Teacher who provides highly effective support for our children in Nursery and Reception with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). She has a warm, approachable manner and is able to build positive, trusting relationships with children very quickly. Her engaging approach ensures that children are motivated to participate, and they genuinely enjoy working with her.

Alex has also been an invaluable support within our Bloom Room provision, working with pupils who present with complex SLCN. She has provided high-quality guidance and training for staff, helping to strengthen practitioners’ understanding of communication needs and enabling them to implement effective strategies within the provision.

In addition, Alex has delivered a range of excellent parent workshops focused on early language development within our nursery setting. These sessions are consistently well attended and highly valued by families, reflecting her ability to share specialist knowledge in a practical, accessible way. Her expertise, professionalism and commitment to supporting children, families and staff have had a significant positive impact across our school community.

Creating confident communicators: Book time with Alex for next year

For SLAs of 8 days or more per year, get one day free. Book by end of September 2026.

For schools in Hull, an SLA with Alex offers in-person access to specialist expertise, personalised support and sustainable staff development.

Whether improving outcomes for individual pupils or building inclusive communication strategies across the school, Alex helps schools create confident communicators and stronger learning communities.

Email info@appliedpsychologies.com to book or find out more.