A major boost in classroom speech and language support is on the way for primary schools.
Eighty more schools in Oxfordshire will join the Wellcomm language programme, bringing the total to more than 120 across the county.
The programme, part of the Oxfordshire 'Out Loud' initiative, is funded by a £90,000 investment from Oxfordshire County Council through its new SEND reform budget for the 2026-27 academic year.
Sean Gaul, cabinet member for children and young people at the council, said: "This investment will make a significant difference at the right time in a child's education.
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"The initiative enables schools to screen children's language and communication development and deliver targeted interventions, with resources available for everyday classroom teaching."
The scheme uses the GL Assessments Wellcomm toolkit to screen children’s language abilities and provide tailored support in the classroom.
It is designed to help all pupils, not only those with special educational needs and disabilities, by addressing communication issues before they become a barrier to learning.
Schools taking part will receive support from specialist advisory teachers and speech and language therapists at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
This will enable staff to use the screening tool effectively and deliver targeted interventions without waiting for external referrals.
Mark Chambers, head of children’s community services at Oxford Health, said: "The earlier we can identify and support speech, language and communication needs, the better the outcomes for children and young people.
"This expansion is a positive step forward for Oxfordshire, bringing together schools, the council and NHS services to ensure more children receive the right support at the right time.
"We are proud to play our part in helping children develop the communication skills that are so important for learning and life."
Between March 2025 and March 2026, more than 2,200 children were screened through the scheme, with nearly 30 per cent more pupils reaching expected language levels after intervention.
The Wellcomm programme builds on Oxfordshire’s early years advisory team’s work, which has used the toolkit in nurseries and early years settings since 2021.
Practitioners have been trained to spot language needs early and provide targeted support, improving outcomes for children, including those with English as an additional language.
There are plans to extend the programme to all primary schools in Oxfordshire by 2030, with potential future expansion into secondary education.
The scheme complements Oxford Health’s speech and language therapy waiting list recovery programme, which cut the number of children waiting for support from 2,890 to 1,214 between September 2024 and August 2026.
The number of children waiting more than a year fell by almost 90 per cent, from 1,408 to 149.
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