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Bedford Borough Communication Champions
- Professionals and Clinicians
- Speech, language and communication
This course is for professionals only
Communication Champions are passionate about speech, language and communication in children. A Communication Champion is the main point of contact in their workplace for all things speech, language and communication.
In Bedford Borough, primary school teaching staff and assistants can become Communication Champions. It’s a great opportunity to ensure that the children in your school are getting the help and support they need.
Aim of this course
- Become a Communication Champion!
- Identify children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
- Learn strategies and develop activities to help children's speech, language and communication in your place of work
- Recognise when further support is needed
- Act as a point of contact for your colleagues
- Act as a point of contact for speech and language therapists
- Act as a point of contact for parents by championing speech, language and communication for all children
About the Communication Champion course
The Communication Champion course is a comprehensive evidence-based course. A Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and a Teaching and Learning Advisor for SEND will deliver the training.
The course includes:
- up to date information on SLCN for universal and targeted levels of need
- guidance on how to appropriately refer children for specialist support
- tools to help promote speech, language and communication development
Once you have completed the course, you will be recognised as a 'Communication Champion'.
88% of Bedford primary schools have now accessed the training. There are nearly 140 Communication Champions across the borough.
The role of a Communication Champion
Communication Champions will:
- be able to identify and support children with SLCN
- develop activities and strategies to help children’s communication and language skills and bring the best practice approach for communication and language
- make appropriate referrals when specialist support is needed
- promote speech, language and communication development for all students in their school
- share and implement knowledge, skills and tools with other members of staff
- keep up to date with their knowledge of speech, language and communication
Communication Champion teams
A Communication Champion team is a group of trained Communication Champions. Communication Champion teams are used in school settings.
Schools who have not yet completed the course must send:
- a SENCo or member of senior leadership
- 2 other staff members, ideally a teacher and teaching assistant
All staff must attend all 5 days of training.
We encourage schools who already have Communication Champions to grow your team and replace any champions who have left your school.
For schools with over 100 pupils we recommend that there are at least 3 Communication Champions in a team. This will usually be a SENDCo, a teacher and teaching assistant.
For schools with less 100 pupils, you may have a smaller Communication Champion team.
Schools with a Communication Champion team can apply for the Communication Friendly Award.
Course feedback
Don't just take our word for it, our Communication Champions can speak for themselves!
Our courses have helped professionals feel more confident identifying, discussing and supporting SLCN.
100% rated the training as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’
By session 5, 95% of participants had already shared learning with their colleagues
“Something our school will take forward as an area of improvement”
“Invaluable training”
“It has made me reflect on my practice as well as the school’s”
"Really useful"
Training
Become a Communication Champion by attending one of our Communication Champion training courses. The training you do as a Communication Champion will contribute towards your continuing personal development (CPD).
The course will be delivered over 5 training sessions. It is delivered by a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and a Teaching and Learning Advisor for SEND. You will be provided with course materials.
Cancellation or changes to participants needs to be provided to our team 48 hours before the course starts. Non-attendance or late cancellation (cancelling in less than 48 hours) will be charged a penalty fee of £100 per person.
If you need to cancel, email ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net
Autumn Term 2025/2026
Entry for these dates is now closed, please register your interest for future dates.
You will need to be able to attend all the sessions in a term.
These sessions will be 9am to 3:15pm.
23 September 2025
7 October 2025
21 October 2025
11 November 2025
18 November 2025
This course will be held at Borough Hall, Bedford.
Register interest for future dates
Last reviewed: 30 May, 2025
