St Marylebone C.E. Bridge School in North London has been highly commended for the Secondary Schoo/College of the Year Award at a glittering award ceremony in London, hosted by comedian, David Baddiel. The school has been praised for its commitment to supporting young people’s speech, language and communication development.

The 2015 Shine a Light Awards are a national awards scheme organised by Pearson, in partnership with The Communication Trust, to celebrate innovative work, inspirational individuals and excellent practice in supporting children and young people’s communication development.

St Marylebone C.E. Bridge School has been recognised for its comprehensive and collaborative approach to supporting children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). All students at the school receive full assessments by speech and language therapists on entry to the school, clearly identifying any support needs they may have.

Every member of staff is aware of the progress of each individual pupil and how to help them make further progress. Staff training is a priority with sessions on speech, language and communication delivered every four weeks. A recent OFSTED report described the school as a “communication-friendly environment” where students can develop confidence in their communication skills.

The school also works closely with parents. A member of the speech and language therapy team interviews parents at the start of the academic year and parents are supported with advice, resources, targets for communication in the home and workshops every term. Pupils say the approach has impacted on their confidence, ability to learn and interactions with other children and staff. Staff and parents have both reported greater confidence in their ability to support the children’s communication skills.

Dominic Sunderland, Head of School and Leah Frisby, Senior Speech and Language Therapist at St Marylebone C.E. Bridge School said: "St Marylebone CE Bridge School are thrilled to have been highly commended for the Secondary school/college of the year award.

“We have a total approach to communication, everyone plays an active and valued part in facilitating the development of communication skills.  Communication is at the heart of our curriculum and permeates all we do in our school. We strongly feel that developing communication skills is central to equipping our students with the life skills and competencies they need to become successful adults.  We are very proud that our pupils are developing effective communication skills, in spite of the significant barriers they face."

David Baddiel, Host of the 2015 Shine a Light Awards, said: “Because of the important work that the Shine a Light 2015 winners and highly commended finalists have achieved, children and young people’s language and communication development, especially for those with SLCN, has been supported. 

“Speech and language problems too often go under the radar, so everyone should not only be congratulated for their work but for bringing this important issue to the attention of others. I would like to say well done to all those shortlisted who have shown true grit and determination to better themselves and others. They are all a true inspiration - keep up the good work.”

Chris Hall, Director of Clinical Assessment at Pearson, says: “Congratulations to St Marylebone C.E. Bridge School for being highly commended for the Secondary School of the Year Award at the 2015 Shine a Light Awards for their remarkable achievements. Each year the applications get stronger and more inspiring. We have seen examples of children and young people being supported by some truly inspiring individuals and schools like St Marylebone C.E. Bridge School.

“The Shine a Light Awards, now in their fourth year, continue to grow and we have been delighted to welcome an incredible judging panel who represent the very best of the education and special educationla needs (SEN) sector. To once again partner with the Communication Trust and celebrate these inspiring people and organisations is a real privilege.”

Anne Fox, Director of The Communication Trust, says: “Congratulations to the winners and highly commended finalists whose work will help inspire and motivate people right across the country. St Marylebone C.E. Bridge School is a wonderful example of this inspiration in practice and they have shown what can be achieved with commitment and dedication.

“We’re delighted to have this partnership with Pearson, which allows Shine a Light to be a true celebration of the amazing work up and down the country and for helping the Trust to reach more children and young people and the professionals who work with them.

“The  Shine  a  Light  Awards  are  a  key  fixture  for  the  speech  and  language  sector  as  they reflect a range of best practice and innovative work taking place across the country. At a time when early years, health, education and SEN services are going through significant reforms, Shine a Light focuses attention on what can be achieved through expertise, sheer determination and never giving up on children and young people’s potential.”   

The Shine a Light awards are designed to honour individuals, teams, campaigns, communication-friendly settings and communities that have excelled in their support of children and young people’s communication, particularly for those with SLCN.