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Bedford Borough Communication Champions

  • Professionals and Clinicians
  • Speech, language and communication

This course is for professionals only

Children in a class looking at a book held by a teacher.

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. 

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

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. 

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. 

green tick

100% rated the training as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’

green tick

By session 5, 95% of participants had already shared learning with their colleagues

green tick

“Something our school will take forward as an area of improvement”

green tick

“Invaluable training”

green tick

“It has made me reflect on my practice as well as the school’s”

green tick

"Really useful"

Book onto a course

You must be able to go to all 5 days of training.

This course is fully booked

Thank you for your interest in our Communication Champions course.

More information about future course dates will be available by the end of spring term.

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.

If your school has not accessed this course before, they must send:

  • a SENDCo or member of senior leadership
  • 2 other members of staff
For example, SENDCo, teacher or teaching assistant
Team member 2 details
For example, SENDCo, teacher or teaching assistant
Team member 3 details
For example, SENDCo, teacher or teaching assistant
Team member 4 details
For example, SENDCo, teacher or teaching assistant

Communication Champion course terms and conditions

This course is free at the point of delivery. Bedford Borough Council are funding this course.

If you need to cancel, please email ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net at least 48 hours before the start of the course. Late cancellation will be charged a £100 penalty per participant.

If you do not attend the course, there will be a £100 penalty per participant.

Bookings for all courses will close 2 working days before the date of the training. It is at the training administrator’s discretion if late bookings are processed.

If you need to swap the person attending the course, please email ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net 48 hours before the start of the course with the name and email address of their replacement. We can then send the relevant information and resources to the new attendee.

In the unlikely event that a course is cancelled, we will endeavour to give as much notice as possible and you will be offered a place on an alternative date.

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Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024

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