A scheme to improve outcomes for pupils, especially those facing disadvantage, has made a difference to a Carlisle school.

Thursby School has been using the Western Excellence in Learning and Leadership (WELL) project, funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, for three years now.

One of the main priority areas for the school is bridging gaps in speech, language, and communication, particularly in nursery and reception.

(Image: Supplied)

Dave Colombi, assistant headteacher at Thursby School, said: "We’ve been on the WELL project for three years now and the impact and the difference it has made has been fantastic."

The number of children meeting the required standards in speech, language, and communication (56 percent) and writing (59 percent) in July 2021 has increased to 100 percent and 90 percent respectively in 2023.

Implementing the WELL project meant the school could also carry out Talk Boost, a catch-up programme for children who are struggling with talking and understanding words.

Surelle Butler, early years teacher, said: “The Talk Boost project has had a huge effect on the children’s vocabulary.

(Image: Supplied)

“We had a lot of children who were not as confident speaking as we would expect.

“This project has given us the opportunity to work in smaller groups, modelling turn taking and conversation.”

The school has also adopted the Great Teaching Toolkit to improve and expand every pupil's vocabulary across the curriculum.

Mr Colombi said: “We focus on pupils’ articulation of vocab which helps all the kids, including those of higher ability and in particular, disadvantaged children.

“It ensures they are using a word in the correct context; understanding it and applying it.

“The impact in the short term is children have a greater understanding of the vocab that they’re learning. In the medium term, they’ve got those foundations of vocab for moving on to the next year group.

“And long term, for staff it’s having that knowledge to be able to apply that for future year groups coming through the school.”

Thursby School received high praise from Ofsted, with inspectors commending the pupils' articulation skills.