Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC)
Oakengates Nursery School have taken part in the ELSEC (Early Language Support for Every Child) project, an evidence-informed initiative designed to strengthen early language development and communication outcomes for young children.
Through ELSEC, staff received specialist training and support to further develop high-quality communication practices across the nursery. This included strengthening adult–child interactions, enhancing vocabulary development, and embedding language-rich experiences throughout daily routines, play and learning.
The project reinforced our strong focus on spoken language as the foundation for learning, relationships and emotional wellbeing. It also supported us to identify children who needed additional help with communication at an early stage, enabling timely intervention and targeted support.
As a result of ELSEC, we have:
- strengthened staff confidence and consistency in supporting early language
- enhanced our communication-friendly environments
- embedded more intentional vocabulary teaching
- increased opportunities for meaningful conversation, storytelling and play-based talk
- further improved early identification of speech, language and communication needs
The learning from ELSEC continues to shape our curriculum and practice, ensuring every child is supported to develop the communication skills they need to thrive socially, emotionally and academically.
Early language matters - and ELSEC has helped us build even stronger foundations for every child.