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Since its inception almost 70 years ago, ESB’s never-diminishing focus and mission to unlock learners’ potential – to stretch the most able, support the least confident and close the disadvantage gap – is more poignant than ever as we celebrate Neurodiversity Week!

According to the Department of Education in England, 15% of students in the United Kingdom have a learning difference.

Founded in 2018 by Siena Castellon, an advocate for autism acceptance and neurodiversity in schools and the workplace, Neurodiversity Celebration Week celebrates people with learning differences.

The initiative aims to encourage educators to recognise the strengths and talents of neurodivergent learners and aims to educate teachers on how to identify and support them. Despite the significant percentage of students being neurodiverse, in England, teachers often do not feel sufficiently trained to provide a curriculum where the needs of neurodiverse learners are met.

Parallel to Siena’s vision – to educate and foster supportive environments for the neurodivergent, and to change the way they are perceived and supported – is ESB’s vision, reflected in its dedication to embrace inclusivity and to empower all its learners, through its assessments, to achieve their potential.

“By celebrating the strengths of neurodivergent individuals, we can begin the seismic shift of changing the way neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported, empowering them to achieve their potential”. Siena Castellon

ESB’s long-term commitment to supporting neurodivergent learners is demonstrated by its unique Speech portfolio of qualifications for learners with significant special educational needs and disabilities. By enabling its learners to develop key oracy and communication skills, ESB’s Speech assessments enable learners with special educational needs and disabilities to develop a sense of belonging, encouraging autonomy, as well as facilitating the fulfilment of potential.

Speaking at the Oracy APPG launch in April 2018 about his perspective on social mobility as a learner with Asperger’s, one of ESB’s Ambassadors commented that although recognising that like many people who live with Asperger’s he had good language skills, he felt that oracy training enhanced his communication skills. He recounted:

I wanted social communication but didn’t know how to go about getting it. That changed in Year 4 when I found ESB, which was so beneficial to me. It helped me with presenting skills, it helped me with eye contact which I used to struggle with a lot, it also showed me how to interact with people. It also helped me to listen to people, I didn’t know how to see things from other people’s perspectives but talking to people and learning to understand them was brilliant. I also experienced an unparalleled sense of achievement with every qualification I got, which boosted my confidence even more. Oracy Skills, developed from an early age can help bridge the social mobility gap for people like me, with disabilities such as Autism.

Tina Renshaw ESB’s Chief Executive, says:

We all want to be seen, be heard and understood, and for our strengths to be appreciated and for barriers to learning to be removed. ESB’s purpose to positively impact and provide inclusivity and the same opportunities for learners with significant learning disabilities is part of a wider campaign – its 70/70 Campaign. ESB aims to reach out to disadvantaged learners (those facing disadvantage from socio-economic factors, migration, and special educational needs and disabilities) and will support their schools, colleges and organisations financially to access its assessments, support and training. ESB’s trainers share with teachers classroom activities to build oracy skills and knowledge as well as guiding teachers to understand the levels of performance and its assessment criteria.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is about promoting acceptance, tolerance, and understanding of difference. With its work and through its 70/70 Campaign, ESB endeavours to ensure that every learner reaches their full potential and embraces their unique super power!

If you are interested in our refreshed portfolio of Speech qualifications for learners with special educational needs and disabilities, we would love to hear from you! Please contact a member of our Business Development Team at business@esbuk.org for further information.

“We must ensure oracy is at the heart of our approach to tackle educational inequality for children, and crucially, to level the playing field later in life”, says Andy Carter.

Andy Carter, Conservative MP for Warrington South and Chair of the APPG on School Exclusions has recently published an article emphasising the importance of Oracy Education to tackle educational inequality.

The article emphasises the worsening spoken language gap that exists between disadvantaged pupils and their peers as a result of Covid – highlighting that Oracy education has never been more important. This position echoes that of the Speak for Change Inquiry by the Oracy APPG, which published its report in April 2021.

“It is critical, now more than ever, that oracy is fully embraced by schools as a key tool for levelling up opportunities for working class kids, equipping them with the vital skills needed to advance into further and higher education, and join the labour market.”

Says ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, “As a member of the Oracy Network, the group supporting the work of the Oracy APPG chaired by Emma Hardy MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, ESB has been successfully offering oracy qualifications to learners for nearly 70 years and knows its impact as a valid pathway to promote oracy in schools. Research from Sutton Trust in February 2019, for the APPG for Social Mobility, found that from the age of five, the UK’s most disadvantaged children can be 19 months behind their more affluent peers in vocabulary development, and this deficit can have life-long consequences. By not developing our children’s language and communication skills from the earliest opportunity, we are limiting our workforce and the economy. The report states: ‘Children with poor vocabulary aged five are more than twice as likely to be unemployed aged 34’.”

“Clarity of communication and an ability to express thoughts simply, sincerely and persuasively, are qualities needed by everyone in this specialised, competitive world.  For whatever the industrial, professional or social responsibilities are, every individual will have to inform, instruct, listen, explain, question, interpret, disagree and advise. ESB’s assessment frameworks can act as a scaffolding tool for embedding Oracy into a school curriculum”.

One of the young people from the Reclaim Project, a youth social justice charity supported by ESB said this of the impact of Oracy skills, “As someone from one of the most marginalised groups in the country I believe that it is even more important that the children and young people from marginalised groups have a voice, and one that is going to allow them to have a place in the world. One that is going to allow them to create better opportunities for themselves in education and in the world of work and self-employment. Good oracy empowers children, young people and their teachers to communicate more effectively. The benefits of this are tremendous.”

“Teachers across primary and secondary schools must be given much greater oracy training and support”.

The recommendations of the Oracy APPG inquiry supported this position, with recommendations for the DfE, Ofsted, teacher trainers, schools leaders as well as Ofqual. The suggested steps for the Department for Education included publishing non-statutory guidance (like the Gatsby Benchmarks or Model music curriculum) for how schools can embed the statutory spoken language requirements set out in the National Curriculum. This non-statutory guidance was to include evidence on effective approaches to oracy – Clear expectations for oracy teaching and learning accompanied by a learning progression building on  existing frameworks such as those developed by a number of Oracy organisations including ESB.

“Half of teachers across primary and secondary schools said school closures negatively impacted the spoken language development of free school meal pupils, just one in five said the same of the most affluent pupils.”

As demonstrated through its 70/70 campaign, ESB is passionate about closing the disadvantage gap. Steadfast in its determination to reduce the impacts of disadvantage on speaking and listening skills, it wants to reach schools where learners facing disadvantage due to socio-economic factors, special educational needs and disabilities, and/or migration status and enable them to embed Oracy education and access its qualifications.

Did you know?

• The majority of ESB’s Speech Qualifications are Accredited.

• ESB’s Level 3 Graded Examinations in Speech qualifications and our Level 3 Debating qualification carry UCAS tariff points for university and HE entry.

• External funding options may be available for your learners. Your centre may also be eligible for funding and support through our Christabel Burniston Fund.

If you believe your learners or young people would benefit from an Oracy journey which includes ESB assessments, we would love to hear from you! Get in touch and find out whether your centre is eligible for funding and support. Please email business@esbuk.org. 

You can also read the full article here: https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/spoken-language-support-for-children-is-crucial-to-tackle-educational-inequality.

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“Imagine a golden ticket to social mobility and future success” says ESB’s 70/70 Ambassador about ESB assessments

ESB announces its Ambassador for its 70/70 Campaign – Avril Newman!

Avril, former ESB Trustee, current Headteacher of London’s Sir William Borough Primary School and now 70/70 Ambassador shares the same goal as ESB – to equip disadvantaged learners with the skills needed to thrive in education, training and employment, enabling them to reach their aspirations.

Sir William Borough Primary School, a state school serving the local communities of Tower Hamlets has been completing ESB assessments for many years because it recognises the improvement in its pupils’ self-confidence and communication skills. 

Many of its pupils are from deprived backgrounds and live in overcrowded households where English is not their first language. A large proportion of children are also enrolled on free school meals and live on universal credit.

Says Avril: “I am overwhelmed to have been appointed as ESB’s 70/70 Ambassador! ESB assessments have been a great gift to our school. They give our pupils a structure and purpose and help them to find their voice.   

“The speeches that my learners complete as part of their ESB assessment are very close to the heart and the culture of the community that I serve. They have the most enchanting experience with an ESB assessor, and they then feel a sense of achievement when they receive a certificate at the end of it. Do not underestimate the joy of that golden ticket. The children take it home, and share it with their families. Those families who may not speak English, but take enormous pride in their children’s achievements.”

Please watch the video below of Avril talking about the impact that ESB assessments continue to have on her learners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f9ROykIMpc

Says ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, “What better person to champion our 70/70 Campaign than Avril – who lives and breathes ESB’s ethos. Parallel to ESB’s vision, Avril is passionate about closing the disadvantage gap and her enthusiasm to provide all learners with equal opportunities is contagious.

“At ESB, we are steadfast in our determination to support as many disadvantaged groups as possible from the charity and community sectors, as well as educational centres and we are passionate to help close the disadvantage gap, as demonstrated by our 70/70 Campaign.”

How many centres have we financially supported over the past 3 academic years through our Christabel Burniston Fund?

The Christabel Burniston Fund, established in honour of our founder, Christabel Burniston MBE, facilitates access to our suite of speech and language qualifications to groups and organisations which are seeking to close the disadvantage gap.

The 70/70 Campaign provides an expansion on the support we already offer through our Christabel Burniston Fund.

• Over the last 3 academic years, ESB has supported a total of 51 Centres through its Christabel Burniston Fund with resounding success, demonstrated by the huge improvement in learners’ speaking and listening skills. We support schools, colleges and third sector organisations.

• 15 new centres registered in 2021-2022 will benefit from financial support through our Christabel Burniston Fund which include centres from both the Education and Third Sector. We continue to support a further 36 centres as they continue their ESB journey for their learners.

In return for our support through our Christabel Burniston Fund, we ask that our centres participate in data collection. From this data we produce evidence of the impact of an enhanced focus on Oracy and English language on learners who face disadvantage.  

We have already started collecting some impact data as a result of our Christabel Burniston-funded qualifications.

Impact of the Christabel-Funded Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grade 8) qualifications on Disadvantaged Learners

After completion of ESB assessments:

• 100% of learners progressed from competent to highly competent in using Standard English when the context and audience required it.
• The ability to work as a team and communicate effectively in a group improved for all learners.
• All learners improved from competent to highly competent in both planning for different purposes and audiences, including selecting and organising information, and planning ideas effectively and persuasively for formal spoken presentations and debates.
• Listening skills showed consistent improvement. 64% of learners were competent, and 36% were judged to not be competent before the qualification preparation period, but by the end 64% of learners were highly competent and 36% were competent at listening to and building on the contributions of others, asking questions to clarify and inform, and challenging courteously when necessary.

Would you like to support your disadvantaged learners to reach their potential?

If you believe your learners or young people would benefit by developing key speaking,  listening skills and language skills, we would love to hear from you!

You may also be interested to hear that our Level 3 Graded Examinations in Speech qualifications and our Level 3 Debating qualification carry UCAS tariff points for university and HE entry. ESB offers a potential alternative to the Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) at Level 3, with our ESB Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grade 8) qualification requiring fewer ‘Guided Learning Hours’ (48 rather than 120) and carrying up to 30 UCAS points compared to the EPQ’s 28. 

Once you contact us you can also find out whether your centre is eligible for financial support through our 70/70 Campaign.

Congratulations to ESB’s former Vice-President, Merriel Halsall-Williams who takes up her position as Honorary Life President.

ESB’s previous Honorary Life President, Jocelyn Bell sadly passed away in 2020 and we celebrated her life’s work and immense contribution to the organisation at her service of remembrance.

Jocelyn’s contribution is also remembered through ESB’s prestigious Burniston Bell Award, named in honour of our founder, Christabel Burniston and Jocelyn.  The award ensures the continuation of their legacy and recognises the exceptional work of ESB teachers who are keeping Christabel and Jocelyn’s vision alive today.

Says ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, “I would like to congratulate Merriel on her appointment as Honorary Life President and thank her for her remarkable and on-going contribution to ESB. Merriel’s enduring relationship with ESB International began in 1953, when as a 15-year-old schoolgirl she met ESB’s founder Christabel Burniston. From that very moment, Merriel has made it her lifetime mission to champion the power of the spoken word. Her impact on public speaking is simply unique and immeasurable.

“Merriel was a dear friend of Jocelyn’s, and they shared many memories together. We are hopeful that Jocelyn would be happy knowing that such a talented lady as Merriel would be the one to act as stand-in for the role of ESB’s Honorary Life President.”

Says Merriel on her appointment: “I first met Christabel and Jocelyn when I enrolled as a student at Christabel’s Northwest School of Speech and Drama in Southport. Both Christabel and Jocelyn were truly inspirational teachers and role models, and I am so honoured to follow in their footsteps as ESB’s Honorary Life President. Since ESB’s inception, I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact and value that its assessments have on individuals, equipping them with the speaking and listening skills to last them a lifetime”.

ESB is currently in the run up to its 70^th anniversary next year and the organisation is planning a number of anniversary celebratory events, as well as promoting its 70/70 campaign, which aims to find and financially support, 70 centres where their learners, children, young people or community members face disadvantage and would be supported in their aspirations if they could achieve an ESB qualification.