Primary education graduate delivers Makaton training | News

August 2023

Primary teaching graduate Hayley holds Makaton training for fellow students

By Melanie Hall

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A newly-qualified teacher who trained at University College Birmingham as a mature student had the opportunity to build her skills in the classroom by holding sessions on Makaton for her fellow course mates.

Hayley Savage called on her experience as a former teaching and speech therapy assistant for 20 years to deliver the sessions on Makaton, a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate and is proving particularly invaluable in teaching young children.

Mum-of-two Hayley, from Tamworth, held the workshops for trainee practitioners on the University’s Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) and Primary Education Studies BA (Hons) degrees as part of a series of enrichment sessions.

These enrichment sessions are funded through the University’s Kick-Start financial support scheme, which provides students targeted financial support to spend on educational resources and a range of products and services to complement their studies.

"It was really successful and is becoming increasingly important in mainstream schools and beyond to understand special educational needs."

Hayley Savage Primary Education Studies BA (Hons)

Multi-modal approach

Just graduating after completing her two-year accelerated degree in Primary Education Studies, Hayley was first introduced to Makaton at Two Rivers, an SEN school in Tamworth.

Wanting to give young people an effective way to communicate and express themselves, she did some research and found Makaton. “It is a multi-modal approach, not just for those without a voice,” said Hayley, who went on to achieve her tutor licence to train teachers, staff, students, family members, nursing staff and social workers at the school.

“It was really successful and is becoming increasingly important in mainstream schools and beyond to understand special educational needs. I found students leaving sixth form couldn’t get a job because they couldn’t communicate.”

Hayley has been working towards her PGCE as part of the SCITT scheme at Arthur Terry School in Sutton Coldfield. But she will continue to promote the benefits of Makaton training and hopes to come back to University College Birmingham to deliver more sessions in the future.

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