Four Primary schools in the Athersley Pyramid have taken part in a two-year research project (beginning September 2004) with the aim of addressing the relatively low level of language skills of Foundation Stage children in the early years. The project is based on implementation of the ‘SALLEY’ programme (Structured Activities for Language and Literacy in the Early Years) for all children in the Foundation Stage.

At the end of the first year, one school’s Foundation Stage 2 data indicated:

• 61% children with below chronological age language understanding on entry, reduced to 22% after 10 months.
• 11% children with above chronological age language understanding on entry increased to 72% after 10 months.
• The recent Ofsted report of one of the schools state: “Children in the Foundation Stage are now making outstanding progress and reaching levels expected for their age by the time they enter Year 1”.
• ‘The monitoring of children’s progress and using this information to assist learning in the Foundation Stage is exemplary.’