What is a Communication and Interaction Centre?

A Communication and Interaction Centre is a specialist unit attached to a mainsteam school. Children who have profound communication and interaction difficulties and have already got an EHCP are considered for a place at a C and I Centre.  Children are cognitively able and follow the National Curriculum as their mainstream peers, but need some extra help with communication and interaction. 

What does a day in a Communication and Interaction Centre look like on a daily basis?

All children have personalised provision depending on their needs. Some of their day is spent in the C and I Centre and some is spent in a mainstream class. We aim to integrate children into mainstream when we can, so they can benefit from all that school has to offer.

A typical day would start in a mainstream class for registration. Then children would move to the C and I Centre. They would complete their Maths and English with the C and I team in the Centre. We work in small groups with specialist staff, who work really hard to overcome children's learning barriers, so they can access the curriculum. Children go for lunch with their mainstream and Centre friends and enjoy playtime with them. We have a member of the C and I team out on the playground when necessary, just to help children navigate a busy playground. In the afternoons, children integrate into their mainstream class. If necessary, we modify the tasks that the children are doing and our C and I team provides support for children when they are in mainstream. We don't provide any 1:1 support for children in mainstream or in the C and I Centre. We work with several children in both settings.

What else can a Communication and Interaction Centre provide?

The children that attend the C and I Centre, can experience difficulties with navigating the world around them. We work with children on things they find difficult by providing a warm, friendly, accepting  environment, where they can fluorish and grow in confidence. Sometimes children need groups to learn social skills and opportunities to practise those social skills in our daily 'Skills Sharpening Group.'

We also have access to SALT provision for some children and we work on language skills each week with those children that need help in this area. 

To find out more about what we do, have a look at our C and I Class pages on the web site.

For more information about the C and I Centre, please read the leaflet below or make an appointment to come in and see us!

Mrs Paterson and the C and I Team