Primary schools across the UK are urged to register for the Communication Triathlon!

Primary schools across the UK are urged to register for the Communication Triathlon today!

With 300 days to go until the start of the Olympic Games, primary schools across the UK are being encouraged this month to register for the Communication Triathlon and join thousands of children and staff across the country who have already ‘exercised’ their speaking and listening skills.

The Communication Triathlon has been developed in partnership between Openreach and I CAN, the children’s communication charity. The Triathlon is a series of active and fun-filled events for primary schools, intended to boost speaking and listening skills, which can be undertaken by a class, a year group or a whole school over the course of a week or even a day.

The programme encourages children to take part in three London 2012-themed speaking and listening activities around Thinking, Talking and Teamwork and is split across 4-7 and 7-11 year olds.

The Communication Triathlon is free to take part in as it is supported by Openreach, BT’s local network business and is part of Get Set, the official London 2012 education programme.

Ms. Cosby, from Stoke Park Junior School in Hampshire, said, “Walking along the corridor on the day of our Communication Triathlon was a delight as chatting and singing could be heard from every classroom. The children thoroughly enjoyed communicating with each other in very different and supportive ways. All the staff and children had such a good morning we are planning to do the Communication Triathlon again in the near future!”

Liv Garfield, Chief Executive, Openreach, said, “Our purpose at Openreach is to enable communication and we care passionately about that. I CAN’s work with children who have communications difficulties represents everything we strive for and we are proud to be working in partnership with them to bring the Communication Triathlon to schools. We hope that as many UK schools as possible, will get involved in this brilliant activity.”

Virginia Beardshaw, I CAN Chief Executive, said, “The Communication Triathlon is a fantastic way for primary school children to develop their talking, understanding and team-working skills, whilst engaging in the upcoming London 2012 Games.

"The Communication Triathlon activity pack has been written by I CAN teachers and speech and language therapists, so schools will find excellent lesson plans to use alongside activities such as the ‘Language Relay’ and ‘Sports Bingo’. We are thrilled to be working with Openreach to encourage as many schools as possible to take part to improve children’s ‘Communication Fitness’.”

Openreach will donate £100 to I CAN for each of the first 500 primary schools that register to take part in the Communication Triathlon.

To register and get your Communication Triathlon pack today, visit www.communicationtriathlon.org.uk