Services for children with Hearing Impairment

Policy and Guidance

Introduction
For 170 years this school has provided deaf education to meet the changing needs of the deaf population. We have always endeavoured to embrace new practices and technologies to enhance the learning opportunities of our pupils.

We provide specialist educational programmes to meet with the needs of the hearing impaired pupils and their families. Our staff includes fully qualified teachers of the deaf, specialist therapists and highly experienced communication support workers, all of whom are able to sign. The pupils are given access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum within a Total Communication Environment which can involve a sign bilingual approach. The school encourages good practice with regard to the use of hearing aids and other audiological equipment to ensure the pupils can make the optimum use of their residual hearing. We encourage the use of speech and explicitly teach speaking and listening skills using specialist approaches.

Who is it for?
This provision has been specifically developed to meet the needs of those children who have a hearing impairment and other disabilities which require a Total Communication approach and additional support for learning from teachers of the deaf, communication support workers and specialist therapists. Typically provision will be suitable for children where:-

  • Their need for education, emotional and social support can be fully met by experienced and well-qualified staff.
  • They require teaching in small groups with high levels of individual support from specialist staff experienced in working with hearing impaired children.
  • The complex nature of their needs require a high level of therapeutic input.
  • They need full access to the National Curriculum, suitably modified to meet the individual needs of children who use signing within a Total Communication approach.
  • They require regular on-site audiological support.
  • They require highly structured social communication teaching.
  • They require personal and social independence training.
  • Some may require a 24 hour curriculum to fully meet their needs.

What do we provide?
We have developed a communication philosophy which believes in providing pupils with optimum interaction opportunities within a Total Communication approach. Children are introduced to and encouraged to use oral and sign language skills, a variety of alternative and/or augmentative communication strategies, including both low-tech systems (signing, gesture, symbols) and high-tech systems (FM aids, voice output communication aids).

Our specialist staff are trained in signing and the facilitation and implementation of a Total Communication approach in order to support children in accessing the curriculum, achieving accreditation and promoting their maximum independence and inclusion into the community.

We provide:

  • BSL signing classes for students, families and staff.
  • Deaf role models.
  • Deaf awareness training for students, families and staff.
  • An open-door policy.
  • A commitment to developing language and communication skills for children and their families.
  • A commitment to academic achievement which enables students to access the world of work and to be fully functioning members of society.

We guarantee to deliver:-

  • Access to a Total Communication approach. This means that appropriate combinations of speaking, listening, signing, including British Sign Language (BSL), Signed Supported English (SSE), Picture Exchange System (PECS), writing, finger spelling and Alternative and Augmentative C ommunication (A.A.C) aids will all be used to assist the development of language, speech and lip reading with the assistance of properly aided residual hearing where appropriate. English and British Sign Language will be recognised as distinct languages. Both have equally important roles in the cognitive and linguistic development of most deaf children.
  • On-site audiological support from highly qualified and very experienced staff. This means that we can ensure that children have the optimum audiological conditions in which to learn. Our teachers of the deaf work closely with the medical consultants and our trainee audiologist across the region to make sure that high-quality provision is made for our children.
  • Specialist Speech and Language Therapy. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach and in particular close collaboration with specialist speech and language therapists is essential for the overall development of speech, language and communication. Each pupil is assessed and specialist programmes offered that are appropriate for:-
    • Early communication skills
    • Language development (Sign Supported English/ English)
    • Speech perception
    • Speech intelligibility
    • Phonological awareness
    • Social skills
  • Teaching in small groups with high levels of individual support from specialist staff experienced in working with hearing impaired children. We have brought together a large team of highly experienced and well-qualified team of teachers of the deaf, communications support workers, and trainee audiologist to ensure that each child's specialist individual needs are fully met at all times.
  • Access to the National Curriculum, modified to meet the individual needs of the children. We make sure that our children have full access to an inclusive curriculum that provides that full breadth of the national curriculum whilst at the same times ensuring it is relevant, and appropriately differentiated so it can meet their very individual needs
  • Highly structured social communication teaching programmes have been developed to meet the needs of the pupils
  • Promote personal and social independence training through opportunities such as respite weekends, residential visits and life skills training for real life situations
  • Access to a 24 hour curriculum (for some children). Flexible residential position is made to enable children who cannot commute daily on account of the distance between the school and their homes, or for whom education support outside the school day is required for them to become independent. The residential unit provides a warm, safe, supportive environment where the children can continue to learn through increased opportunities to develop their independence, personal and social skills, build self-esteem, value others and promote positive attitudes.

Should you require any further information about our services for children with hearing impairments please contact: Judith James (Head Teacher) on 0191 2815821 or email j.james@percyhedley.org.uk