Overview

The Additional Resource Provision for D/deaf learners (ARP) for LBBD is based at Eastbury Community School.

The ARP welcomes children and young people from across the borough who have severe or profound deafness along with difficulties with speech and language and / or complex needs and are supported by an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

We provide a specialist environment to enable our students to develop their language, learning and life skills.

In the past five years the ARP has grown from twelve to twenty-two places and has developed a national reputation as a centre for excellence in Deaf Education.

 In 2021 we were awarded the titles of TES Overall School of the Year and Alternative Provision School of the Year and in 2022 our Lead Teacher of Deaf Children and Young and People Helen Devereux Murray won the TES Subject Lead of the Year award for Specialist Provision.

Our aims

The ARP aims to meet the children ‘where they are at’ and support them to close the gap and achieve or exceed their potential.  We offer a multi modal environment where BSL and spoken language are equally valued and encouraged. We believe this helps all pupils to develop their communication skills and progress in their learning.

We want to give our students the specialist support they need to grow into independent, confident D/deaf young people able to interact and thrive in both the deaf and hearing worlds.

Curriculum Statement

 A personalised curriculum is devised for each of our D/deaf (ARP) pupil to meet their individual needs and support them to narrow or close the gap with their hearing peers. Where appropriate they follow the whole school curriculum and attend mainstream classes with communication support.

Specialist teaching and a broad programme of interventions and enrichment sessions are delivered each day by our Qualified Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (QTOD) and our expert team of deaf professionals. In addition, ARP pupils receive weekly BSL and Deaf studies classes with our Deaf Instructor and Speech and Language therapy sessions with our Speech and Language Therapists.

The ARP is committed to providing a wide range of experiential learning opportunities for our students to support their personal development, independence skills and understanding of their world and community.

Our expectations of our deaf young people

 We have high expectations of our pupils. All pupils have aspirational targets which aim to narrow or close the gap with their hearing peers. If students do not make expected progress in any areas of their learning further specialist advice and intervention would be sought to develop individualised plans to help them to achieve their academic potential.

How we achieve our expectations

 Expectations are achieved by offering the following specialist programmes and services:

• A personalised curriculum built around each pupils individual needs and abilities.
• A personalised deaf curriculum offered to each pupil which can include BSL, deaf studies, audiology and personal safety as required by students taught by a deaf end user.
• Daily audiology checks and maintenance of hearing technology (hearings aids and cochlear implants) and termly support visits from an audiologist.
• A specialist cultural enrichment programme to support
• Daily interventions in literacy, numeracy, language and social development.
• Daily teaching (as required) by trained staff: QToD or ECSW, with lessons devised, planned, implemented and monitored by ToD.
• Access to specialist subject knowledge through inclusion in mainstream class with support where appropriate.
• Alternative pathway options in KS4.
• Weekly Speech and Language Therapy sessions.
• Daily opportunities for focused speaking and listening incorporating sign and spoken English.
• BSL embedded into our communications.
• Access to specialist audiological equipment including radio aids, soundfields.
• An acoustically treated learning environment.
• Access to a multi-agency support framework including: educational psychologist, Connexions, audiology advisory staff, CAHMS.
• Strong home-school links with an open dialogue between parents and ARP staff.
• Support from advisory teachers and end service users.
• A programme of Deaf Awareness for staff and students across the school.
• An induction programme for new staff on deaf friendly teaching practices.
• Access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities including trampolining and other sports, art and textiles clubs, a deaf drumming group and a signing choir.
• Regular trips and visits to support curriculum development and develop life skills.

Outside agencies with whom we work collaboratively