Gifford Primary School
Greenhill Gardens, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 6BU
Tel: 0208 845 4661 Fax: 0208 841 2353
Email : [email protected]
Hearing Impaired Unit
Introduction
The Gifford Hearing Impaired Unit
opened in 1974. Pupils who attend the
Unit are members of the mainstream
school and participate in school lessons,
assemblies, playtimes, lunchtime
activities, school productions, open days
and educational visits.
Information relating to the school is in
the School Prospectus, which is supplied
to all parents/carers. This includes the
address, telephone/fax number and email
address of the school, as well as details
of uniform, school times and our
expectations of a child’s behaviour in
school.
Gifford Hearing Impaired Unit meets the
needs of deaf children through the whole
primary phase in Nursery, Infant and
Junior Departments.
Gifford Hearing Impaired Unit
Gifford Primary School Mission Statement
Working in partnership to provide
excellent and enjoyable education to enable
all children to achieve their highest
standards.
We do this by:
 Giving a high priority to Literacy and
Numeracy.
 Enabling our children to have a wide a range
of suitable experiences and activities as
possible in a broad and balanced Curriculum.
 Working in partnership with parents and the
wider community.
 Setting clear values and attitudes within a
happy, health, secure and stimulating
environment.
 Create respect for religious values and
tolerance of other races, religions and ways
of life.
What is the Communication
Policy in the Unit?
‘We use English as a main mode of
communication’.
Signing is used to support communication,
teaching and learning. We aim to make
maximum use of the child’s residual
hearing through consistent use of
appropriate amplification e.g. hearing aids,
cochlear implant processors, Bone
Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), radio aids,
Auditory Training Unit (ATU) and the
Soundfield System.
We aim to provide an enhanced listening
environment. Access to Deaf culture is
encouraged.
Who’s who?
The parents of a deaf child are likely to become involved with professionals from the
Education and Health Departments.
These will include:
Our teachers of the deaf (TOD) have qualified as teachers before undergoing extensive
specialist training. The teacher has responsibility for day-to-day organisation, planning and
delivery of the curriculum to deaf children. This includes the preparation, implementation,
monitoring and assessment of individual learning programmes.
 Teaching Assistants support the work of teachers and provide significant support to pupils.
All our Unit Teaching Assistants have qualified as Nursery Nurses or NVQ 3’ s and have
studied the physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social development of children
and work with the teachers of the deaf to plan and deliver programmes of work.
 A Speech and language Therapist (SALT) who has undertaken extensive additional training
to work with deaf children, their teachers and their families. The SALT has responsibility
for assessing and monitoring deaf children's communication skills within the school
environment. The SALT designs, carries out and evaluates deaf children's individual
communication programmes: working closely with others e.g. teaching staff, parents in
delivering these programmes.
An organiser of the Special Educational Needs Support Service (SENS) who has Borough
wide responsibility for ensuring quality service for our Unit children.
 An Educational Psychologist who is usually a qualified teacher who has received further
training and who advises on the needs and difficulties of pupils on ways of helping them.
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How do children get a place in the
Unit?
The London Borough of Ealing (LBE) offers
children a place in the Unit after
assessment.
Parents are consulted before their child’s
name is added to a list for consideration.
Pupils attending the Unit are issued with a
Statement of Special Educational Needs,
which sets out the specific needs of the
child and how these should be met.
The Statement may include written reports
by Teacher of the Deaf (TOD), teachers,
Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) an
Educational Psychologist (EP), a Doctor and
Parents. If you agree with this the
Statement becomes a legal document.
The Statement has to be reviewed each
year and Parents are consulted before any
changes are made. Unit staff are happy to
discuss any points regarding the
assessment of your child.
You have the right to disagree with what
the Statement says.
How do we support our pupils in
the Unit?
The aims of the Unit are:
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To offer deaf children full access to the
National Curriculum whilst catering for
their individual needs.
To create an environment that encourages
the development of physical, intellectual,
and language, emotional, social and
communication skills.
To give the children the opportunity to
express themselves and their ideas.
To provide members of staff to actively
listen and respond appropriately to the
pupils.
To contribute to the overall assessment
of the child’s needs.
To plan and carry out an appropriate
programme of learning for each child
Staff undertakes a minimum of CACDP
Stage I BSL course to facilitate
effective communication.
To develop independence and management
of all audiological equipment including
hearing aids and implant devises.
What is Inclusion?
Inclusion
Inclusion means that all children are included in
the full range of activities that the school has to
offer. For some children this may mean doing
different or similar things or receiving extra
support for what everyone else is doing.
The Unit and mainstream staff work closely
together to ensure inclusion. All children attending
the Unit are members of mainstream classes and
integrate at different levels, according to their
individual needs. Each child’s programme is
monitored regularly and amended when necessary.
Both deaf and hearing pupils benefit from
inclusion. The Unit pupils gain socially, emotionally
and intellectually from working along side their
hearing peers. Communication skills are also
improved and inclusion helps prepare deaf children
for life in a hearing society.
Hearing children benefit from inclusion in a
different but equally valuable way. By playing and
learning with deaf children they gain first hand
experience of how deaf children learn and
communicate with each other and with the hearing
world.
Thus, all children learn to value diversity and
respect one another.
Where do children go when
they leave the Unit?
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Parents work with the London Borough of
Ealing SEN team to identify appropriate
provision.
Some children attend their local school
without extra support.
Some attend their local school but may
require support from a Teacher of the Deaf
and/or Specialist Support Assistant (SSA).
Some may continue to need special language
provision, which may be at a Secondary
Hearing Impaired Unit, a Day Special School,
or a Residential School (not funded by the
Local Education Authority).
The Speech and Language Therapists.
Will my child get speech therapy whilst at
the Unit?
The NHS currently provides SLT for all pupils attending the Unit. The therapists provide therapy
as appropriate based on assessment and discussion with the unit teacher. Every child will see a
therapist at least once a week for 1:1 or small group sessions. Sometimes, therapists may support
a child indirectly by giving advice to teaching staff, instead of taking the child out of class.
Therapy is needs-led, so as the child’s needs change, the therapy input will change.
All therapy is based on researched evidence and evaluated termly. The therapists meet regularly
with the Unit staff to plan and discuss therapy. The Therapist then writes a programme which is
evaluated in discussion with parents and Unit staff. New programmes are given to teachers and
parents.
Speech and Language Therapists
The Therapists also:
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Liaise regularly with professionals from
audiology clinics and cochlear implant teams in
order to co-ordinate programmes, assess and
monitor progress of children.
Assess each child’s communication strengths
and needs and writes a detailed report for the
annual review. This report is shared with
parents/carers, GP and other professionals
involved in a child’s care.
Contribute to each child’s IEP and statement
of special educational needs.
Offer parents/carers the opportunity to
discuss their child’s progress at the annual
review meeting or at another convenient time
by appointment.
Make referrals to other agencies or
professionals if appropriate.
Provide advice and guidance regarding the
modification of home/school environment to
enhance communication.
Provide training for school staff and parents.
Transport
The pupils Local Education Authority may provide
transport to and from the Unit. Each taxi or
minibus is licensed to carry a specific number of
pupils and each vehicle carries a Passenger
Assistant.
It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure
that their children are ready to leave at the
arranged time and that someone is available to
receive their child on the return journey.
It is important that parents work collaboratively
with Passenger Assistants to ensure that their
child behaves appropriately for health and safety
reasons.
It is the parents responsibility to notify the
Transport of any changes.
London Borough of Ealing
Transport Office
Tel: 020 882508791
London Borough of Hillingdon
Transport Office
Tel: 01895 250008
Home/School Liaison
We aim to foster a positive relationship between home and school. We are approachable and
open.
It is in the pupil’s best interest that Unit staff work closely with parents.
We keep in contact in a variety of ways:
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Staff pay an initial visit to each child’s home. These visits provide an opportunity to share
information and give parents the chance to express their views on their child’s education and
communication.
Each pupil has a home/school liaison book, which can be used for communicating on a daily
basis if required. Parents are asked to write in the book if there is anything they think staff
ought to know. The book can also be an effective means of communication for the children.
If parents and staff exchange information about the child’s day-to-day experiences, they
are able to discuss these far more effectively with the child.
Parents are welcome to contact the Unit if they have any worries or questions.
Appointments can be made to see Unit staff by making a request in the home/school liaison
book or by telephoning the school. Parents are requested to telephone at the following times
if they wish to speak directly to Unit staff.
Monday – Friday
8:30am – 8:45am
12:45pm – 1:00pm
3:15pm – 3:30pm
Telephone Number: 020 8845 4661
Parents
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Parents are invited to help both in the Unit and their child’s mainstream class. Some
parents feel that voluntary work helps them to achieve a positive insight into how needs
of the deaf children are being met in school.
It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child is correctly aided and
audiological equipment is well maintained and batteries are supplied. Your child’s
equipment will be checked by staff on a daily basis.
Any problems please contact your child’s hearing clinic as soon as possible.
The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
The NDCS is especially concerned with the needs of deaf children. It represents deaf
children’s interests both nationally and locally, supports parents through a network of
self-help groups, provides advice on welfare and education, runs a technology and
information centre including a lend an aid library and awards grants for holidays,
research and education. If you would like any further information please contact the
NDCS at:
NDCS
15 Dufferin Street
London EC1Y 8UR
Tel and Minicom: 020 7490 8656
Email: [email protected]
Freephone Helpline: 0808 800 8880
Outside Agencies
Action On Hearing Loss
19-23 Featherstone Street
Tel: 0808 808 0123Text: 0808 808 9000
Email: [email protected]
Deaf Education through Listening and Talking (DELTA)
The Con Powell Centre
Alfa House
Molesey Road
Walton on Thames
Surrey KT1 2PD
Tel: 0845 108 1437 Text: 01932 243018 Fax: 01932 243618
Email: [email protected]
Signing Deaf Club
St Mary’s Church Hall
Hanwell W7 3QP
Tel Gilly: 07724 192 404
ContinYou
Ealing Parent Partnership Service
The Lido Centre
63 Mattock Lane
London W13 9LA
Tel: 020 8280 2251
Email: [email protected]