We are proud Educational Members of the NDCS (National Deaf Children's Society) - National Deaf Children's Society | Supporting deaf children (ndcs.org.uk)
Signing is such an important part of the learning process here at St. Michael's; it is integrated into a lot of our classroom activities and all of our assemblies are signed.
Ensuring that our teaching is accessible to every single one of our children is vital and teaching sign language skills allows for better communication between our Deaf and hearing children too.
Here is what one of our parents said about her child's learning experience;
'For Sophie to have the opportunity to develop the skill of BSL in her class on a daily basis has been fantastic. The bond and friendship she has built with her Deaf peer and his family has allowed her to express herself in ways that she would not have otherwise been able to. It has been amazing to watch her grow these skills, and the passion she shows in engaging with the learning is only going to help her in the future.
As parents we are so proud that she has shown an interest in BSL and it will be a skill that she will keep for life. It also makes us so proud that she has helped another child to feel welcome and supported in their learning journey through school.'
If you have been inspired to find out more abut British Sign Language, there are some wonderful resources to be found on the Teach Me Sign website; Teach Me Sign | British Sign Language Courses
All of our staff are encouraged to undertake BSL training and to gain qualifications, which is why we have such a high number of qualified staff here at St Michael's School.
See below a list of our BSL qualified staff and their qualification level;
Miss J Clemence
BSL Champion
BSL used as first language
Mrs S Luff
Head of School
BSL Level 1 Qualified
Mrs K Hurr
SENCO
BSL Level 1 & 2 Qualified
Mrs S Swift
Autism & Dyslexia Leader, SENCO
BSL Level 1 & 2 Qualified
Mrs A Waters
TA & SaLT
BSL Level 1 Qualified
Mrs K Olliffe
SaLT & Communication Support Worker
BSL Level 1 & 2 Qualified
Mrs S Bray
School Secretary
BSL Level 1 Qualified
Mrs A Pitfield
TA - Year 1
BSL Level 1 Qualified
Miss B Davies
EYFS Leader & Reception Teacher
BSL Level 1 Qualified
Mrs F Philips
TA & Communication Support Worker
BSL Level 1 & 2 Qualified
Mrs D Taylor
TA & Communication Support Worker
BSL Level 1 & 2 Qualified
Miss B Schouten
Teacher
BSL Level 1 Qualified
Miss S Madine
TA
Bilingual BSL/English (CODA)
Our Rainbow Academy pupil and staff choir singing and signing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" at Truro Cathedral (Dec 2023).