Our school has a resourced provision for students with hearing impairment. These students are fully included in the daily life of the academy and are active members of their year group. They participate in the wide range of learning and enrichment activities the academy has to offer.
Ofsted 2023
"Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils, including those who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND."
Ofsted 2018
"Pupils in the hearing impairment base receive skilled support from their teachers. The resource base is highly effective."
Teaching & Learning
Students work alongside their peers in class for the vast majority of their learning. When appropriate students receive additional small group or 1:1 support designed according to their individual need. This support is delivered by specialist staff. Class teachers and specialist support work together ensuring that teaching and learning meets students' individual needs so children can make the best possible progress. Staff liaise on a daily basis and more formally as part of the academy's Quality of Provision meeting every six weeks. Individual attainment, progression and next step learning targets are reviewed at these meetings with the Senior Leadership Team and our SENCO. The outcomes of these inform learning and teaching strategies both when pupils receive specialist support and in classrooms so that learning is cohesive, consistent and results in excellent progression.
Linden Road Academy is directly funded to support students with Hearing Impairment and we secure specialist support from Tameside Resource Team for Pupils with Hearing Impairment.
The specialist teaching team comprises of Teachers of the Deaf and Special Support Assistants.
Teachers of the Deaf
Ms A Parveen and Mrs J Garner
Specialist Support Assistants
Miss. S. Kirkbride and Miss B. Murphy
Head of The Hearing Impairment Support Service for Tameside
Mrs. G. Reeves
Hearing Aids and Equipment
Children either wear hearing aids or are fitted with cochlear implants. These are tested regularly by specialist staff to ensure the child is able to access the curriculum. Each child has their own FM radio system which helps to overcome the problem of background noise. The child wears a receiver linked to their own hearing aids, and the teacher wears a transmitter. In addition, the relevant classrooms in the school, as well as the main hall are fitted with Sound Field Amplification systems. These systems amplify the speaker’s voice and provide “surround sound”.
We are closely linked with the Audiology Department at the Tameside General hospital, and liaise regularly with the medical team there.
Communication
Most of the students with hearing impairment who attend Linden Road require signed communication. We use Sign Supported English, which incorporates many of the signs from British Sign Language (BSL) used with spoken English.
However, it is also important for the children to experience using BSL, and are therefore given opportunities for this. It is not only the hearing-impaired support staff who sign in school, but many other children and adults as well. A number of School staff sign and completed accredited courses.
The development of speech is equally important. Many of the students with hearing impairement do not rely on signing, for these children we focus on spoken language. We use amplification equipment and encourage the development of good listening skills. Children are always encouraged to use their voices and contribute to class discussions. When children are seen by Speech and Language Therapy Service, appointments usually take place in the academy. This enables Teachers of the Deaf to work alongside therapists to achieve common aims.
Home/School links
Partnership between parents and the academy is very important. We operate an open door policy and parents are encouraged to contact their child's class teacher or the SENCO to discuss the learning needs of their children in the first instance.