Secondary Focus Day in Deaf Education
Presented on Monday 22nd October, 2012
Supporting Deaf Learners in Secondary schools
Ellen Barklie, Visiting Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Midlothian
Midlothian Hearing Impaired Service
The Service
Midlothian, population approx. 80,0000
- 2 Teachers of the Deaf
1 full-time
1 four days a week - Educational Audiologist
Retirement imminent, not to be replaced - 37 Pupils
9 pre-school (including 3 profoundly Deaf BSL users from Deaf families)
11 primary
11 secondary
6 specialist provision (needs additional to hearing impairment)
Support in Secondary Schools
- Transition planning from P7
Enhanced transition programmes - In-Service Training
Offered to all schools - Individualised Advice Sheets
One page of A4 - more likely to be read! - In-class support
Heavy commitment in the past
Currently no student receiving regular in class support from us
Purely based on individual needs and under regular assessment - Tutorials
Can be hugely beneficial but not in a vacuum
Rely on good quality contact with teachers
Must be flexible to avoid pupils missing out on class content
But then the age-old dilemma ... how do you pin them down?
- Learning support departments
- Questionnaires
- Flexible appointment times both with and without pupil
It’s more than just schoolwork...
- Regular activities for secondary pupils across Lothian
Secondary planning group
Bowling, rock climbing, animation - Look, Smile, Chat (fingers crossed)
Moving on
- Reinstating the Future Needs Review
- Guidance and Careers
- Good links
- Taking the help that's offered
Action on Hearing Loss
NDCS
But I still have a lot of questions...