Deaf-friendly

teaching
For primary
school staff
A note about terms
We use the term ‘deaf’ to refer to all types of hearing loss, from mild
to profound. This includes deafness in one ear or temporary hearing
loss such as glue ear. We include pupils the school may identify as
having a ‘hearing impairment’ in the school census.
We use the term ‘parent’ to refer to all parents and carers of children.
We use ToD to refer to qualified Teachers of the Deaf throughout.
In different parts of the UK, the terms ‘special educational needs
coordinator’ or ‘additional learning needs coordinator’ are used.
For simplicity, this resource uses ‘SENCO’ throughout.
 Contents
1. Introduction 5
2. Deafness and its impact on learning 7
3. Working together to support deaf pupils 17
4. Starting primary school 23
5. Listening and communication 31
6. High or first quality teaching 43
7. Subject support 53
Supporting language development 53
Teaching phonics to deaf pupils 53
Literacy and language-based subjects 54
Mathematics 56
Science 58
Sport and PE 58
Swimming 60
Modern foreign languages (MFL) 60
Music 61
8. Working with teaching assistants and communication
support workers 65
9. Assessments, tests and access arrangements 69
10. Supporting emotional health and wellbeing 75
11. Quality improvement: Classroom observation
and pupil feedback 83
12. Moving on to secondary school 89
13. Templates 97
14. Appendices 115
Appendix 1: ‘Assess, plan, do, review’ overview 115
Appendix 2: Types and levels of deafness 120
Appendix 3: Personal hearing technology 124
Appendix 4: Communication options 129
15. Our information and support 133

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

“My child needs to grow up to live the life similar to a hearing

peer. The same level of confidence, intelligence, academic
qualifications, job prospects and opportunities, independence,
able to form relationships with other people and live a
satisfying life.” Parent

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 1 Introduction
Deafness isn’t a learning disability. With the right support, there’s no
reason why a deaf child can’t achieve as much as a hearing child of the
same cognitive ability.
Most deaf pupils attend mainstream schools yet many deaf children do not
achieve the same academic outcomes as their hearing classmates.
We know that:

• deaf pupils can learn as much as their hearing peers when they are taught
by teachers who recognise and can adapt teaching methods and materials
to accommodate their strengths and needs
• deaf pupils achieve more when both teachers and families have
high expectations
• deaf pupils who appear to be doing well in school, primarily because of
their speech skills, may not receive the support they need to achieve
their full potential
• a school’s acoustic environment (listening conditions) can have a huge
impact on a deaf pupil's ability to access information and learn
• deaf pupils benefit when a school promotes personal qualities such as
assertiveness, confidence and resilience
• deaf pupils do better when their families are engaged and have the
information they need to support their decision-making and help them
make informed choices
• deaf pupils achieve more when their families are fully involved in their
education, both formally and informally
• families value opportunities for their children to attend school clubs
and activities and be part of the school and local community.1

Who is this resource for?

This resource is for everyone who works with deaf pupils in a primary school.

How to use this resource

Use this resource alongside support and advice from local specialist
educational support services for deaf children.
Each chapter, template and checklist in this resource can be downloaded
from www.ndcs.org.uk/supportingachievement.

1. O’Neill, R., Arendt, J. and Marschark, M. Report from the Achievement and
Opportunities for Deaf Students in the United Kingdom: from Research to
Practice project. 2014. University of Edinburgh (accessed 30 May 2018).

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

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 2 Deafness and its impact
on learning
Deafness isn’t a learning disability, and deaf pupils have the potential to attain
and achieve the same as any other pupil, given the right support and access to
the curriculum. However, deaf pupils may experience particular challenges as
most learning takes place through seeing and hearing.
Deaf pupils have a diverse range of needs, use different hearing technologies
and have different ways of communicating and learning. It’s important to find
out from the pupil and their Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) what their hearing,
learning and communication preferences are and how you can best support
them. You can find out more about ToDs and their responsibilities on page 19.

Levels and types of deafness

There is considerable variation in the levels and types of childhood deafness.
In Appendix 2 you will find more information on this.
Deaf children may have a permanent mild, moderate, severe or profound
hearing loss in one or both ears or a temporary hearing loss, such as glue ear.
The ToD will be able to explain the pupil’s level of deafness by showing you
an audiogram – a chart used by an audiologist to record the results of
the hearing assessment. You can find more information on the roles of
professionals on page 19.
It’s estimated that at any one time, 20% of children in reception class have glue
ear. It’s important to look out for any possible signs of deafness and to monitor
deaf pupils’ hearing levels in case of deterioration.
You can find more information about types and levels of deafness in
Appendix 3.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants

Most deaf children use hearing technology supplied by the NHS such as
hearing aids, bone conduction hearing implants and cochlear implants.
These are used to improve a child’s access to sound, but it won’t give them
‘normal’ or ‘typical’ hearing. In particular, a deaf child may not understand
speech without other information such as facial expression, lip patterns or
signs and gesture.
Hearing technologies cannot replace normal hearing. Although they are
programmed to help the wearer hear speech, a lot of background noise is also
made up of speech sounds. This may mean the deaf pupil will find it hard to
understand speech in group learning, a noisy playground or open-plan break
out space. Also, sounds ‘bounce’ off hard surfaces making it harder for the

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

deaf pupil to identify individual voices. They may have problems hearing in a
classroom, gym or dining hall with wooden floors and hard surfaces.


You can find more information on different types of hearing
devices on our website at www.ndcs.org.uk/hearingaids
and www.ndcs.org.uk/implants.

Acquired or a change in deafness

Pupils may start school without a diagnosis of deafness or acquire a permanent
hearing loss while at school. At primary age this is most likely to happen
following a serious illness, such as meningitis, but it can happen at any time.
It is important for school staff to look out for any possible signs of deafness or
a change in a child’s hearing levels and to monitor deaf pupils’ hearing levels in
case of deterioration.


More information on the causes of deafness can be
found at www.ndcs.org.uk/causesofdeafness.

Deafness and additional needs

Many pupils who have learning difficulties or other disabilities are also deaf,
and their deafness can often be overshadowed by their other difficulties. This
resource has advice on how you can address the impact of deafness so a pupil
can access learn, communicate and socialise.

Impact of deafness on language

Childhood deafness can have a major impact on learning spoken language
as it’s usually acquired through sight and hearing. The Newborn Hearing
Screening Programme (NHSP) and improved hearing technologies mean
that more deaf children start primary school using some spoken language and
some form of hearing technology. A deaf child’s language, communication and
learning needs may be masked by intelligible speech.
How deafness impacts on a pupil will also be influenced by:

• the age at which they became deaf

• whether deafness was diagnosed and supported early or late
• support from parents

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 Deafness and its impact on learning

• quality of professional support – this could include the ToD, SENCO,

paediatric audiology team etc
• their cognitive ability and personal characteristics, such as determination
• how well their hearing technology works and how often they wear it
• quality of listening environment. research shows that children in constantly
noisy environments make less progress.


Some pupils with a mild hearing loss or glue ear don’t wear
hearing technology and won’t receive support from a ToD.
In many cases these pupils have ‘normal’ or ‘typical’ speech
and language development, and they do well. However, for
some pupils, mild, unilateral or temporary deafness can have
a significant and adverse impact on their development.

The impact of these hearing losses could include:

• difficulties in hearing speech on one side and locating the source of sound
• missing key information
• tiredness, concentration fatigue, frustration and a shorter attention span
• difficulties participating in group discussions and activities
• speech, language and literacy difficulties.
Children with a mild hearing loss, unlike adults, may not be able to filter out
background noise. They may also lack the knowledge, vocabulary and context
to be able to work out what has been said if they mishear. This means they can
miss out on a lot of the new vocabulary and concepts being taught at school.


You can find more information about temporary and unilateral
hearing loss at www.ndcs.org.uk/childhooddeafness. Our
booklet Mild Hearing Loss: Information for professionals provides
information on the impact of mild hearing loss, possible signs
and strategies to support effective communication. You can
download or order it from www.ndcs.org.uk/mildhearingloss.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Identifying deafness
It’s important for you to be aware of the signs of hearing loss in children.
These signs may include:

• not responding when called

• watching faces/lips intently
• constantly asking for repetition
• not always following instructions straight away
• misunderstanding or ignoring instructions
• watching what others are doing before doing it themselves
• seeking assistance from peers
• talking too loudly or too softly
• appearing inattentive or as though daydreaming
• making little or no contribution to class discussions
• complaining about not being able to hear
• getting tired easily
• becoming easily frustrated
• appearing isolated and less involved in social group activities
• difficulties identifying or producing individual speech sounds.
Children with temporary hearing loss may demonstrate these behaviours
intermittently.
If you are concerned that a child may have an undiagnosed hearing loss, you
should discuss the matter with the family and suggest that their child is taken
to the GP.

Impact of deafness on access to learning

Deafness will impact on a range of factors that contribute to a pupil’s ability to
learn, including:

• making sense of what people say and understanding what’s happening

around them
• learning to think things through and problem solve
• understanding and expressing how they’re feeling and managing their
emotions
• listening skills
• attention and concentration
• language development
• literacy skills

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 Deafness and its impact on learning

• working memory
• auditory memory
• processing time
• incidental learning
• social skills
• self-esteem
• learning style.

The table below includes strategies to support deaf pupils’ needs so they can
make the same progress as other pupils of a similar age and cognitive ability.

You should be Teaching, learning and support strategies

aware of:

Slower Find out the pupil’s communication needs.

communication Find out the pupil’s language levels from
and language regular assessment and any recommendations
development, with or targets that have been set.
reduced vocabulary
and understanding of Monitor and develop language skills
words and concepts. through focused interventions.
Use visual aids and everyday items
to support understanding.
Minimise use of idioms and colloquialisms
but keep language rich and varied.
Think about how language is used and not just
what’s said (pragmatics). Support social skills.
Identify and teach key vocabulary and share
with parents and other professionals.
Develop vocabulary associated with emotions
and feelings through discussions around events,
others’ points of view and book sharing.
Check understanding and clarify
and rephrase if needed.
Involve parents in interventions to support learning.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

You should be Teaching, learning and support strategies

aware of:

Difficulties with Provide a quiet area if required.

listening skills, Keep background noise to a minimum and be
such as processing aware of the limitations of hearing technologies.
spoken language and
accessing certain Make sure hearing technologies are being
speech sounds or used correctly and appropriately.
less well developed Model and share strategies that support
listening skills. active listening behaviours, such as signal
when you want the child to listen.
Plan activities which build upon and
develop the child's listening skills.
Chunk information and provide visual information
to support the child’s understanding.
Allow children time to respond to questions.
Repeat and clarify peer responses.

Difficulties with Be aware of which speech sounds the

accessing certain child can and can’t hear and adapt
speech sounds teaching to take this into account.
Deliver activities which demand careful
listening in a quiet environment.

Difficulties Be aware that group work is particularly

maintaining challenging for deaf pupils:
attention and
concentration during • encourage pupils to talk one at a time
activities which • ask pupils to signal when they’re about to talk
include a lot of lip-
reading and listening.
• reduce background noise.
Think about the length and pace of learning
sessions and offer listening breaks.
Repeat and clarify peer response and
contributions.
Provide visual information such as pictures
and objects to support teaching points.

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 Deafness and its impact on learning

You should be Teaching, learning and support strategies

aware of:

Delayed literacy Support phonological awareness and

skills and difficulties access to speech sounds which may
with grammar be difficult to hear or identify.
and spelling. Share texts and books before
and after they’re taught.
Identify and teach unfamiliar vocabulary,
colloquialisms, idioms and phrases.
Draw attention to tense endings and function
words deaf children may not hear.
Use pictures and real life events to stimulate ideas.
Encourage children to talk through
their ideas before writing.
Use writing frames to help the
child structure their ideas.
Create word mats with key vocabulary or
prompt sheets to support grammatical rules.
Encourage children to review texts and
select important information.
Use specific programmes, resources and
strategies to target areas of difficulty.
Ask the ToD or speech and language
therapist to support you with this.
Go to page 20 to find out more about the
role of a speech and language therapist.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

You should be Teaching, learning and support strategies

aware of:

Challenges with Carry out activities which support memory

working memory and including ‘Kim’s game’, repetition of key
auditory memory. information such as times tables, days of
the week and learning songs and rhymes.
Break tasks into simple steps and make sure the
child has mastered the first step before going onto
the next. While they may understand what they
are being asked, they still might not be able to do it.
Use clear, specific language when making
requests and, if appropriate, show the
child what you want them to do.
Repeat instructions and encourage the
child to repeat them back to you.
Use visual aids and gestures to help the
child to remember the steps involved
in a task (e.g. morning routine).
Slow down the pace in challenging
activities to allow the child time to
process and complete the activity.
Connect information to things that
the child already knows.
Create a working memory prompt sheet
to lessen the working memory load (e.g.
times tables, spelling rules or word mat).
Encourage the child to ask for help.
Ask peers to support with instructions and
completing tasks to allow the child to get started
straight away rather than wait for the teacher.
Encourage the child to write down verbal
information or draw picture/take photos of
important things they may need to remember.

Difficulties with Stop activity when delivering key information.

multitasking, for Give more time to process information.
example, carrying
out an activity Allow time for children to write down
while listening information before talking.
or lip-reading. Use communication support workers (CSWs)/
learning assistants to record information,
allowing the child to focus on listening.

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 Deafness and its impact on learning

You should be Teaching, learning and support strategies

aware of:

Difficulties around Provide opportunities for pupils to talk

incidental learning about wider issues, such as non-routine
– deaf pupils may events, days out, before they happen.
have a smaller or Use books and texts as a springboard
reduced knowledge for discussing wider issues.
of the world because
they struggle Encourage children to ask
to pick up what questions and find answers.
others are saying. Encourage classmates to include deaf children
fully in conversations and discussions.

Social skills – Make sure peers are deaf aware and can
deafness may cause communicate appropriately with the deaf pupil.
difficulties with Create opportunities for small group work
friendships, everyday and activities in which pupils can practise:
social situations
and responding • appropriately expressing emotions and ideas
appropriately in • asking for clarification from teachers and peers
unfamiliar and
new situations. • identifying and avoiding situations that could
lead to conflict
• initiating social interactions
• joining in an ongoing activity
• maintaining self-control
• negotiating with peers
• recognising and responding appropriately to
other people’s emotions
• recognising social cues
• solving conflicts with peers.
Teach vocabulary to support social language
such as idioms, colloquialisms and slang.
Make sure the pupil can access
extracurricular activities.
Deaf pupils may need specific teaching
to learn how to see situations from other
people’s perspectives. This is known
as theory of mind. Research suggests
it can be delayed in deaf children.
For more information on theory of mind
and deafness see Chapter 10.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

You should be Teaching, learning and support strategies

aware of:

Promoting deaf Make sure that disabilities including

pupils’ self-esteem deafness are included in the curriculum.
and pupil voice. Promote the child's deaf identity through:
Deaf pupils may
need support to • providing information to both the child and their
develop resilience, family that supports their decision-making and
feel confident about enables them to be fully involved in their child’s
their deaf identity education, both formally and informally
and advocate to have
their needs met.
• opportunities for deaf children and their families
to meet deaf peers, deaf adults and
role models
• explaining to children and their families how to
explain and talk about their deafness so their
needs are met
• supporting the development of resilience and
problem-solving strategies when coming up
against everyday challenges
• supporting their potential to be as independent
as possible and lead a 'normal life'.
Fully include the deaf child in discussions,
reviews, target-setting and decision-making
using a range of strategies and resources.
Use specific resources/training developed for
deaf children, for example, our Healthy Minds
programme. www.ndcs.org.uk/healthyminds.


An effective school will understand the impact of deafness on
learning and reduce this impact by using strategies and adaptations
which support deaf pupils to achieve their academic potential.

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 3 Working together to
support deaf pupils
Deaf children benefit from a person-centred approach, where schools work
together in partnership with parents, health professionals, those working in
education and the voluntary sector.
You can facilitate person-centred planning for deaf pupils by:

• actively asking for input from the pupil and their family about the provision
and support they need and providing them with appropriate facilities
and technology for meetings, such as a portable soundfield system or
an interpreter
• providing information to others supporting the child on their progress.
For example informing the ToD about how well personal hearing
technology is working
• ensuring you have time to meet with parents and other professionals
who support the child to discuss progress
• contributing to multidisciplinary assessments and any resulting
support plans.


You can find more information on soundfield systems and other
adapted listening technology on our website at www.ndcs.org.uk/
listening.

Partnership with parents

Parents play a key role in supporting their child's achievement. They’re the
experts on their child’s deafness and will also be instrumental in ensuring
that interventions and targeted outcomes are successful. Deaf pupils do
better when their families have the information they need to support their
decision-making.
They can share useful information about their child’s:

• hearing loss
• hearing technology
• learning needs
• social and emotional development
• support needs at home and at school.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Contact prior to starting school

Meeting with parents before the child starts school, means you can gather
important information about the child’s needs and make sure they have a
successful start to school. It gives you an opportunity to respond to any worries
the parents have, plan for the family’s needs and aspirations, and help them feel
valued, welcomed and involved in their child’s education.

Helping parents support their deaf child’s learning

Many parents will want to support their child’s learning.
You can help parents by:

• sharing plans, learning objectives and vocabulary before the learning activity
• explaining and discussing learning content that you would like the child
to practice
• explaining and discussing the learning outcomes that you would like the
child to achieve
• identifying any challenges the child might face and discussing how
to respond
• demonstrating the activity (or inviting parents to watch a lesson).
Parents can help their child practise their language and communication,
literacy and numeracy skills, and can reinforce new concepts and vocabulary.
Keeping in regular contact with parents will make sure this support is
enjoyable and stress free.


For more information and advice on how to support your child's
learning go to our website www.ndcs.org.uk/supportinglearning.

Keeping parents involved

Keep parents well-informed about the provisions for their child and involve
them in regular review meetings where you can discuss progress.
This will include:

• focusing on what outcomes the child and their families want to achieve so
that all decisions are informed by these aspirations
• seeking their advice and getting feedback on decisions about support
• sharing information on their child's participation in school life, including
developing social skills and friendships
• involving parents and children to contribute to needs assessments and to
the development of review of support plans

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 Working together to support deaf pupils

It’s important to plan with parents when and how they can expect to receive
the above information and how often they’ll receive it.

Establishing good home-school communication

Communicating everyday information between school and home can be
hard for deaf children who may miss or misunderstand verbal information
or instructions.
To help, you can:

• agree a way for staff to regularly update parents by emailing, meeting

or phoning
• send text messages asking parents to look out for information or reminding
them when a pre-planned activity is coming up
A nominated person could take on the role of making sure that confidential
information reaches parents in a secure way.

The role of professionals

Teachers of the Deaf (ToD)

In many areas, a child with a permanent moderate to profound hearing loss will
receive regular support from a QToD who has a mandatory qualification in deaf
education. They may have supported the child and their family since diagnosis.
Pupils with a temporary or mild hearing loss, or deafness in one ear, may not
always meet the criteria for regular support but the ToD may be able to advise
you on how to meet their needs. Your SENCO should contact their local
specialist educational support service for deaf children if they need advice
or support from a ToD.
A ToD:

• supports and advises you on strategies to support the pupil with learning
• delivers deaf awareness training and training on meeting the pupil’s needs
• supports the use and maintenance of hearing technologies
• carries out specialist assessments to identify the pupil’s needs and gives
recommendations to inform teaching and learning strategies, interventions
and help set targets
• recommends improvements to the listening environment and access to
learning activities
• advises on which outcomes can be achieved when support is sustained and
developed effectively over time
• gives advice and support for all areas of the pupil’s development
• supports and advises parents on audiological and educational issues,
communication choices and advises on getting the appropriate support for
their deaf child

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

• helps coordinate liaison with other agencies involved with the pupil
• supports the pupil’s move from early years to primary school and then from
primary to secondary
• advises on adjustments needed for any tests or exams.

“I have a Teacher of the Deaf who comes in and checks my

progress in school once in a while. The extra support means
that I can learn at the same level as my classmates even if I need
a little more help to understand the work. If I didn’t have this
extra support I don’t think I would be where I am today.” Pupil
Speech and language therapist
Deaf pupils may also get support from a speech and language therapist, who
will assess and monitor how well their speech, language and communication
skills are developing. Sometimes the therapist works directly with the pupil
or suggests programmes for the school and family to use.

Audiologists
Audiologists carry out hearing tests to establish a child’s level and type of
deafness and the most appropriate hearing technology. They fit hearing devices
and review the child’s hearing progress until they transfer to adult services.
It’s unlikely that you’ll meet your pupil’s audiologist but they can provide you
with information. They will also find observations about the effectiveness
of the pupil’s hearing technology useful. Audiologists work with the ToD or
educational audiologist to make sure that the pupil’s hearing technologies,
for example, radio aids and hearing aids, are working well together. Go to
Appendix 3 for more information on radio aids.

Educational audiologists
Educational audiologists are ToDs with a qualification in education audiology.
They offer specialist advice on acoustics and hearing technologies.

The role of school staff

The section explains how you can support the achievement and inclusion of
deaf pupils.

SENCO
The SENCO is responsible for coordinating the special educational provision
made for the child and for any decisions made. The SENCO will:

• make sure you receive all information on the pupil’s deafness and its
implications before the pupil starts school
• make sure hearing technology, adjustments to the acoustic environment
and classroom and support staff are in place for the start of term

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 Working together to support deaf pupils

• communicate all information about the pupil’s needs and how to meet
them, to other staff
• make sure the school works in partnership with other health and education
specialists who are supporting the pupil
• organise staff training, such as deaf awareness training
• make sure TAs have the knowledge and skills to support the pupil, including
at least a Level 3 British Sign Language (BSL) qualification or equivalent for
pupils who require signed support
• make sure that information about the deaf pupil is available on the school
portal for supply staff
• find out what arrangements should be in place for testing and assessment.

Class teacher
The class teacher is responsible and accountable for the progress of all pupils in
their class. They will need to:

• understand the child's capabilities and the impact of their deafness

• be aware of the pupil’s communication needs and know how to
communicate with them
• understand the pupil’s needs and the implications for accessing lessons
and activities
• adapt the teaching approach to make sure the pupil can access teaching
and learning
• understand the benefits of hearing technologies and know how to use them
• make the necessary adaptations to ensure a good acoustic environment in
the classroom
• identify the pupil’s social needs, support their social skills and friendships
and where appropriate offer pastoral support
• encourage other pupils to understand the deaf pupil’s needs and how they
can offer support
• help ensure there are effective home-school links, encouraging parents to
share any concerns
• make sure behaviour management strategies take account of the
pupil’s deafness
• promote the development of independence skills.

Bursar/property manager
Makes changes to improve listening conditions for the pupil (E.g. improving
room acoustics and installing soundfield systems).

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

School senior management

• Makes quality assurance arrangements to ensure deaf pupils are accessing

teaching and learning (for example, tracking and classroom observation,
pupil feedback).
• Makes sure the school makes reasonable adjustments so that all pupils are
treated equally.

Involving the deaf pupil and their family

It’s really important to involve the pupil in deciding on the type of support
they receive. For younger pupils, you may need to rely on observation and
consultation with families. Example of how you can get feedback from older
pupils can be found in Chapter 11.

An effective school will:

• fully adopt a person-centred approach to planning to meet the

deaf child's needs and fully involve the families and the child in
decision-making

• ensure there are no barriers to parental participation

• work in close partnership with and get advice from the
ToD and outside agencies on support that will prevent the
development of more significant needs

• make sure all staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities in
relation to the deaf pupil

• make sure that all relevant staff have received appropriate

training to meet the deaf pupil’s needs

• encourage you to discuss the deaf pupil’s needs and support

with them

• make sure reasonable adjustments are in place to meet

the pupil’s needs, so that they’re not placed at a
substantial disadvantage.


Find more information on our webpage, Preparing your deaf
child for primary school. This information is for families to
help them deal with some of the changes school life brings.
www.ndcs.org.uk/preparingforprimary

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 4 Starting primary school
Starting school is an exciting and challenging time for any child. Periods of
change can be less daunting if parents’ views are respected and they feel that
they have made a meaningful contribution to the move.
When working with deaf children, these are some of the things you will need
to consider:

• new learning environments have varying quality and a range of listening

conditions
• managing hearing technologies throughout the day
• lots of new relationships and names
• the challenges of making new friends
• varying deaf awareness levels among staff and pupils
• more demanding subject content and school-specific vocabulary
• differing expectations of behaviour and independence
• a longer and more demanding day.
It’s important for you and your school’s SENCO to work with the family, child,
early years setting and ToD to develop a transfer plan that helps overcome
any potential challenges and ensure a successful start. Remember that it’s
important to evaluate the transfer as well as plan for it.


The education and learning section on our website has
ideas for parents about how to choose a school, preparing
a child for the move, and helping them get the most out
of school. www.ndcs.org.uk/primary-school

Transfer plans
A good transfer plan will:

• be prepared well in advance of the pupil starting primary school to give time
for the support arrangements to be put in place
• involve the child and their family and use information they have from
specialist assessments to inform the content
• clearly identify the staff member responsible for preparing the plan and
coordinating its implementation.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

It may include:

• an audit of the classroom acoustics

• identifying the most appropriate teaching spaces
• introducing new or different hearing technology
• planning for the management of personal hearing technology
• employing a learning support assistant or CSW
• staff training on deafness
• planning for visits by the family to the new setting
• provision of photos of key staff and school areas
• opportunities for the child to talk about their hearing loss and be able
to ask for help with hearing technologies
• opportunities for the child to practise managing and monitoring
hearing technologies
• arrangements for promoting and supporting social development
• identifying a member of staff responsible for preparing the plan and
coordinating its implementation
• the aspirations of the deaf pupils and their family
• a thorough analysis of the pupil’s needs and strengths including
specialist assessments.

24 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 Starting primary school

Example checklist for collecting information to support the move from

the early years setting

There’s a blank template for you to use in Chapter 13.

Transfer to primary school

Pupil name:
Early years setting:
Early years setting contact:
Parents:
Teacher of the Deaf:
Teacher in charge of coordinating plan:

Hearing and personal technology

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:
Type and level What needs to be done to improve access to
of deafness sound? E.g. providing radio aids, improving
Un-aided hearing level acoustics, using soundfield systems?

Aided hearing level What needs to be done to make sure hearing

technologies are being used correctly and
Listening in different well? E.g. daily checks by staff of batteries,
environments (E.g. class tubing etc and developing the pupil’s skills
rooms or hallways.) in managing their own technology?
Sounds/words that What are the health and safety
are difficult to hear implications, for example, fire drills?
Personal hearing
technology used
When it is used
How well the pupil uses it

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Communication

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
Preferred way of What needs to be done in class to support access
communicating in to teaching and learning including, for example:
different locations
and situations (class, • seating position to allow for lip-reading
home, friends) • ensuring good acoustics
Competence in • using radio aids
preferred way of
communicating
• using a soundfield system

Lip-reading ability
• advice/training for teachers
• providing CSWs with Level 3 BSL
qualification for pupils who use BSL

Language

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
Levels of understanding How does this compare with hearing pupils?
of language:
What are the implications for learning? E.g. more
Level of expressive processing time?
language:
If a gap exists, what targets should be set to
Vocabulary level: close the gap and what support/interventions
are required to achieve them?
Reading level:
What are the implications for teaching?
Writing level:
Social interaction and use
of language:

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 Starting primary school

Cognition

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
Non-verbal What needs to be done ensure that teachers
cognitive skills to: have the right expectation and aspirations?
• make sure What needs to be done to address any
teachers have high other underlying difficulties the pupil may
expectations be experiencing?
• check whether or
not there are other
underlying learning
difficulties.

Progress in curricular areas

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
Progress in different Is more support required in particular areas?
curricular and What targets need to be set?
extracurricular areas
Are there particular
strengths? Are there
particular difficulties?

Social and emotional aspects

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
Level of social interaction If levels of social interaction are low
in class/school how can they be increased?
friendship groups What is their preferred friendship group?
Knowledge and Do other pupils need deaf awareness
understanding of their training and information on how to
hearing loss (the deaf communicate with the deaf pupil?
child’s understanding
and other children’s Would the pupil benefit from
understanding) meeting other deaf pupils?

Ability to manage their Is the pupil able to self-advocate?

learning needs

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Pupil’s views

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
What are the pupil’s What information and opportunities are
hopes, aspirations and needed to help with the move?
concerns about moving
to a new school?
What information and
help do they think they
need to support their
move to a new school?

Parents’ views

Information required Action

In this section record: In this section record:
What are the parents’ What information and opportunities are
hopes, aspirations and needed to help with the move, such as
concerns about their child additional visits?
moving to a new school?
What information and
help do they think they
need to support their
child’s move to a new
school?

Other considerations

Information required Action

In this section record:
Any other
considerations:
•  ny other difficulties
a
or medical conditions
or medical needs
• attendance issues
• behaviour issues.

28 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 Starting primary school

Sharing information
Once all the relevant information has been collected by the SENCO, the
summary information should be shared with school staff. The following
example information sheet could be distributed to staff (with the
agreement of the pupil’s parents). You can find all templates in chapter 13.

General information
Pupil: Ben Thomas
Year: 3
Teacher: Mr Jones
Photo
SENCO: Mrs Taylor

Hearing loss and hearing technology:

Ben has a severe sensorinueral hearing loss in both ears and uses hearing
aids and a radio aid.

Communication:
Ben uses spoken English but he has delayed language. He needs to be able
to see the teacher's face at all times.

Learning and access:

Ben will need:

• to be sitting on the table closest to the front of the class so he can see the
smart board and the teacher at all times
• anyone speaking to use the radio aid, this includes children speaking
• you to check with him that all his equipment is working as he might not
say if something is wrong

Remember:
• Ben may not say if he doesn’t understand
• Ben may need extra time to answer questions
• Ben might not hear other children’s comments or answers so please
repeat these
• Ben may not understand or know certain vocabulary. Identify any new
words or phrases before the lesson which can be shared with his family
and Mrs Taylor

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Personal passports
In addition to or instead of the previous information sheet, some pupils may
already have a ‘personal passport’ or ‘profile’. Personal passports can be a
practical and person-centred way of supporting pupils. They contain key
information and range from small laminated cards that can be attached to a
lanyard or a locker key, to A4 sheets of paper with more detailed information.
They can also be useful in situations where the pupil is being supported by
school supply staff. Examples of personal passports can be found at
www.ndcs.org.uk/passport.

Angela-Marie Douglas
I use a hearing aid
It helps if you...
• face me when talking
• check I have understood what you’ve said
• use some simple signs to help me understand
• know it’s harder for me to listen when there’s lots of background noise.
When using the radio aid...
• Remember to mute it when you’re not talking to me.
• Be careful not to let anything brush against or hit the microphone.

An effective school will:

• recognise the additional challenges that deaf children may face

in starting formal education

• make sure that it has all the necessary information from the
early years setting, other relevant professionals and parents
well in advance of the transfer

• develop a transfer plan that identifies a lead member of staff

responsible for ensuring that the move is successful for the deaf
pupil, and that all the necessary provision is in place for the first
day of term

• ensure that the transfer plan sets out what support needs to be
provided to meet the deaf pupil’s needs and that it’s put in place
- this includes ensuring that any necessary training is provided

• distribute relevant information on the deaf child to staff

• continue to monitor the success of the transfer through
feedback from school staff, the deaf child and their family.

30 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 5 Listening and
communication
This section explains how you can make it easier for deaf pupils to listen and
communicate at school through:

• technology
• good listening environments
• effective communication across the school.

Hearing Technology
Many deaf children will use personal hearing technologies such as hearing aids,
cochlear implants and bone conduction aids to support their access to spoken
language and sound. It’s important to remember that hearing technologies
don’t correct hearing.
It’s essential that:

• a child’s hearing technology is working at all times

• consideration is given to when hearing technology is used. Learning also
takes place out of the classroom
• all staff understand the uses and limitations of hearing technologies and are
able to support the child to use them both appropriately and sensitively.
Monitoring hearing technology
A member of staff should be trained to maintain and monitor the hearing
technology on a daily basis, check for faults and troubleshoot. They’ll need to:

• carry out a daily visual check and listening check. It’s only by listening
through the hearing technology that they can be sure it’s functioning
correctly. Search 'how to' on the National Deaf Children's Society
YouTube page to find a series of explainer videos. www.youtube.com/
user/ndcswebteam
• have access to an equipment care kit which may include spare batteries,
a puffer, a listening device and spare tubing
• talk to the child about how well their hearing technology is working
• support other members of staff to use equipment appropriately and
sensitively. E.g. during assembly.
• have processes in place for contacting parents, the ToD or the audiology
department if equipment is faulty
• support the deaf child to take more responsibility for own technology as
they grow up
• provide guidance and advice to supply staff and visitors to the school.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Example: Notes to staff

Example of information that could be included. You can find a blank copy of
this template in Chapter 13.

Hearing loss and hearing technology

Priya:
• is profoundly deaf
• wears two hearing aids
• uses a radio aid in all lessons (see attached guidelines)
• uses your face and lip patterns to supplement her hearing.

Priya can: Support for Priya:

• hear speech sounds and • Priya won't hear you when you're
follow a simple one-to-one talking to the class if you're not
conversation in a quiet using the radio aid, so turn it on
environment before you talk and make sure she
is looking at you
• take out her hearing aids and
put them in with support • she will need an adult in her group
for group discussion work to make
• tell you if the radio aid
sure all the other children are
isn't working.
following the deaf awareness rules
they've been taught
• Priya will need help to change her
batteries. They're kept in the desk
drawer.

 You can find more information on hearing technology in

Appendix 3. Our resource Hearing Aids: Information for families
gives more detailed information about hearing aids and how
to look after them. Order or download it online here:
www.ndcs.org.uk/hearingaidsguide.

32 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 Listening and communication

Radio aids
Many deaf pupils benefit from using a radio aid in combination with their main
hearing technology. Radio aids reduce problems caused by background noise
and when there is a distance between the speaker and pupil. They do this by
carrying the teacher’s voice directly via a microphone to a receiver attached to
the pupil’s hearing technology.

“The radio aid has dramatically improved my child’s life at

school and she would not want to be without one in an
education setting. The radio aid is used every day in school and
all the teachers are able to use this simple but effective device.”
Parent

When using radio aids, teachers should:

• switch the transmitter on when talking to the whole class or group in which
the deaf pupil is working
• wear the microphone about 15cm from their mouth
• switch it off or mute the microphone when having a conversation that the
deaf pupil doesn’t need to hear (the signal can travel some distance and
even through some walls)
• avoid standing in a noisy place, such as next to an open window, as the
microphone will pick up background noise
• avoid letting the microphone knock against clothing or jewellery
• make the handover and return of any hearing technology as smooth and
inconspicuous as possible
• ask the ToD about getting leads that connect the radio aid to audio
equipment such as the interactive whiteboard, soundfield system
or computer.
The ToD can advise the school on how to check and maintain the technology,
make sure it’s at the correct setting and is used effectively. They can also liaise
with audiologists, cochlear implant centres and suppliers if there are problems.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Deaf children, their families and the professionals working with

them can borrow and try out radio aids at home or at school
through our Technology Test Drive. To find out more information
visit www.ndcs.org.uk/techdrive. Further information about
radio aids is available in our resource for parents, How Radio Aids
Can Help. Visit www.ndcs.org.uk/radioaids to order or download
the resource.

Soundfield system

A soundfield system can make it easier for the pupil to hear your voice
wherever you are in the room. Your voice is amplified via a microphone
to a base station placed within the room. This amplifies and enhances the
speech and then broadcasts it from speakers positioned around the room.
Portable systems are available.

Audio direct input leads

These connect devices such as a computers or laptops directly to the deaf
pupil’s hearing aids using a simple cable.

Streaming devices
Streamers can be used with certain models of hearing aid – they send signals
digitally to the pupil's hearing aids and link with Bluetooth-enabled devices
such as mobile phones.

Subtitles and signing on TV and in films

Make sure that any media you show, such as films or video clips, is subtitled as
some deaf pupils won't be able to understand without subtitles. If no subtitles
are available you should provide a transcript.
All of the main UK TV channels have to subtitle at least 80% of their output and
the BBC has them on all of its main channels.
There is an automatic subtitling function for YouTube videos but be aware
that there are sometimes errors, so check the quality of subtitles before
showing a clip. For information on how to subtitle YouTube videos visit
support.google.com/youtube and search ‘how to add your own subtitles’.

For more information on the different equipment available

for deaf children and young people visit www.ndcs.org.uk/
schooltechnology.

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 Listening and communication

The communication environment

The development of effective communication and language skills is at the heart
of learning as well as the social and emotional development of all children.
However, research has shown that even a mild hearing loss can result in
significant communication difficulties.2 Many deaf children have delayed and
restricted communication on starting school, as well as language skills that may
result in social and linguistic isolation.
Primary school teachers provide a wide variety of excellent opportunities for
every pupil to develop their communication and language skills. The deaf pupil
should benefit from these activities but may also need targeted support in
small group or one-to-one activities.
To communicate effectively with a deaf pupil it’s important to think about the
following points:

• make sure you have the deaf pupil’s attention before you start talking
• speak clearly and at your normal level and pace. Speaking too slowly or
exaggerating mouth patterns will make you harder to understand
• make sure the pupil is sitting at an appropriate distance away from you
(1–3 metres). Hearing technologies have an optimal range of 1–3 metres
in which to access speech clearly
• allow the deaf pupil to see your face and lips when speaking. If you put
anything in front of your face or turn to write on the whiteboard it will
make it difficult for them to lip-read
• make sure you’re not standing in front of a light source as any shadows
cast across your face can obstruct the deaf pupil’s view
• check that the pupil understands what’s been said in a sensitive way.
Some deaf pupils may dislike admitting they have not understood so
repeat or rephrase what you’ve said if needed
• when working with the CSW, make sure the deaf pupil can see you both –
speak directly to the pupil, not the CSW
• for those deaf pupils who rely particularly on watching your face when
you speak, allow them time to move their attention between you and
visual support
• if you need to turn off the lights (for example to watch a DVD), make sure
all instructions or explanations are given beforehand
• repeat any questions that other pupils in the classroom may have asked
before answering them
• ask a ToD for advice on the most effective ways of communicating to
meet the child’s needs, for example, where English is an additional
language or the pupil has additional needs.

2. Ear Foundation (2015). Research on Experiences of Children with Mild and Moderate Deafness
(National Deaf Children’s Society)

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

“People face the wrong way when talking.” Pupil

Example: Sharing information with colleagues

This information sheet will help promote good communication between
primary school staff and deaf pupils. You can find a blank copy of this
template in Chapter 13.

General information
Pupil: Sabba Year: 4L
TA: Mrs Smith
Photo
Teacher: Ms Lindsey
SENCO: Mr Gale

Hearing loss and hearing technology:

• Sabba is moderately deaf.

• She wears two hearing aids.
• She uses a radio aid in class.
• Sabba can confidently manage hearing technology.

Communication:

• Sabba can hear speech sounds in a quiet environment.

• She has some signed support in lessons.

Remember:
• Sabba may not pick up distant sounds
• She may not be able to discriminate between different voices when it
is noisy
• She may take a longer time to learn new vocabulary

Learning and access:

• Make sure that she is sitting close to where you’re speaking and she can
see you at all times.
• Ensure you’re wearing the radio aid microphone and know how to switch
it on/off.
• Ask other speakers to identify themselves and then repeat what they
have said.
• When possible ask Mrs Smith to prepare and/or support Sabba if you’re
going to use unfamiliar vocabulary.

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 Listening and communication

Teaching strategies:
Please remember: Sabba is conscientious and will sometimes ‘smile and
nod’ when actually she hasn’t understood everything that’s been said to her.
So please follow up with Mrs. Smith who will check Sabba’s understanding.
This is particularly important with messages home about forthcoming
events – Mrs. Smith can make sure this information is recorded in Sabba’s
home-school book.

Other:
Do interact as you would with other pupils. She is a very friendly girl and
does love to chat. She enjoys staff ‘trying out’ their signing skills and loves
to correct you or teach you something new!
If there is a lot of background noise, ie in the dining hall, she will have
difficulty following what you’re saying to her. It’s better to wait until she
is in a quieter place to give her any instructions, information or ask her
questions. Calling her from behind or at a distance won’t gain her attention.
Her lunch and playtime Hearing Buddy will attract her attention when
necessary.

“I have to explain what my hearing aids are all the time.” Pupil

Involving classmates
Successful communication with other children is important for the deaf pupil’s
self-esteem, social development and inclusion.
Teachers should:

• establish with the deaf pupil and other pupils how best to communicate
with one another and admit when they haven’t understood each other
• make sure other pupils understand how background noise affects the
listening environment and what they need to do to communicate with
the deaf pupil
• if the pupil signs, provide opportunities for other pupils to develop signing
skills, for example, at a lunchtime club
• work with the pupil to choose a hearing classmate who can prompt when
something is missed. These are sometimes known as ‘Hearing Buddies’
• set up ‘quiet zones’ inside and outside the school where deaf pupils can go
to communicate with their friends
• monitor with other staff whether communication between the deaf pupil
and other children is happening and identify when it would be helpful for
an adult to step in. This could be through regular playground or lunchtime
observations, as well as discussion with the deaf pupil and their friends
about what helps.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

The National Deaf Children’s Society’s Here to Learn videos are

aimed at mainstream school staff who have little or no experience
of working with deaf children. The videos aim to develop their
understanding of a deaf child’s needs. They can be watched as a
whole, or as individual modules, and include interviews with deaf
pupils, their parents and school staff. You can watch them online
here: www.ndcs.org.uk/heretolearn.

“The noise people make around me in class gives me headaches

and I don’t like it. If I can’t hear what is happening in class,
I don’t understand what to do.” Pupil

Creating a good listening environment

A good listening environment benefits all pupils. Deaf pupils in particular will
experience difficulties in learning if there is a lot of:

• reverberation and echo in a room (i.e. poor acoustics). Rooms with hard
surfaces (large uncovered/painted walls, glass windows and tiled or
wooden floors) and high ceilings allow sounds to ‘bounce around’. This
distorts what a deaf pupil hears through their hearing technology
• background noise that drowns out the voice of the teacher. No technology
can replace normal hearing. It’s most effective when there is a good
listening environment. The listening environment in a typical classroom
can be very poor.
Remember, children are less able than adults to discriminate speech in noisy
environments because they’re still learning how to listen.

 No technology can replace typical hearing and its effectiveness

depends on the acoustic quality of the school building and the
amount of noise being generated. The listening environment in
a typical classroom can make it difficult for deaf pupils to make
best use of their hearing technologies. Visit our webpage to
listen to what it can sound like for a deaf pupil in a classroom.
www.ndcs.org.uk/simulation

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 Listening and communication

Encourage active listening

Listening and hearing aren’t the same, as listening involves the brain. ‘Active
listening’ is when the child hears a sound and then is able to turn it into useful
information. For deaf children who accesses sound via hearing technologies,
it’s particularly important to become a ‘good listener’ who can concentrate and
focus on what is being said.
Deaf children can practise being active listeners. There are a number of
education resources available including posters, labels, worksheets, rhymes,
widgets, picture prompts and encouragement charts, which can promote
listening skills within the classroom.
Think about promoting and developing listening skills by:

• asking pupils to listen out for specific pictures or words

• playing listening games on a regular basis. These can be provided
by education suppliers or made, and could include routines and
classroom instructions
• using the suggestions in this resource to adapt teaching strategies and
enhance the listening experiences of the deaf pupil in your class
• asking the deaf pupil or using observation to build up a picture of their
listening experience at school and talking about different times when they
have to listen and what the problems are. Once these areas are identified
adaptations should be made promptly to improve listening conditions.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Promoting effective communication across the school

Adaptations can be made to improve acoustics throughout the school. School
managers should liaise with the ToD or an educational audiologist to ensure
the school building meets the national minimum standard on acoustics. All
teaching spaces should be regularly assessed and adaptations put in place to
reduce reverberation and background noise.
Schools can help reduce reverberation by:

• fitting curtains, carpets or blinds

• installing specialist acoustic treatments in rooms such as acoustic tiles,
panels and door seals
• putting rubber tips or ‘hush ups’ on the bottom of chair and table legs
• using display drapes on walls
• covering hard surfaces with fabric
• padding the bottom of trays or pencil/pen pots with felt or foam.
Schools might also consider introducing a soundfield system to improve
listening conditions. These systems are designed to improve listening conditions
for all. They can be used with or without hearing aids or cochlear implants. You
can find more information about soundfield systems in Appendix 3.

Reducing background noise

Teachers can reduce background noise by doing the following:

• close doors to noisy areas or corridors

• close windows to minimise noise from outside. Close curtains and blinds
too if necessary
• put full bookshelves and cupboards against partition walls to minimise
noise transfer from other rooms
• raise awareness of noisy equipment such as heating or air
conditioning systems
• turn off IT equipment such as interactive whiteboards, computers and
overhead projectors, when not being used
• introduce classroom strategies that establish and maintain a quiet working
atmosphere in the classroom, including good behaviour management
• encourage pupils to develop an understanding of how classroom noises
such as chairs scraping, doors banging, dropping objects, shouting can all
interfere with what a deaf pupil can hear
• liaise with colleagues in shared open-plan teaching areas to coordinate
lesson plans and make sure there won’t be unnecessary background noise
when doing activities. E.g. not having a quiet reading session at the same
time as a music lesson.

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 Listening and communication

“I used to be frightened by loud noises and the sound of hand

dryers in toilets. It’s still difficult for me to deal with people
who are shouting; the noise is very loud.” Pupil

School managers should:

• liaise with the ToD or educational audiologist to ensure that all teaching
spaces for deaf pupils are assessed and any required adaptations are made
before the child starts school
• ensure new school buildings meet national minimum standards on
acoustics and take note of the standards when considering improvements
to school buildings
• ensure ongoing improvements to the listening environment are part of the
school’s longer term plan for improving its accessibility for all pupils
• ensure that staff are putting all the lower cost adaptations in place to reduce
reverberation and background noise (see above).

We have produced a range of resources, Creating Good Listening

Conditions for Learning in Education, which help to improve the
attainment of all pupils and particularly those who are deaf.
The resources include top tips for teachers to help make
their classroom into a better listening environment.
Visit www.ndcs.org.uk/acoustics.

An effective school will:

• ensure that hearing technology is being used properly by a deaf

pupil and by all members of the school community

• identify a staff member who can carry out listening checks and
simple repairs to hearing technology

• consider adaptations to improve the listening environment,

for example, by reducing background noise

• promote effective communication strategies for all pupils

• promote peer awareness and understanding of the deaf
pupil’s needs

• encourage the deaf pupil to give their views on the support

they receive

• encourage the deaf pupil to consider what steps they can take
to support their own learning

• encourage good listening skills.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

42 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 6 High or first
quality teaching
Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress of all pupils in their
class. Pupils who are deaf cover the whole range of abilities. They have the
same potential to achieve as any other pupil given the right levels of support
Most teaching and learning takes place through seeing and hearing, presenting
pupils who have hearing difficulties with particular challenges which need to be
addressed by the school. Deaf pupils are likely to need extra support to make
the same progress as other pupils of a similar age and cognitive ability.
Teachers will need to make adaptations and put strategies in place to:

• manage and minimise the impact of their deafness on their learning

• develop their learning skills
• provide access to the curriculum
• ensure deaf pupils are able to achieve their academic, emotional and
social potential.

High quality teaching checklist

The checklist below sets out how to promote inclusive practice and remove
challenges specific to deaf pupils. You can find a blank copy of this template
in Chapter 13.

Adaptations and Strategies Observations

Seat pupils so they’re able to

see you and their peers.

Hearing technologies don’t work well

at a distance; make sure the pupil is
within two metres of the speaker.

Make sure you have the pupil’s attention

before giving out important information.

Minimise background noise.

Slow speech a little, but keep natural

fluency. Don’t exaggerate your speech.

Use rich and varied language but

repeat and clarify when necessary.

Make sure you’re confident using and

managing the pupil's hearing technology.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Adaptations and Strategies Observations

Allow extra thinking and talking time.

Model and teach active listening

along with signals when careful
listening is required.

Don't stand in front of a

window or light source.

Repeat comments and questions

from other children as their voices
may be softer and speech unclear.

Encourage peers to signal

when they’re about to talk.

Check that oral information/

instructions have been understood.

Face the pupil when speaking, they may

wish to/need to use your lip patterns.

Don’t cover your mouth when speaking.

Write key words on board to focus

introduction and conclusion.

Divide listening time into short chunks.

Visual supports
Visual supports ensure the deaf pupil isn’t just relying on listening and speech/
lip-reading for information but is given context to a subject or situation,
particularly when it has just been introduced. Visual supports illustrate new
concepts and vocabulary, support visual memory skills and reinforce what
has been learnt.
Wherever possible, support stories, songs and rhymes, instructions,
class routines, trips out, the school environment, spoken explanations
and written texts with visual materials.
For example:

• use real objects, story bags, puppets, photos, pictures, diagrams,

illustrations, objects and artefacts to support learning and understanding
• point clearly to the visual clues you’re using and when other members of the
class refer to them during discussion

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 High or first quality teaching

• use PowerPoint presentations via an interactive whiteboard to incorporate

visual images supporting teaching
• use displays with pictures and captions to consolidate and develop
understanding. It may also be useful to have a small whiteboard to hand so
illustrations can be made to reinforce understanding
• use visual timetables and graphic organisers to help the child understand
and follow school routines
• use photo books to share information about home and school
• allow plenty of time for the deaf pupil to look at the visual material before
you start talking again – this will give them the time to focus their attention
back on you.

Vocabulary resources and support handouts

Deaf pupils may have reduced vocabulary in comparison to their hearing
peers because they have fewer opportunities to overhear new and unfamiliar
language. Strategies to support vocabulary and organising information include:

• identifying and teaching vocabulary that is specific to school and school

staff, using a photo book
• making topic mats to teach new vocabulary and support writing activities.
You can find an example at the end of this section
• creating graphic organisers. These are also known as a knowledge
maps, concept maps or story maps and they use visual symbols to
express knowledge, concepts, thoughts, or ideas and the relationships
between them.

An example of a topic mat

the gate
First
walked past
the bin

Next
the post box
I turned left at
the traffic light
Then

the zebra crossing

turned right at
Finally
the shop

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

An example of a graphic organiser

Boil some water Leave the egg in Enjoy!

in a pan. for 3 minutes.

A storyline
Beginning Dilemma End

Development Resolution

Once
upon Next Then Then Finally
a time...

A storyline can be used... to retell stories or recount (past) events.

More examples of topic mats and graphic organisers can be found

on the EAL Nexus website at ealresources.bell-foundation.org.uk.
Twinkl also produces activities and games designed to develop BSL,
vocabulary and working memory, record and information sheets
for audiology, and resources to widen knowledge of deaf culture at:
www.twinkl.co.uk.

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 High or first quality teaching

Pre- and post-teaching

Pre-teaching involves introducing new vocabulary and concepts. Post-teaching
consolidates the work covered in the lesson.
For example:

• sharing a book, text or key vocabulary and concepts before a lesson helps
deaf pupils to feel able to participate more fully in lessons
• revisiting a book or new vocabulary and concepts helps children and staff
identify and fill in missing knowledge
• pre- and post-teaching should be part of the taught curriculum. Children
shouldn’t be missing other learning opportunities such as Relationships and
Sex Education (RSE) or PE or socialising opportunities such as break times.

Small group work or teaching

Deaf children benefit from learning in small groups. It’s an ideal opportunity to
practice turn-taking, social skills, and discussion techniques.
However group working can also be very challenging so it is important to
follow some simple rules:

• think about the listening environment and position the group where there is
a minimum of background noise and distractions
• make sure the deaf child can see the faces of all the other children in
the group
• make sure all hearing technologies are being used. The radio aid can be
put in the middle of the group or passed to the speaker
• teach the children to signal or identify themselves before they speak
• encourage children to speak one at a time
• repeat or clarify what has been said
• use a prompt sheet or remind children of the 'group rules' at the beginning of
the session.

Group reading
This should be adapted for deaf pupils as per the group work guidelines. It can
also help to:

• show the pupil the text before the lesson and if necessary go through it in a
pre-teaching session
• use a radio aid round the group, passing the transmitter between readers
• use a ‘buddy system, where a hearing peer helps the pupil keep track of
the text
• be aware that the child may feel anxious due to poor speech intelligibility
• make it clear when reading has stopped to discuss a specific point.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Using videos/DVDs/online clips

Using videos, DVDs and online clips:

• when possible, use the pupil’s radio aid and audio lead to provide direct
access to sound
• make sure that any video clips you show are subtitled as some deaf pupils
won’t be able to follow a video clip without subtitles. If no subtitles are
available you should provide a transcript
• there is an automatic subtitling function for YouTube videos but be aware
that there are sometimes errors, so check the quality before showing a clip
• for information on how to subtitle YouTube videos visit:
support.google.com/youtube/answer/2734796?hl=en-GB
• discuss the video content with TAs or support workers, giving them time to
watch it and discuss any key points or vocabulary with the pupil
• some pupils might benefit from watching the content, before or after the
lesson, with their support worker or at home
• stop the video so the pupil can take notes – they may miss information if they
take notes while watching.

Using whiteboard and PowerPoint presentations

Viewing a PowerPoint presentation often requires classroom lights to be
dimmed, which can make lip-reading or watching signed support difficult.
It’s helpful to:

• use an angle-poise lamp to illuminate the speaker or support worker

• pause briefly between slides so that the pupil can view the slide
• give deaf pupils and support staff copies of PowerPoint slides before
the lesson
• make sure the pupil can see the board clearly (but is not close to or under the
whiteboard projector, to avoid background noise)
• be mindful of the background noise produced by the computer.

Hands-on experience
Activities which involve hands-on learning will particularly benefit deaf
children as they’ll bring the learning to life and allow a more visual approach
to learning.

Classroom displays
The pictures, captions and information used to consolidate learning for the
class will particularly benefit deaf pupils as they also provide opportunities for
‘incidental learning’ that may not be picked up through overhearing.

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 High or first quality teaching

Notetaking
Deaf pupils will find it difficult to lip-read or follow signed support while taking
notes. Having a support worker or TA to make notes means that deaf pupils can
concentrate on the lesson.
The TA can record information which enables the deaf pupil to concentrate on
the content of the lesson. Information can be recorded in an age-appropriate
way, for example, pictures on a whiteboard can be used in post-tutoring
sessions or sent home for reinforcement.

Mind maps
Mind maps are an excellent way to present and record information pictorially
for deaf pupils. This method can be learnt in age-appropriate stages to present
or support the concepts being taught during a lesson and also as a means to
check the deaf pupil’s understanding of what has been taught.

Time to think
As the deaf pupil’s auditory memory may not be as well developed as other
pupils’ it’s important to:

• build processing time into lessons, particularly if they contain new

information or a ‘question and answer’ session
• include opportunities for repetition in lesson time
• avoid overloading lessons with too much information or too much talk.

Checking understanding
It’s important to check the pupil has understood, without drawing unnecessary
attention to them. Use open-ended questions to check understanding, as this
stops the pupil from nodding when they haven’t understood.

Reducing fatigue
Deaf pupils have to concentrate harder on listening than hearing pupils, which
can be tiring when they have to do it for long periods of time.

• Consider the pace of the lesson, breaking down periods of spoken input.
• Get to know what teaching methods or activities the pupil finds most tiring
and build in breaks. Or use alternative methods and adapt activities to
include tasks that don’t solely rely on lip-reading.
• Become familiar with the pupil’s signs of tiredness so you can intervene
before they become frustrated.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Setting homework
Deaf pupils tell us that homework is often set when background noise is high,
for example, at the end of a lesson.
Teachers should make sure that information about homework, including
deadlines, is communicated clearly at a quiet point in the lesson with time
allowed for questions. Deaf pupils will benefit from having their homework
written down on paper or on the smartboard.

“When the teacher gives us homework he writes what we

have to do on the whiteboard which means I can copy it down.
The problem is that he explains about the homework at the
same time as writing and so I can’t read his lips. It means that
I don’t really understand what I have to do and then the
lesson ends so there’s no time to ask for help.” Deaf pupil

Children who use English as an Additional Language (EAL)

According to the Consortium for Research into Deaf Education (CRIDE) 2019,
14% of deaf children across the UK use an additional spoken language other
than English in education.
Deaf EAL learners benefit from:

• additional specialist support from teachers, ToDs and support assistants

• improving the acoustic environment and minimising background noise
• consistent and effective use of hearing technologies
• differentiation of the curriculum to meet the needs of the individual learner
• effective pre- and post-tutoring, repetition, checking for understanding and
the use of visual supports
• careful and consistent assessment and ongoing monitoring
• focused individual and small group activities to allow for learning in a
smaller and quieter environment
• involving parents in the child’s learning.

 Our resource Supporting the achievement of deaf children who use

English as an additional language, produced with support from
The Bell Foundation, provides information and resources to
help you to meet the needs of deaf EAL learners. You can order
or download the resource here: www.ndcs.org.uk/eal.

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 High or first quality teaching


An effective school will ensure all staff have made the necessary
adaptations and implemented strategies and recommendations
so the deaf pupil is able to access learning where necessary.
Strategies may include:

• visual aids
• vocabulary handouts
• a check on the pupil’s understanding
• pre- and post-teaching
• ensuring any videos/DVDs/online content are accessible to
deaf pupils
• giving the pupil opportunities to rest if they’re experiencing
fatigue
• ensuring that all teaching staff have high expectations for deaf
pupils in their school.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

52 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 7 Subject support
Deaf pupils will need different support according to the curriculum area and its
demands. Deaf pupils may need extra support in subjects that:

• require the pupil to listen to and record lots of spoken information

• use a lot of unfamiliar and topic specific vocabulary
• require the pupil to be able to hear specific speech sounds, for example
phonics and spellings
• involve a difficult listening environment, for example, PE and swimming.

Supporting language development

Many deaf children will start school with a language delay. As language is
essential not only for making good educational progress but also social
development, it’s important to know what the child's language ability is. A
ToD will monitor a deaf pupil’s language, listening, speech and communication
development using a number of specific tests. Where language delay is
identified, programmes of work will need to be put in place which target
individual learning needs and may be delivered by the school, ToD or speech
and language therapist.

 There are a variety of online resources available on our website

to support language and literacy learning. These include
resources and films on specific interventions to improve working
memory and literacy and can be found at: www.ndcs.org.uk/
\ primaryyearsliteracy and www.ndcs.org.uk/primary-education.

Teaching phonics to deaf pupils

Deaf children may have difficulties because they have not yet fully developed
good phonemic awareness, which is the understanding that a word is made
up of a series of discrete sounds. Good phonemic awareness and phonic
knowledge supports the acquisition of early literacy. It provides a very
valuable tool for decoding texts, especially in the early stages of learning to
read. Without this knowledge, phonics instruction won’t make sense, even
when technology and acoustics are at optimum levels. In addition, deaf pupils
may not be able to fully access all speech sounds or they may find that speech
sounds are introduced at too fast a rate.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Teaching strategies which develop phonemic awareness include:

• supporting the child's phonological awareness through activities such

as identifying and copying sounds and rhymes and singing and clapping
rhythms and syllables
• making sure lessons involving teaching phonics take place in a quiet
environment and the child has a clear view of lip patterns
• using a variety of approaches, such as one of the visual cueing systems in
which a specific hand shape or movement is linked to the letter sound
• slowing down the pace of learning and taking some time to revisit and
consolidate new learning.
Children who use BSL may need a different programme. You can ask the ToD
for advice on this.

 A ToD can also provide advice on adapting the teaching of

phonics to deaf children. Further information and advice on the
teaching of phonics to deaf pupils can be found in our resource
Teaching phonics to deaf children: Guidance for teachers. This is
available to download here www.ndcs.org.uk/phonics.

Language and literacy-based subjects

Deaf pupils, including those with age-appropriate language may require
support to access the language of the curriculum, reading comprehension and
writing. Potential difficulties may not be immediately obvious, particularly if
speech intelligibility is good and the child appears to understand.
Below are some specific challenges and some strategies to support these:

• a smaller and more concrete vocabulary

› check understanding of key vocabulary
› teach new vocabulary alongside words used to deliver instructions and
information in the school environment.
• less knowledge or understanding of morphology. For example the 's'
sound can indicate a plural or a tense
› identify and draw attention to morphemes in texts to support
reading comprehension
› teaching about morphemes will promote spelling and
language development.

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 Subject support

• challenges understanding figurative language such as idioms,

colloquialisms and similes
› idioms and colloquialisms aren’t only found in spoken language but in
stories and text. It’s important to check the pupil’s understanding of
this too.
› support pupils to use figurative language in their everyday interactions.
• difficulties with the ability to think about and discuss language, spoken,
written or signed (metalinguistic skills)
› most of the 1,000 most common words in English have more than one
meaning - homonyms. Teach the different meanings and check
understanding. Children will need to understand the context to help
them make sense
› metalinguistic skills allow pupils to shift from learning-to-read to
reading-to-learn. Encourage pupils to predict, make inferences and
understand different viewpoints.
• hearing and understanding everything that is said
› hearing isn’t the same as understanding. Deaf children may need more
time to process spoken information.
• a smaller and more concrete world knowledge
› learning is most effective when pupils are able to make links
to own experiences
› talk about world and everyday events to help broaden their
world knowledge.

Example: Prompt cards

Tom’s writing targets

Remember to:
• include ‘a’, ‘the’,
• remember full stops
• use your word bank to help with spelling.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Example: Notes to staff

Learning and access

Olivia will need:

• her radio aid

• in-class support from her (TA)
• vocabulary cards
• to share the book before the lesson
• writing target prompts.
• a writing frame.

Remember:
• Check that the radio aid is working at the beginning of the lesson.
• Check Olivia knows the key vocabulary and has understood.

Teaching strategies
• The TA will support Olivia to use vocabulary handouts and writing target
prompts.
• Where possible provide a writing frame to match the activity with
headings.
• Make use of pictures in PowerPoint presentations and worksheets to
give as much context as possible to what’s written.
• Allow Olivia to talk about what she is going to write before she writes it.

Mathematics
Completing mathematical activities and problems isn’t just about
understanding numbers and calculations, but also the language involved.
You need to be aware that deaf children may:

• be able to learn and use mathematical concepts and skills but not have the
language to understand what is meant or describe what they’re doing
• not have had opportunities to hear or use mathematical vocabulary
elsewhere through incidental learning
• after learning new mathematical terms, still be confused by questions and
instructions that include additional language
• need extra opportunities to practise new vocabulary as well as practise the
computation itself

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 Subject support

• have difficulty transferring their knowledge and making links between

mathematics topics, particularly if vocabulary varies or new words
are introduced
• process information more slowly than their hearing peers.
Teaching strategies that will support and develop mathematical language and
skills include:

• using everyday learning and routines to encourage children to learn about

maths and use mathematical language
• using mathematical language across the curriculum including PE and Art
• setting up practical group activities and games that encourage children to
problem solve and share their thinking
• using pictures and diagrams that clearly illustrate the meaning of the
vocabulary and concepts
• going through key terms for the lesson as part of the introduction
• clarifying when similar language has a different application, for example, a
‘bigger number’ being different from a ‘bigger size’
• either teaching the vocabulary, using a word the child is familiar with, or
giving the child extra information
• simplifying language structures and instructions where necessary rather
than simplifying mathematical content
• allowing processing time during lessons, particularly when new information
is included, and during question and answer sessions.
If the pupil uses signed support, teachers should work with their TA or CSW to:

• agree on which signs will be used to present the intended meaning

• ensure consistency over how numbers are demonstrated through formal
sign language and/or informal gestures/handshapes.

We have plenty of tips on our website around developing

children's reading, writing and maths skills with fun activities
www.ndcs.org.uk/primaryyearsliteracy.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Science
The science curriculum may include abstract concepts and technical
vocabulary. Deaf children may not have the language needed to describe
states, appearances or words such as 'experiment',
Think about:

• using a variety of visual resources and diagrams

• identifying topic-specific vocabulary as well as vocabulary needed to
complete the task
• providing information practically as well as through listening
• carrying out practical demonstrations twice to allow deaf pupils to listen
and watch
• encouraging children to talk about what they’re doing and what they
have learnt.

Sport, PE and swimming

Some curriculum activities that involve physical activity may require deaf
pupils to remove their hearing technologies. Parents and the ToD will be able
to guide you where there are specific manufacturer’s recommendations
about how to do this. Given how expensive hearing technologies can be, many
children will know when they should remove theirs and put it somewhere safe.
It’s important that the removal of their technology for even a short period
doesn’t leave deaf pupils at a disadvantage when participating in activities.
Activities should be adapted so that:

• instructions, rules and explanations are given while the hearing technology
is still being worn
• hearing technology is to hand in case the pupil needs to listen out for further
instruction. (The TA or class teacher could take responsibility for looking
after it)
• children are taught through demonstration as well as direct instruction
• visual clues, for example waving a flag, are used to signal key instructions
• another class member can act as a ‘hearing buddy’ who can alert their deaf
peer to a whistle blowing or a shouted instruction
• peers are encouraged to feedback visually as well as verbally, for example a
thumbs up.
Many schools use external providers to deliver sports activities. If so, it
would be helpful to share an information sheet with them explaining the pupil’s
level of deafness, any technology they use and what their communication
preference is. An example is shown below and you can find a blank copy of
this template in Chapter 13.

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 Subject support

Example: Information sheet to share with PE colleagues

General information
Pupil: Haraen
Year: 4H
Photo
Teacher: Mrs Holland
Timetable details: Haraen has PE with you on
Wednesday afternoons.

Hearing loss and hearing technology

Haraen uses two hearing aids, which he’ll wear when you’re talking, but
he sometimes likes to take them off when he’s very active in case they get
wet. If he can quietly give them to you and retrieve them when necessary
that will help him. The aids should be kept safe in a secure pocket.

Communication
Haraen communicates orally and with lip reading.

Learning and access

• TA support
• The help of hearing buddies
• Demonstrate as many teaching points as possible.

Remember
Haraen is very enthusiastic about sports, but can be embarrassed when
he’s not sure what to do, for example if he’s missed some instructions.

Teaching strategies

• Make sure he has a ‘hearing buddy’ and encourage him to ask them what
to do if he’s unsure.
• Let Haraen stand near you so that you’re facing him while you’re speaking
to the class.
• Repeat contributions made by his classmates.
• If you ask him a question, allow him time to think and answer.
• Make sure as many teaching points as possible are demonstrated.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

You can find more information on how to support deaf children while
teaching sports activities available at www.ndcs.org.uk/leisure.

Swimming
Most deaf pupils won’t be able to wear their hearing technologies during the
swimming lesson. For communication and safety it’s essential that:

• a risk assessment is carried out before the lesson and all instructors are
aware of the needs of the deaf pupil
• routines and rules are explained before pupils remove their hearing
technologies. Instructions should be supported by visual clues, and signs or
gestures to stop must be agreed beforehand
• there is a safe, dry place to store the hearing technologies while swimming
• when the pupil is in the water, instructions are given close enough to enable
lip reading
• a reliable friend is chosen to be a ‘hearing buddy’ who alerts the deaf pupil to
any changes of instructions
• pupils are encouraged to wear swimming hats or towel dry their hair before
putting their hearing technologies back on. Pupils with hearing aids will
need access to their puffer, as there is likely to be a build-up of condensation,
which can prevent the hearing aid from working
• lifeguards are made aware of the deaf pupil and that they may not hear the
whistle or command to get out of the pool/changing room in an emergency.

Find out more about making swimming deaf friendly by visiting

our webpage: www.ndcs.org.uk/swimmingguide.

Modern foreign languages (MFL)

Many deaf pupils can successfully learn modern foreign languages and there is
no reason why they shouldn't have the opportunity to learn. In order to support
them they may need:

• information presented both visually and orally

• ‘semi-phonetic’ transcriptions of the language to help with pronunciation
or grouping words with consistent pronunciation together (for example,
pain and sain, sans and dans, mère and père). The most common languages
taught in school have a better phoneme/grapheme correspondence than
English, so once pronunciation is grasped it will be the same in all cases

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 Subject support

• vocabulary support sheets

• a check that they know the equivalent English vocabulary
• role play, gestures and facial expressions to understand meanings.
As MFL teaching often involves using audio material or ‘aural’ learning,
pupils may need:

• their radio aid and additional leads to provide direct access to audio-
visual systems for listening exercises; language labs may provide
better quality sound
• audio material to be used less often, with live speaker versions of material
provided, for example, a film of a staff member speaking the material. If
this isn’t possible, the teacher, language assistant or TA should provide lip
readable repetition. If there is more than one voice, this should be shown by
visual clues, for example, name cards or different hats for different speakers
• to have an opportunity to listen to audio materials or read a transcript
before their classmates.

Other resources to support learning a MFL include:

• Google Translate: A free multilingual machine translation
service developed by Google, which will translate text, speech,
images, sites, or real-time video from one language into
another translate.google.co.uk.

• There are a number of language learning apps which may

provide another way to support older EAL learners.

• Collin's dictionary: This translates over thirty different

languages for free www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary.

Music
Deaf children can enjoy music lessons and listening to music with their
friends as much as hearing children do. Participating in music activities can
have many benefits for deaf children. As well as the vibrations, the visual
aspect and performance value to playing, music can help pupils increase
their confidence, encourage learning about emotions and help develop fine
motor skills. Opportunities to sing can provide deaf children with a fun way
to practise controlling their voices, both in terms of pitch and frequency
and in recognising the melody of intonation in spoken language.
Musical instruments can also provide deaf children with valuable auditory
experience of rhythmic patterns, tempo and pitch. Today’s technology means
recorded music can be amplified to a comfortable level for deaf children.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

When planning music lessons it’s important to recognise and plan for
potential challenges.
This will include:

• accessing music in a poor acoustic environment:

› keep background noise to a minimum
› use rooms with soft furnishings and curtains
› keep doors and windows closed where possible.
• the extra effort needed when learning and listening :
› face the child when you’re talking to them
› give them time to process information before demonstrating
› don’t talk at the same time as music is being played
› use gestures and demonstrations to make your explanations clearer
› build breaks into the lesson. A deaf child may get tired earlier than their
hearing peers as they’re using extra concentration
› be clear from the start that one person should talk at a time, and that no
one should play music while discussions are taking place
› seat everyone in a U shape for ease of communication
› check with the child the best place for them to be positioned for
communication.
• noises being too loud and uncomfortable with a hearing aid or
cochlear implant:
› check with the child where they feel most comfortably positioned within
the group
› make the parents aware that the child may need to see their audiologist if
simple tweaks are needed to assist them to hear music comfortably.
• difficulties grasping the rhythm or melody:
› ensure that the child has the chance to learn the rhythm and melody in
advance of it being introduced to a bigger group
› go back to basics: ask them to repeat the rhythm by copying you clapping
to the beat.
• difficulties remembering large amounts of auditory information such as
words to a song:
› provide a written transcript of song
› apps such as Shazam and SoundHound help identify the music being
played so that pupils can practise the songs at home. These apps
sometimes provide the lyrics too and can be downloaded from the app
store on your phone.

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 Subject support

You can find more to support the teaching of music at

www.ndcs.org/music.

An effective school will:



• make sure that all staff working with deaf children will receive
training relevant to their subject from a Teacher of the Deaf
and consider any implications for their teaching strategies

• make sure that all teaching staff have high expectations for
deaf children in their school.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

64 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 8 Working with teaching
assistants (TAs) and
communication support
workers (CSWs)
TAs and CSWs roles 3
TAs play a vital role in helping teachers ensure that deaf pupils can access
learning and participate in the life of the school. They help to minimise the
barriers to accessing the curriculum and support the inclusion and
achievement of deaf pupils.
Their involvement in supporting deaf pupils’ learning has traditionally
been threefold.
1. To promote communication, language and listening development so that
any gap between the pupils’ current level of development and that of their
peers is reduced.
2. To ensure the pupil is able to access the lesson content and achieve the
objectives set for them.
3. To ensure the pupil is socially included and has similar opportunities to
be involved and to contribute to lessons and the school community as
other pupils.
TAs support specialist interventions to improve deaf pupils':

• attending and listening skills

• language and literacy levels and communication skills
• access to lessons and social experiences4.
The range of activities carried out by TAs could include:

• pre- and post-lesson tutoring in a variety of subjects

• one-to-one support in the classroom to help achieve a specific learning
target, for example, explaining or checking a deaf pupil’s understanding of
new vocabulary or concepts

3. This section summarises key points from Raising the Achievement of Pupils with a
Hearing Impairment: Effective working with TAs in schools, produced by the National Sensory Im-
pairment Partnership (NatSIP) in 2012, available from the NatSIP website at
www.natsip.org.uk/doc-library-login/curriculum/teaching-assistant-guidance/
410-01-teaching-assistant-guidance-for-hi
4. Ibid.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

• planning lessons with teachers

• observing the pupil and assessing progress at regular intervals
• contributing to target setting
• supporting a pupil as part of a group activity
• adapting resources and teaching materials
• ensuring all hearing technology is working and maintained
• monitoring the acoustics in the classroom
• working with the pupil on speech and language therapy exercises
• acting as a notetaker
• attending meetings, such as annual reviews
• sharing the pupil’s feedback on how they access the curriculum.
The TA will play an important role in the continuity of support the pupil receives
in each subject by knowing their needs and ensuring adaptations and measures
are in place.

Getting the most from TAs

Managers can support TAs by:

• ensuring they have the training, information and support to understand the
pupil’s needs, including how to use and look after hearing technologies
• providing regular opportunities to meet and share information with the ToDs
• making sure the roles of those involved in the pupil’s education are clear
• facilitating collaborative planning and communication. For example, the
teacher providing the TA with teaching plans in time so they can gather and
adapt resources and teaching materials
• giving the TA time to study background notes and references for lessons so
that they know enough about the subject to be able to support the pupil
• ensuring there’s a focus on supporting the achievement of the pupil’s targets
• using classroom observation and giving feedback to the TA and teacher
• agreeing targets and intended outcomes for the pupil and evaluating the
impact of support and interventions
• involving the TA in setting targets and clarifying their role in helping the
pupil to meet targets
• giving TAs clear professional status and holding them accountable for
their work.

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 Working with teaching assistants (TAs) and communication support workers (CSWs)

Effective working between teachers and TAs

It’s good practice for the teachers working with TAs to:

• provide copies of work schemes and lesson plans in advance

• provide copies of any texts, books or resources to be used, in advance
• set aside time to meet with the TA to plan and discuss lessons
• explain the role they want the TA to take during different parts of the lesson
• remember that the TA is likely to have considerable knowledge of the pupil,
so consult with them about how to meet the pupil’s needs and involve them
in assessment and setting targets
• keep the TA informed of the pupil’s progress
• develop a direct teaching relationship with the deaf pupil to avoid the
TA being the only person teaching them.

Communication Support Workers (CSWs)

Some deaf pupils may need additional communication support to access
what the teacher and other pupils are saying. The TA can have an additional
role as a BSL interpreter, but a CSW will probably have an additional
qualification in communication support and will do this as well as carrying
out TA responsibilities.

Working with a CSW: tips for teachers

• Remember there is a time lag between what you say and it being
interpreted. So, for example, if you ask the class a question, allow the pupil
time to watch the CSW before you ask for a reply or contribution.
• Ensure the CSW has a copy of the lesson plan and resources (textbooks,
videos etc) you intend to use so that they can prepare and ask questions if
they don’t understand anything.
• Plan activities to give the CSW a break, as interpreting and reading an
interpreter can be hard and tiring work.
• Speak directly to the pupil and not the interpreter.
• Remember that the deaf pupil will be watching the CSW to access the
lesson so try to avoid tasks that require divided attention. For example,
if carrying out a demonstration, build in time so that the pupil can look at
the demonstration and turn their attention back to the CSW, otherwise
they’ll miss the explanation.
• Make sure there is space to enable the CSW to stand near the pupil and the
lighting is good.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

The school will need to be confident that CSWs have good enough BSL skills to
translate the curriculum.5
When they start school, deaf pupils will have the level and type of support
decided and arranged by the ToD and SENCO.

When they start school, deaf pupils will have the level and type of support
decided andeffective
An arrangedschool
by the will:
ToD and SENCO.

• make sure that TAs and CSWs have the skills and qualifications
to effectively support the deaf pupil. The National Deaf
Children’s Society expects CSWs to hold, as a minimum, a
Level 3 qualification in BSL

• organise specialist training for TAs and CSWs where necessary

• make sure that teachers and TAs or CSWs are clear on their
respective responsibilities. The teacher is responsible for the
deaf pupil’s learning

• expect teachers and TAs and CSWs to work together

effectively to plan and review teaching and learning for the
deaf pupil.

5. The National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) recommends that a CSW

should have a Level 3 qualification in BSL, which is roughly equivalent to an A-Level.
Schools should seek specialist advice from a Teacher of the Deaf on this issue,
where needed.

68 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 9 Assessments, tests and
access arrangements
With effective assessment, support and monitoring a deaf pupil has the
potential to:

• follow the same curriculum subjects as other pupils

• make the same progress as pupils of a similar ability and have age-related
learning outcomes within standard curriculum frameworks
• have expectations made of them that should be as high as those for their
peers of similar age and ability.
High attaining deaf pupils must be identified and they should be set
appropriately challenging learning outcomes. They should be supported
in line with school policy and national guidance, ensuring regular reviews
of their progress.
The assessment and monitoring of deaf pupils is most effective when:

• planned and used over a period of time

• identifying a delay in progress that needs to be addressed
• addressing difference in progress between the pupil and others of
a similar ability and age
• informing planning of future learning outcomes
• evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies.
When assessing a deaf pupil remember not to under or overestimate a child’s
performance because:

• Good speech intelligibility may mask levels of language understanding.

A deaf child may misunderstand/not understand the question or task.
• Some standardised tests may not be accessible to deaf pupils. It’s important
that the pupil fully understands what is involved in taking the test and what
they need to do. The ToD or educational psychologist can advise on how
appropriate the test is and any possible alternatives.
• It may also be necessary to supplement assessment against national
benchmarks with other additional measures. This could include
observation by the ToD with a particular focus on language and
communication development.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

“Where assessment was good or outstanding, the achievement

of just under two thirds of children and young people was
good or outstanding. Where assessment was satisfactory or
inadequate, achievement was good or outstanding for just
over a quarter of children and young people. However, even
where assessment was accurate, timely and identified the
appropriate additional support, this did not guarantee that the
support would be of good quality. What worked consistently
well included high aspirations for the achievement of all
children and young people, good teaching and learning for all
children and young people based on careful analysis of need,
close monitoring of each individual’s progress and a shared
perception of desired outcomes.”6

Assessment of need
Assessing a deaf pupil’s needs should be informed by how much impact their
deafness has on their learning. The ToD or SENCO will help identify what
should be considered. They can carry out extra assessments to monitor
progress in such areas as communication, language and hearing.
These will help to:

• set realistic learning outcomes

• analyse progress against national performance indicators
• identify what support and strategies are needed to make sure the pupil can
make progress in specified areas
• evaluate the effectiveness of additional class support and tailored
intervention on learning outcomes.
Parents make a valuable contribution in accurately assessing the needs of their
child. They can alert you to any worries their child may have about keeping up
with their peers or if they’re not able to apply their learning to life outside the
classroom. It’s important to establish a regular means of communication with
parents as part of monitoring progress.

 Our resource Assessments of Deaf Children and Young People: For

Teachers of the Deaf has been produced to support professionals
in assessing and monitoring the progress of deaf young people
in communication, language, listening, literacy, numeracy,
cognitive development and social/emotional wellbeing.
You can download or order the resource on our website
www.ndcs.org.uk/assessments.

6. The special educational needs and disability review: a statement isn’t enough, Ofsted review of
SEN and disability, September 2010

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 Assessment, tests and access arrangements

An effective school will:


• use the results of specialist assessment to support
understanding and multi-disciplinary target setting

• use the results of these assessments to review the deaf pupil’s

learning and teaching strategies.
The above will be in addition to usual and ongoing assessment,
monitoring and tracking of pupil progress.

Access arrangements for assessments and tests

Making access arrangements means making adjustments to the way
assessments and tests are delivered, written or assessed. This is important
for deaf pupils because they may have difficulties with language due to their
deafness. It might be harder for them to be sure what they’re being asked or to
show what they know. One example of an access arrangement might be to give
the pupil a short break to help them remain focused.

Access arrangements available for Key Stage 2 tests (SATS) in

English schools are available at www.gov.uk/key-stage-2-tests-
how-to-use-access-arrangements.

When should access arrangements be made?

Not all deaf pupils require access arrangements; it depends on the
individual pupil and their deafness. The ToD can help assess this.
Access arrangements should be discussed early so the pupil knows what to
expect and the school can make arrangements. Access arrangements must
reflect how the pupil usually works. This is so the access arrangements are
familiar to them and they know what to expect.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

The Standards and Testing Agency provides lots more information

about tests at primary school in England. www.gov.uk/
government/organisations/standards-and-testing-agency
Information on the National Reading and Numeracy Tests in
Wales can be found at hwb.gov.wales/draft-curriculum-for-
wales-2022/reading-and-numeracy-assessments/national-
reading-and-numeracy-tests.
The Scottish National Assessments Standardised site provides lots
of information on primary assessments. standardisedassessment.
gov.scot/parents-and-carers
More advice and information on access and adaptations to
primary school tests can be found at www.ndcs.org.uk/exams.

Exemptions
There will be times when a child won’t be able to access the content of an
assessment and so won’t need to participate. For example, a child who uses
BSL may not be able to complete the Phonics Screening Test.
Remember, assessments which are completed online in which children follow
spoken instructions might not be accessible to deaf children unless adaptations
can be made. These could include:

• subtitles
• using technology such as audio input leads or a radio aid to boost the
sound signal
• provision of a written transcript which can be read to the pupil allowing
them access to lip patterns and extra processing time.

You can find more information on exemptions to the Phonics

Screening Test by searching ‘Key stage 1: phonics screening
check administration guidance’ on www.gov.uk.

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 Assessment, tests and access arrangements

An effective school will:


• work closely with parents to enable the school to better
understand the pupil’s needs

• keep parents up to date with strategies to support the child’s

educational and social development, and let them know how
they can help

• use specialist assessment findings to ensure there is a full

understanding of the deaf pupil’s learning needs and reasons
why they may not be making progress in particular areas, and
to support target setting. This should be done with support
from a ToD

• use the results of these assessments to review the deaf pupil’s

learning and teaching strategies

• ask the ToD for advice on access arrangements for

examinations or tests

• organise and support any special arrangements for

examinations or tests.
The above will be in addition to normal and ongoing assessment,
monitoring and tracking of pupil progress.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

74 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 10 Supporting emotional
health and wellbeing
A deaf child with good emotional health and wellbeing:

• feels good about themselves

• has an appropriate level of independence and feels able to influence the
world around them
• has positive and warm relationships with others
• is resilient and able to bounce back from setbacks and move on from
negative experiences
• has the language and communication skills to be able to express and
understand their emotions
• acknowledges their deafness and is confident when dealing with any
challenges they may face
• never apologises for being deaf.

“The school as a whole is very deaf aware, with the other

children learning to sign, so interaction is good. One good
thing the school does is the Christmas play. The children
conduct the play and/or songs in sign, which is fantastic.
The children don’t feel excluded from the school as a whole.
We are really pleased with things so far.” Parent

 Our resource What are you feeling? is a guide to help deaf

children understand and identify their emotions. You can
download this resource from our website www.ndcs.org.uk/
whatareyoufeeling.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Emotional health and well-being in deaf pupils is influenced by several

factors, including:

• Attitudes towards the pupil’s deafness.

› Is the pupil fully included and a valued member of the school community?
› Do school policies and procedures reflect deaf pupils’ needs, including
communication needs? Are deaf pupils represented and fully included in
all activities, both in school and out?
• Approaches to language and communication. Many opportunities to
socialise take place in the noisiest parts of the school where deaf pupils are
more likely to struggle to hear.
› Are there quiet places both inside and out where pupils are able to
socialise 1:1 or in small groups?
› Does the child misunderstand current social language or worry about
mishearing and misunderstanding?
• Conversations about feelings. Social acceptance requires an understanding
of social norms but hearing pupils acquire these by incidental learning
experiences, which deaf pupils are less likely to have.
› Deaf children may need specific teaching to understand situations from
other people’s perspectives. This is known as Theory of Mind and research
suggests it can be delayed in deaf children.
• Family attitudes to deafness. Sometimes families struggle to accept
their child's deafness and/or their hearing technology. Remember the
most important influence on a deaf child’s life is their family, therefore
the emotional health and wellbeing of everyone in the family is also
very important.
› Does the child’s family also need support?
• Peer attitudes towards deafness. Deaf pupils say that it’s helpful if their
peers understand the problems presented by deafness and how to
support them.
› Has the ToD delivered peer awareness training?
› Have you asked deaf pupils to talk about their deafness and what helps
them as part of a deaf awareness session?

“I think people should be more deaf aware but accept that it
can be hard to understand if you have not had experience
of it.” Pupil

Our website offers plenty of information and advice on how to

support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of both
yourself and your child at www.ndcs.org.uk/wellbeing.

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 Supporting emotional health and wellbeing

Building resilience
It’s important for deaf children to have a positive self-image and be resilient.
This will help them deal with social situations and getting their needs met
in the wider world. School staff can help pupils be resilient and have a positive
self-image by:

• letting deaf pupils know that other children can also make mistakes,
mishear or misunderstand and require time out. Deaf pupils may find it
helpful to know they have similar experiences to their peers and that they’re
not the only one in class needing support
• supporting deaf pupils to have the correct language to talk about their
hearing needs and providing opportunities to tell other members of the
school community what will help them
• allowing deaf children to practise their social skills safely in small groups
• teaching deaf pupils strategies that will help them cope with the
unpredictable world outside school, particularly in relation to their deafness
• making sure visual aids, stories and other resources reflect the diversity of
people in the community, including deaf children
• providing opportunities to meet other deaf children and deaf adults –
parents or local deaf groups may be able to help provide these opportunities
• supporting deaf children to correctly 'label' their feelings.

Our website signposts to a range of resources to help professionals

keep deaf children safe from harm or abuse, including our resources
on online safety and preventing bullying. These are available at
www.ndcs.org.uk/bullyingadvice.

Theory of Mind (ToM)

Many deaf pupils may have delayed understanding of the thoughts, beliefs,
intentions and emotions of other people, and perhaps themselves, this is
known as Theory of Mind (ToM). Sometimes deaf children aren’t challenged in
their ToM abilities as a result of their deafness but as a result of the potentially
restricting environments they may live and learn in. Having age-appropriate
skills helps to safeguard deaf children and supports their abilities to make
effective social connections with others.
Understanding the developmental trajectory of ToM helps professionals and
families support the development of more advanced skills.
By 4-5 years old children are able to:

• predict what someone else is thinking or feeling

• understand other people’s perspectives

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

• understand that feelings are caused by what is thought and not necessarily
what is fact
• describe a personal situation in which they felt, scared, surprised or happy.
By 6–8 years old children are able to:

• predict what one person is thinking or feels about what another person is
thinking or feeling
• talk about situations in which emotions such as jealousy, pride or worry are
experienced and use the correct vocabulary
• understand that people can have more than one emotion in response to
a situation
• develop strategies for regulating emotions.
By 8-10 years old children are able to:

• understand strategies to hide deceit and detect deceit

• understand figurative language, sarcasm and white lies
• hide emotions and intentionally use facial expression to mislead
• use the words ‘relieved’ and ‘disappointed’7.
Strategies to support TOM include:

• helping the pupil to think about what someone is thinking or feeling about
someone else
• developing higher level language skills to understand what others mean
when they’re not speaking literally
• explicit teaching of figurative language, including metaphors, idioms
and sarcasm
• think-alouds – where the pupil is asked to say out loud what they are
thinking about when reading, solving math problems, or simply responding
to questions posed by teachers or other students.

7. Westby, C. and Robinson, L., 2014. A developmental perspective for promoting theory of
mind. Topics in Language Disorders, 34(4), pp.362-382.

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 Supporting emotional health and wellbeing

Pupil voice
It’s important to engage with, listen to and involve deaf pupils in decision
making on a wide range of topics, this includes learning, teaching, equipment,
keeping healthy, feeling positive, keeping safe, being part of the community and
being independent. This helps deaf pupils to understand how their deafness
impacts on their lives and to learn strategies to advocate for themselves and
improve difficult situations.
Remember to:

• teach the skills and language needed so they can take part in
decision-making
• record conversations and interactions; they’re as valuable as
formal feedback
• be specific: what do you want to find out about? What language are
you going to use? Has the child understood the question? What are you
going to do with the information? How are you going to feedback?
• consider using a deaf peer or friend to facilitate conversations around
deaf-specific issues
• think about the best conditions for participation, for example, a quiet area
with minimal background noise
• use a wide variety of strategies to collect feedback including online tools
and visual resources such as pictures
• be aware of safeguarding procedures
• encourage deaf pupils to take responsibility for their own deafness and to
develop the confidence to ask for support.
If a deaf pupil experiences emotional or social difficulties that cannot be
supported within school, they can be referred to other organisations for
support, such as the National Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services (Deaf CAMHS). The ToD or local specialist educational service
for deaf children may be able to advise on local services.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Anti-bullying policy
Deaf pupils are more vulnerable to bullying than hearing pupils. The University
of Cambridge comprehensive literature review, Responding to Bullying among
Children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, found that:
“Children with SEN [special educational needs] and/or disabilities have many
characteristics that may make them more vulnerable to bullying. However, social skills,
language and communication emerge as key issues in much of the bullying that affects
pupils with SEN and/or disabilities. Social behaviours are crucially important with
regard to peer victimisation since the ability to understand social behaviour and
to communicate effectively in social situations is central to social engagement. Language
and communication are key elements in the development of social competence, so even
subtle shifts in children’s responses within the peer group can make them vulnerable to
ostracism and teasing.”
Schools face a number of challenges in identifying, responding to and
preventing pupils with SEN and/or disabilities being bullied and victimised.
Staff can help prevent and deal with bullying by:

• giving the pupil time to give a full account of what happened. It’s important
to recognise that communication can be particularly difficult when children
are upset
• ensuring the pupil and their parents know the school’s anti-bullying policy
and understand related procedures
• ensuring the pupil understands the concept of and the different types of
bullying. For example, all pupils tease and are teased, but unacceptable
levels should be challenged and personal toleration levels should be
respected
• identifying a specific staff member for the deaf pupil to discuss worries and
concerns with
• regularly observing and monitoring the interaction between pupils and
being alert to signs of bullying.
This may include:
› asking to stay inside at break time
› becoming anxious near lunch and home time
› not taking part in class activities
• providing opportunities or individual sessions for the pupil to decide and
practise (for example, through role play) how to respond to bullying and
how to problem solve
• providing deaf awareness training for pupils and, when appropriate,
involving the deaf pupil in choosing the content.

80 www.ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk/helpline
 Supporting emotional health and wellbeing

 Our resource Protecting deaf children from bullying: For primary and
secondary schools has been produced for any education professional
working to support deaf pupils in primary and secondary schools.
It has guidance on how schools can adapt existing arrangements
to prevent bullying and for handling bullying incidents in order
to meet the needs of deaf pupils. You can order or download the
resource here on our website www.ndcs.org.uk/protecting.

Behaviour and discipline

In theory, there should be no difference between discipline approaches
used with deaf pupils and hearing pupils. However, the Equality Act 2010
requires schools to take reasonable steps to avoid treating disabled pupils less
favourably because of their disability. It’s important to remember that deaf
pupils can mishear or misunderstand instructions, which can be a reason for
not doing what they’re told.
Schools should strike a balance between making reasonable allowances for a
pupil’s deafness and communication difficulties, while holding deaf pupils to
the same behaviour standards as other pupils.
Challenging behaviour maybe caused by:

• frustrations about not being able to hear/understand what is going on

• concentration fatigue as deaf pupils can have a shorter attention span and
tire more quickly because they have to concentrate harder to hear
• being teased or bullied about their deafness.
Schools can support positive behaviours by:

• making sure the child understands rules and routines

• explaining and talking through changes to timetables and routines
• showing as well as explaining the rules and expectations and the
consequences of breaking them
• talking through difficult situations so the child understands what they have
done wrong. Deaf pupils’ understanding of emotions and other people’s
mental states may be less developed than their peers’, so it’s important that
they understand the reason for discipline.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Our webpage on deaf children’s wellbeing provides information,

resources and links to organisations that can support emotional
and mental health. www.ndcs.org.uk/wellbeing

An effective school will:


• promote and support the social and emotional development of
the deaf pupil

• promote and support pupil voice by encouraging deaf pupils

to feel positive about their deafness and identify what support
they require

• support all staff and peers to communicate appropriately and

effectively with the deaf child

• ensure that their anti-bullying policy considers and implements

strategies that support the needs of deaf pupils.

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 11 Quality improvement:
Classroom observation
and pupil feedback
Learning walks
Schools must make sure there is provision for all pupils with SEN and that
teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress of all pupils in their
class. Learning walks and classroom observations allow managers to assess
how well interventions and support strategies for pupils with additional needs
are working.
This checklist will help managers assess the extent to which deaf pupils are
engaged in teaching and learning during lesson observation.

Quality improvement checklist for school managers8

You can find all templates in chapter 13.

The teacher Observations and

recommendations

Is the teacher aware of the pupil’s level of deafness

and implications for accessing learning?

Has the teacher checked with the pupil that their

hearing technology is being worn, is switched on
and is working?

Does the teacher know how to use a radio aid if a

pupil needs one?

Has the teacher taken steps to minimise

background noise?

Is the teacher’s language matched to the pupil’s needs?

To what extent is the teacher repeating/reinforcing key
points and checking understanding?

8. This checklist is based on a pro forma designed by Helen Bate from Derbyshire
local authority.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Is the pupil seated in a position where they can hear

and see the teacher for lip reading but can also identify
other speakers in the classroom/see the CSW to
follow BSL delivery?

Has the teacher used multisensory approaches (for

example, visual clues) to help the pupil access learning?

Has the teacher enabled the pupil to follow classroom

discussion by identifying speakers and repeating
contributions and questions from others?

Is the teacher using clear speech patterns and standing

or sitting in a position where the pupil can see her/him
for lip-reading?

Is the teacher using good whiteboard practice, such as

listing lesson objectives and new vocabulary?

The support staff Observations and

recommendations

Are support staff demonstrating that they:

• are working under the guidance of the teacher and

are fully familiar with the lesson plan and learning
objectives?

• have sufficient knowledge of the subject being

taught to be able to support the pupil with any pre-
lesson preparation (introducing new concepts
and vocabulary) or post-tutoring (to check full
understanding)?

• are aware of their role in:

› implementing strategies and approaches to
ensure access to teaching and learning?
› helping the pupil achieve the learning objectives
and targets (including any pre- or post-tutoring,
communication support)?
› (if they’re used as notetakers) are taking
sufficiently full and accurate lesson notes?

• are providing the appropriate level of support to

promote independent learning with a particular
focus on helping the pupil develop understanding
rather than just focusing on completing tasks?

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 Quality improvement: Classroom observation and pupil feedback

• can help ensure hearing technology is functioning

properly and know what to do if there is a
problem?

• have the relevant qualification in BSL if the pupil

needs sign support to access what is being said
during the lesson?

• are fully aware of the specific needs of deaf pupils

(type, degree of deafness, residual hearing, level of
language)?

• have discussed support needs with the teacher and

pupil?

Observed behaviour in the pupil Observations and

recommendations

Is the pupil:

• able to follow what the teacher is saying?

• engaged and active in learning?

• confident and able to identify their own needs and

strategies to support access to learning?

• making effective use of hearing technologies and

knows what to do if there are problems?

• able to interact/communicate with adults and ask

questions?

• able to interact/communicate with peers?

• confident after the lesson that they have achieved the

learning objectives?

• engaged with the learning task?

This checklist is based on a pro forma designed by Helen Bate from Derbyshire
local authority.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Specialist hearing support services should be operating to

quality standards set out by the National Sensory Impairment
Partnership (NatSIP). The Quality Improvement Support pack is
available at: www.natsip.org.uk/doc-library-login/quality-
improvement-for-services.

Local area SEND inspections

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission jointly inspect local areas to see how
well they fulfil their responsibilities for children and young people with special
educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Specifically inspectors will look
for evidence of how children and young people with special educational needs
or disabilities (or both) are identified, how their needs are assessed and met,
and how they’re supported to move on to their next stage of education, the
world of work and wider preparation for adulthood. More information on local
area SEND inspections is available at www.ndcs.org.uk/ofsted.

Pupil feedback
Getting pupils’ views is part of a school’s quality assurance system. The
following approach was developed by the Sensory Impairment Service in
Oxfordshire. The questionnaire is usually used annually with children and
young people. It may be used more frequently when there are concerns about
social inclusion.
The questionnaire is intentionally simple so children and young people
can access and answer the questions independently. The questions tend
to stimulate more in-depth discussions and this helps to identify areas of
difficulty and possible intervention strategies. The percentage score provides
a statistical measure (if appropriate) to demonstrate the effectiveness of
interventions and improved outcomes. You can find a blank template in
Chapter 13.

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 Quality improvement: Classroom observation and pupil feedback

Example: Pupil feedback form9

Recording and monitoring outcomes: Oxfordshire’s questionnaire
How’s it going?

Point score 10 7 4 0
Most of Some of
I enjoy school Always Never
the time the time
Most of Some of
I feel safe at school Always Never
the time the time
Most of Some of
I do well at school Always Never
the time the time
I am able to take
Most of Some of
part in activities that Always Never
the time the time
other children do
Most of Some of
I feel I have friends Always Never
the time the time
I enjoy breaks Most of Some of
Always Never
and lunchtimes the time the time
I feel comfortable
Most of Some of
when there is pair Always Never
the time the time
or group work
I can talk to an adult
Most of Some of
if I am worried Always Never
the time the time
about something
My teachers
Most of Some of
understand what I need Always Never
the time the time
and do things to help
My support workers
Most of Some of
understand what I need Always Never
the time the time
and do things to help

At school I enjoy...

At school I don’t enjoy...

Other things that

would help me are…
Total point score/
percentage:

9. Reproduced with the kind permission of the National Sensory Impairment Partnership
(NatSIP) from its publication SEN Support and Outreach Services: Case studies to illustrate how
different services are seeking to meet the quality standards (2012).

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

 ur webpage on creating good listening conditions for learning in

O
education includes a survey which you can use to find out pupils’
opinions on listening in the classroom. www.ndcs.org.uk/acoustics

An effective school will:

• support quality improvement to ensure that education provision

for deaf pupils is of high quality

• actively seek feedback from deaf children to inform and improve

the provision available

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 12 Moving on to
secondary school
Moving from primary to secondary school is an exciting and challenging time.
For deaf children, like their hearing peers, their reaction to change will depend
on many factors including personality, experience of change, family support
and preparation for the event.
Other factors to consider include:

• the acoustic environment of a larger school combined with having to

change classrooms a lot
• more teaching staff, with varying teaching and communication styles
• varying deaf awareness levels amongst staff and pupils
• more demanding curriculum content and subject specific vocabulary
• exposure to new terminology and acronyms such as MFL and PSHE
• new and different relationships with school staff and peers
• differing expectations of behaviour and independence.
It’s important that both schools work with parents, the pupil and the ToD to
develop a transfer plan that helps overcome these potential challenges and
ensures a successful start.

Advance preparation
Preparing to transfer should begin up to a year prior to the pupil transferring
to the new school.
This allows for:

• the pupil and their family to be fully involved in the process and to raise any
concerns and identify aspirations
• an acoustic audit and any resulting physical changes to the new school
• identification and acquisition of any necessary hearing technology
• training on equipment, deaf awareness, learning and communication
• planning for resourcing, for example, the employment of a CSW.

The transfer (transition) plan

Preparation of the transfer plan will involve the pupil, their parents, primary
teacher, TA or SENCO and an identified member of staff from the receiving
secondary school. The plan will identify the needs, and aspirations of the pupil
and their family and include timescales and a nominated person for each
identified action.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Specialist teaching staff and other professionals involved with the pupil should
help with preparing and carrying out the plan.
A good transfer plan will:

• be prepared well in advance of the pupil starting, to give time for the
support arrangements to be put in place
• identify the member of staff responsible for preparing the plan and
coordinating its implementation
• record and respond to the pupil’s and their parents’, aspirations and goals
• be based on a thorough analysis of the pupil’s needs and strengths including
information from specialist assessments where necessary (a checklist for
collecting relevant information follows)
• identify who in the school is responsible for each identified action
• clearly state the timescale for delivery
• identify how to best support the pupil and their family.
Any new skills or support the pupil needs should be identified. A structured
programme should be delivered to ensure they have the tools to succeed
within the new secondary school.
These could include:

• making links with other deaf pupils who are transferring to secondary
schools. The ToD may be able to support you with this
• finding out whether there are other deaf pupils in the same year group at
the school
• allowing time to role play new and unfamiliar social interactions, such as
asking for help, meeting new friends or raising concerns
• completing a personal passport or profile. Examples can be found at:
www.ndcs.org.uk/resources
• providing copies of school maps, timetables, key staff and photos
• opportunities for the deaf child and their parents to visit the new secondary
school and become familiar with key members of staff
• teaching vocabulary associated with the new school. This could include
the names of places within the school grounds, titles of staff (for example
matron, head of year and pastoral leader), and new subject areas.

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 Moving on to secondary school

 here is guidance on our website on starting secondary

T
school which provides ideas about how parents can help their
child prepare for the move from primary to secondary and
get the most out of school. You can find it online here
www.ndcs.org.uk/preparingforsecondary

Ensuring a smooth transition from primary to secondary school

Familiarisation or taster days should be carefully planned to make sure the deaf
pupil can take part fully in activities and get to know key members of staff. The
school should also be prepared to offer additional visits to the deaf pupil if they
would like it.
Careful consideration should be given to which form or class the deaf pupil
is placed in. The school should take advice from the primary school staff and
consider current friendship groups and fellow pupils transferring to the same
school as the deaf child. At the start of term, deaf awareness training for pupils
in their form and year group would be helpful.
Deaf awareness training for staff should take place prior to the start of the
academic year so that the deaf pupil will feel confident in the support provided
from the first day at the new school.
Procedures relating to the provision, location and use of specialist hearing
technology and improvements to acoustics should be in place before the deaf
pupil transfers to the new setting. A key member of staff should have been
given this responsibility.
Meetings and ongoing liaison with key members of staff from the primary
school, for example, the class teacher, SENCO and TAs, should be scheduled
during the transition phase ensure the smooth transfer of working knowledge
about the pupil to the new team in the secondary school.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Example checklist for collecting information to support the transfer

from primary school
You can find a blank copy of this template in Chapter 13.

Primary to secondary school move

Information to support a successful transition

Pupil name:
Primary school:
Primary school contact:
Parents:
Teacher of the Deaf:

Hearing loss and hearing technology

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

Degree and nature What needs to be done to improve access
of deafness: to sound, for example, providing radio aids,
Un-aided hearing level: improving acoustics, using soundfield systems?

Aided hearing level: When does the pupil use their technology and
how well do they use it?
Listening ability in
different environments What needs to be done to ensure optimum
(for example, class, use of hearing technologies? For example,
workshops, halls): daily checks by staff of battery, tubing, etc,
developing the pupil’s skills in managing their
What sounds/words own technology?
are difficult to hear:
What are the health and safety implications,
Personal hearing for example, fire drills, giving instructions in
technology used: workshops where machinery is used?

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 Moving on to secondary school

Communication

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

Preferred way of What needs to be done in class to support access
communicating in to teaching and learning? For example:
different locations
and situations (class, • seating position to allow for lip-reading
home, friends): • using radio aids
Competence in • ensuring good acoustics
preferred way of
communicating:
• using a soundfield system

Lip-reading ability:
• advice/training for the teachers
• providing deaf pupils who use BSL with
CSWs with Level 3 qualification
• promoting communication and social
interaction with other pupils.

Language

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

Levels of language How does this compare with hearing pupils?
understanding:
What are the implications for learning? For
Level of expressive example, do they need more processing time?
language:
If a gap exists, what targets should be set to
Vocabulary level: close the gap and what support/interventions
are required to achieve them?
Reading level:
What are the implications for teaching?
Writing level:
Social interaction and
use of language:

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Cognition

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

Non-verbal cognitive What needs to be done to address any other
skills to: underlying difficulties the pupil may be
experiencing?
a) e
 nsure teachers
have high
expectations:
b) check whether or
not there are other
underlying learning
difficulties:

Progress in learning
Curricular and extra curricular

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

Progress in different Is more support required in particular areas?
curricular and What targets need to be set?
extracurricular areas.
Are there particular
strengths? Are there
particular difficulties?

Social and emotional aspects

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

Level of social If levels are low how can they be increased?
interaction in class/ Do other pupils need deaf awareness training
school friendship groups: and information on how to communicate?
Knowledge and Would the pupil benefit from meeting other
understanding of their deaf pupils?
hearing loss:
Is the pupil able to self-advocate?
Ability to manage their
learning needs:

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 Moving on to secondary school

Pupil’s views

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

What are the pupil’s What information and opportunities are
hopes, aspirations and needed to help with the transfer?
concerns about moving
to a new school?
What information and
help do they think they
need to help with the
move to a new school?

Parents’ views

Information required Actions

In this section record: In this section record:

What are the parent’s What information and opportunities are
hopes, aspirations and needed to help with the transition?
concerns about their child
moving to a new school?
What information
and help do they think
they need to support
their child’s move to
a new school?

Other considerations

Information required Actions

In this section record:

Any other
considerations, for
example:

• any other difficulties

or medication
conditions
• attendance issues
• behaviour issues

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

An effective school will:

• recognise and plan for the additional challenges that deaf pupils
may face in transferring to secondary school

• share information with the secondary school well in advance of

the transfer

• develop a transfer plan that identifies a lead member of staff

responsible for ensuring that the move is successful for the
deaf pupil

• ensure the support provided meets the deaf pupil’s needs and
aspirations

• ensure that the deaf child and their family are fully involved in the
transfer process.

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 13 Templates
Example checklist for collecting information to support the move from
the early years setting

Transfer to primary school

Pupil name:
Early years setting:
Early years setting contact:
Parents:
Teacher of the Deaf:
Teacher in charge of coordinating plan:

Hearing and personal technology

Information required Actions

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Communication

Information required Actions

Language

Information required Actions

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 Templates

Cognition

Information required Actions

Progress in curricular areas

Information required Actions

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Social and emotional aspects

Information required Actions

Pupil’s views

Information required Actions

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 Templates

Parents’ views

Information required Actions

Other considerations

Information required Actions

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Example checklist for collecting information to support the transfer

from primary school
You can find a blank copy of this template in Chapter 13.

Primary to secondary school move

Information to support a successful transition

Pupil name:
Primary school:
Primary school contact:
Parents:
Teacher of the Deaf:

Hearing loss and hearing technology

Information required Actions

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 Templates

Communication

Information required Actions

Language

Information required Actions

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Cognition

Information required Actions

Progress in learning
Curricular and extra curricular

Information required Actions

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 Templates

Social and emotional aspects

Information required Actions

Pupil’s views

Information required Actions

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Parents’ views

Information required Actions

Other considerations

Information required Actions

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 Templates

Template information sheet for sharing information with school staff

General information
Pupil:
Year:

Photo Teacher:
SENCO:

Hearing loss and hearing technology

Communication

Learning and access

Remember

Teaching strategies

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Template information sheet for notes to staff

Hearing loss and hearing technology

[Name of pupil]:

[Name of pupil] can: Support for [Name of pupil]:

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 Templates

Template for high quality teaching checklist

Adaptations and Strategies Observations

Seat pupils so they’re able to

see you and their peers.
Hearing technologies don’t work well
at a distance; make sure the pupil is
within two metres of the speaker.
Make sure you have the pupil’s attention
before giving out important information.

Minimise background noise.

Slow speech a little, but keep natural
fluency. Don’t exaggerate your speech.
Use rich and varied language but
repeat and clarify when necessary.
Make sure you’re confident using and
managing the pupil's hearing technology.
Allow extra thinking and talking time.
Model and teach active listening
along with signals when careful
listening is required.
Don't stand in front of a
window or light source.
Repeat comments and questions
from other children as their voices
may be softer and speech unclear.
Encourage peers to signal
when they’re about to talk.
Check that oral information/
instructions have been understood.
Face the pupil when speaking, they may
wish to/need to use your lip patterns.

Don’t cover your mouth when speaking.

Write key words on board to focus
introduction and conclusion.
Divide listening time into short chunks.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Template for quality improvement checklist for school managers

The teacher Observations and

recommendations

Is the teacher aware of the pupil’s level of deafness

and implications for accessing learning?

Has the teacher checked with the pupil that their

hearing technology is being worn, is switched on
and is working?

Does the teacher know how to use a radio aid if a

pupil needs one?

Has the teacher taken steps to minimise

background noise?

Is the teacher’s language matched to the pupil’s needs?

To what extent is the teacher repeating/reinforcing key
points and checking understanding?

Is the pupil seated in a position where they can hear

and see the teacher for lip reading but can also identify
other speakers in the classroom/see the CSW to
follow BSL delivery?

Has the teacher used multisensory approaches (for

example, visual clues) to help the pupil access learning?

Has the teacher enabled the pupil to follow classroom

discussion by identifying speakers and repeating
contributions and questions from others?

Is the teacher using clear speech patterns and standing

or sitting in a position where the pupil can see her/him
for lip-reading?

Is the teacher using good whiteboard practice, such as

listing lesson objectives and new vocabulary?

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 Templates

The support staff Observations and

recommendations

Are support staff demonstrating that they:

• are working under the guidance of the teacher and

are fully familiar with the lesson plan and learning
objectives?

• have sufficient knowledge of the subject being

taught to be able to support the pupil with any pre-
lesson preparation (introducing new concepts
and vocabulary) or post-tutoring (to check full
understanding)?

• are aware of their role in:

› implementing strategies and approaches to
ensure access to teaching and learning?
› helping the pupil achieve the learning objectives
and targets (including any pre- or post-tutoring,
communication support)?
› (if they’re used as notetakers) are taking
sufficiently full and accurate lesson notes?

• are providing the appropriate level of support to

promote independent learning with a particular
focus on helping the pupil develop understanding
rather than just focusing on completing tasks?

• can help ensure hearing technology is functioning

properly and know what to do if there is a
problem?

• have the relevant qualification in BSL if the pupil

needs sign support to access what is being said
during the lesson?

• are fully aware of the specific needs of deaf pupils

(type, degree of deafness, residual hearing, level of
language)?

• have discussed support needs with the teacher and

pupil?

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Observed behaviour in the pupil Observations and

recommendations

Is the pupil:

• able to follow what the teacher is saying?

• engaged and active in learning?

• confident and able to identify their own needs and

strategies to support access to learning?

• making effective use of hearing technologies and

knows what to do if there are problems?

• able to interact/communicate with adults and ask

questions?

• able to interact/communicate with peers?

• confident after the lesson that they have achieved the

learning objectives?

• engaged with the learning task?

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 Templates

Example: Pupil feedback form

How’s it going?

Point score 10 7 4 0
Most of Some of
I enjoy school Always Never
the time the time
Most of Some of
I feel safe at school Always Never
the time the time
Most of Some of
I do well at school Always Never
the time the time
I am able to take
Most of Some of
part in activities that Always Never
the time the time
other children do
Most of Some of
I feel I have friends Always Never
the time the time
I enjoy breaks Most of Some of
Always Never
and lunchtimes the time the time
I feel comfortable
Most of Some of
when there is pair Always Never
the time the time
or group work
I can talk to an adult
Most of Some of
if I am worried Always Never
the time the time
about something
My teachers
Most of Some of
understand what I need Always Never
the time the time
and do things to help
My support workers
Most of Some of
understand what I need Always Never
the time the time
and do things to help

At school I enjoy...

At school I don’t enjoy...

Other things that

would help me are…

Total point score/

percentage:

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

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 14 Appendices

Appendix 1: 'Assess, plan, do,

review' overview
Effective provision for any deaf child will involve:

• a thorough assessment of the child’s needs and strengths

• a plan setting out how the setting will meet those needs and overcome any
barriers to the pupil making good progress
• carrying out the plan effectively
• regular reviews of the pupil’s progress and the success of the plan to
establish whether changes need to be made and what these are.

In England, this ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle has been incorporated into
statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of
Practice (2015).
Deafness isn’t a learning disability, and with the right support, there’s no
reason why a deaf child can’t achieve as much as a hearing child. Having high
expectations of deaf children and young people is vital.
How to follow this approach is set out below.

Assessing what support is needed

A good assessment will enable the school to identify potential barriers to
progress and the support that is needed to overcome these. An accurate and
thorough understanding of a pupil’s needs and strengths underpins good
planning and progress. A good assessment will include:

• the child, young person’s or their families’ self-evaluation of any

support requirements
• information on the child’s or young person’s levels of progress
and attainment
• parents’ views about appropriate provision
• the involvement of specialists such as a Teacher of the Deaf (ToD)
• the use of specialist assessments
• the need for access to technology and communication support
• consideration of support needed to meet any specific
subject requirements.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Deafness will impact on a range of factors that contribute to a pupil’s ability to

learn including:

• listening skills
• attention and concentration
• language development
• literacy skills
• working memory
• auditory memory
• processing time
• incidental learning
• social skills
• self-esteem
• learning style.


It’s likely that assessments will focus on these areas. Further advice
on specialist assessments can be found in Chapter 9 and in our
resource Assessments of Deaf Children and Young People, available at
www.ndcs.org.uk/assessments.

Planning the right support

You should develop plans with the child or young person, parents and Teacher
of the Deaf, and should consider:

• long term outcomes for the child or young person agreed by them and their
family
• short term targets needed to achieve those outcomes
• the provision and adjustments required to achieve those outcomes and
targets, meet the student’s needs and overcome any barriers to accessing
teaching and learning
• arrangements for monitoring and reviewing.
The challenges presented by a hearing loss mean that for many deaf children
and young people their plan is likely to include:

• targets related to the development of language, communication, literacy,

confidence and social skills and the support and interventions needed to
achieve the targets
• the use and maintenance of hearing technology
• communication support

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 Appendix 1: 'Assess, plan, do, review' overview

• how teaching and learning will take place in a good listening environment
• access arrangements for assessments and exams
• access to support from specialist staff such as Teachers of the Deaf,
teaching assistants and communication support workers
• pre- and post-lecture tutoring
• high or first quality teaching to make sure deaf pupils are able to learn
• strategies to ensure the deaf pupil is fully included in the school community
• details of who is responsible for the overall coordination of the plan,
delivering key aspects of the provision and organising regular reviews.

You can find a checklist to support assessment and planning for the future in
Chapter 12.

Implement or do: Putting the provision in place

A child or young person’s plan should set out who is responsible for the
overall coordination and implementation of any plan. This would usually
be the SENCO with support from the Teacher of the Deaf. They will have
responsibility for the following.

• Making sure all staff involved in teaching and supporting the deaf child have
information, advice, guidance and training on how to support a deaf pupil
and make sure they can access teaching and learning.
• Ensuring the child or young person’s progress is monitored.
• Getting feedback from the child or young person on what is going well and
what isn’t.
• Making sure support and provision is in place (for example, employing
qualified communication support staff, using hearing technology
and making adjustments to teaching spaces to improve the listening
conditions).
• Ensuring teachers and teaching assistants implement interventions and
strategies agreed as part of the support.
• Your school should also make sure that all necessary modifications
and adaptations are in place so that the deaf pupil has equal access to
assessments and exams. More information on access arrangements can be
found in Chapter 9.

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Keeping the support and its impact under review

A school should regularly review and evaluate how effective support is, and the
impact it has on a pupil’s progress. The school will have systems and processes
for this. Key areas related to the pupil’s deafness include the following.

• Levels of progress in areas of language and communication.

• Levels of overall progress and whether any gaps with other pupils are
widening or narrowing.
• Whether subject content is accessible. For example, checking if the
pupil is able to understand the language and concepts used in lessons or
establishing where and when the pupil may experience most difficulty in
hearing what is said.
• The effectiveness of communication support. For example, is the
communication support worker able to interpret accurately and fluently
what the teacher is saying?
• The effectiveness of technology.
• Any changes to the pupil’s level of hearing.
• The pupil’s success in communicating with others, socialising and forming
friendships.
Where the pupil isn’t making expected progress, specialist assessments,
particularly in language and communication may be helpful in identifying the
source of difficulties and revising the plan and support strategies. Don’t assume
that the problem lies with the pupil. A Teacher of the Deaf can give advice on this.
Schools should also review the general effectiveness of provision for deaf
pupils. This may include looking at, for example, the listening environments in
the school and whether staff need additional training and support. In Chapter
11 we give some guidelines for how school leaders can do this.

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 Appendix 1: 'Assess, plan, do, review' overview

An effective school will:

• make sure the assessment of a deaf pupil’s needs is based on

accurate information about their prior attainment, reflects the
type and level of their hearing loss and its effect on their learning,
and identifies key barriers to making progress

• seek pupils’ and parents’ views on the successes as well as

barriers they are experiencing and the strategies and support
that will benefit them

• consider the implications of a pupil’s deafness when planning

how to meet their needs. This will include recognition that good
speech may mask underlying linguistic difficulties and problems
of accessing what is being said during teaching

• make sure that the necessary support is given, whether this is

through modification of teaching strategies, meeting language
and communication needs, using technology, staff training,
improving the listening environment and meeting the pupil’s
social and emotional needs

• review the effectiveness of their provision for the deaf pupil,

monitoring the extent to which the pupil is achieving the
expected outcomes.
Your school should carry out these steps with support from
a Teacher of the Deaf.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Appendix 2: Types and levels

of deafness
Types of deafness
Conductive deafness is when sound can’t pass efficiently through the outer
and middle ear to the cochlea and auditory nerve. There are several possible
causes, including impacted wax (when wax hardens deep in the ear canal),
an ear infection and underdevelopment of the outer ear, ear canal or middle
ear. The most common type of conductive deafness in children is caused
by glue ear – a build-up of fluid in the middle ear. This hearing loss can be
temporary or permanent.
Sensorineural (or nerve) deafness is when there’s a problem in the inner
ear (most often because the hair cells in the cochlea are not working
properly) or auditory nerve. Sensorineural deafness is permanent.
Mixed deafness is when there’s a combination of sensorineural and
conductive deafness, such as when a child has glue ear and a permanent
sensorineural deafness.
Congenital and acquired deafness
Congenital deafness refers to children who are born deaf. Other children
acquire deafness due to illness, accident or a late onset genetic condition

Levels of deafness
Deafness is measured in two ways:

• how loud the sound has to be so that the child can hear it. This is measured
in decibels (dB)
• which frequencies (pitch) the child can or can’t hear, measured
in hertz (Hz).
Each child’s deafness is different depending on which frequencies are affected
and how loud a sound has to be before they can hear.
Few children are totally deaf. Most children can hear some sounds at certain
pitches and volumes, known as their ‘residual hearing’. There are different
levels of deafness classified as follows.

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 Appendix 2: Types and levels of deafness

Mild hearing loss

Many young people with a mild hearing loss do not use hearing technologies
such as hearing aids, but a mild loss can still have a significant impact on
education.

• Pupils may not hear if there is background noise or if they are far away from
the speaker.
• Pupils would not be able to follow a whispered conversation.


To find out more about the impact of a mild hearing loss on
children’s ability to learn download our resource Mild Hearing Loss:
Information for Professionals at www.ndcs.org.uk/mildhearingloss.

Moderate hearing loss

Most pupils with a moderate hearing loss will use hearing aids.

• Without hearing aids a pupil will not be able to follow a whole conversation
unless they are in a quiet room with a good view of the speaker’s face.
• Even with their hearing aids, pupils will find it extremely difficult to follow a
conversation in a large group, if there is background noise or if they are far
away from the speaker.

Severe hearing loss

Most pupils with a severe hearing loss will use hearing aids or cochlear
implants.

• A pupil will be unable to hear speech without hearing aids or a cochlear

implant but may be able to hear loud sounds such as a dog barking or a
drum.
• With hearing aids or a cochlear implant most pupils will be able to follow a
conversation in a quiet room provided that the speaker is within 2–3m of
them.
• A pupil is likely to require additional communication support, for example,
sign support or lip-reading, to understand speech in the presence of any
background noise or in a group conversation.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

5 Audiograms
Profound hearing loss
Most profoundly deaf pupils will use a cochlear implant or hearing aids.

•
Some ofWithout
as an audiogram.
a cochlear
your child’s
It
test resultsimplant
shows you how loud a
or hearing
will be written
sound has to
aidslike
on a chart
be,
a pupil
and
the one
at
will
what
not known
below, be able to hear
frequency,
speech or other sounds. They may be able to feel very loud sounds such as a
before your child
lorry can hear
passing it. Your
them child’s
in the test results may be plotted on one chart (as
street.
below) or two charts, side by side, for each ear separately. Crosses always indicate
• Without
results for a cochlear
the left ear, and circles implant or hearing
for the right ear. Youraids
childthe
maypupil is likely
be deaf in one to
earuse a sign-
based
(unilateral language
deafness) or bothtoears
communicate directly
(bilateral deafness). with
If your another
child is deaf person.
in both
ears, the deafness may be similar in both ears (symmetrical deafness) or different in
•
each earWith cochleardeafness).
(asymmetrical implants or hearing aids the pupil may require additional
communication support (for example through sign language or cued
Your child’s deafness may also be described as high frequency or low frequency,
measuredspeech)
in hertz to access
(Hz). speech,think
We commonly especially where
of frequency there
as the pitchisofbackground
a sound. A noise or in a
group conversation.
piano keyboard runs from low-pitch on the left to high-pitch sounds on the right and
the Some
audiogram is the
pupils same.
may have problems with the inner ear – an absence or
malformation
There of the
are different levels cochlearThese
of deafness. or auditory nerve. This
can be described will mean
as a decibel (dB) they will have
no access
hearing to loud
level (how sound at allhas
a sound andtohearing aids
be for your orto
child cochlear
hear it) orimplants
describedwould
using offer no
terms such as ‘mild’, ‘moderate’, ‘severe’ or ‘profound’. The very quietest
benefit. They will use sign language as their main means of communication. sounds are
at the top of the chart, getting louder as you look down the page.

Visual
Visual representation
representation of the loudness
of the loudness and pitchand
of apitch
rangeof
of a range of
everyday everyday sounds
sounds
Frequency in Hertz (Hz)
Low PITCH High

125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000

Soft -10
Levels
Levels of
of sounds
0
deafness:
F

deafness:
10 F

Mild
O R R Y

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F

20 F
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f sth
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Hearing level in decibels (dB)

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70 db
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71
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O R R Y

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O R R Y

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110 L O R R Y

O R R Y

BAND

120

This diagram is based on British Society of Audiology definitions of hearing loss.

10 The National Deaf Children’s Society Understanding your Child’s Hearing Tests
The Teacher of the Deaf will be able to explain the deaf child’s level of hearing
by using an audiogram, similar to the one above. An audiogram is a chart used
by an audiologist to record the results of the hearing assessment and is a visual
representation of the child’s hearing.

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 Appendix 2: Types and levels of deafness

Unilateral deafness
There may be little or no hearing in one ear, but normal levels of hearing in the other.
The pupil will be unable to localise sound and follow group conversations and
will find it difficult to understand speech in the presence of background noise.

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD)

ANSD occurs when sounds are received normally by the cochlea, but
become disrupted as they travel to the brain. Pupils with ANSD are likely to
have greater difficulty understanding speech and distinguishing one sound
from another than a pupil with a similar level of hearing, especially when
there is background noise. They may have a similar experience to someone
using a mobile phone when the reception is poor and the sounds they hear
are distorted. ANSD is usually bilateral (affecting both ears) but can also be
unilateral (affecting one ear only).
Some pupils with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder will use hearing aids
or cochlear implants; others will not find them beneficial.

Deaf culture
Less than 10% of deaf young people have deaf parents. These families often use
British Sign Language (BSL)10 as their first language. Other families may also
choose to use BSL as a first language with their family members.
These families, and indeed many other deaf young people and adults,
consider deafness as a culture. In their community they use sign language
to communicate and function effectively with each other. They describe
themselves as ‘Deaf ’with a capital D. British Sign Language is the language of
the Deaf community.

10. Where the deaf pupil lives in Northern Ireland, Irish Sign Language may be used.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Appendix 3: Personal
hearing technology
Below is an overview of the types of hearing technology you may come
across, how they work and their limitations. It’s important to note that hearing
technologies don’t replace normal hearing.

Hearing aids
A hearing aid amplifies sound and is worn in or behind the ear. It has three basic
parts: a microphone, amplifier and speaker. Modern digital hearing aids can be
programmed very closely to match the wearer’s hearing loss and often have
multiple programmes for wearing in different listening environments.
Hearing aids are designed to maximise the hearing the wearer has (known
as their residual hearing). If the student has no measurable hearing at certain
frequencies, especially the higher frequencies such as ‘ss’ and ‘th’ then a hearing
aid will not improve this.
Deaf pupils use different types of hearing technologies supplied by the NHS,
such as hearing aids, bone-conduction hearing implants or cochlear implants.
More information about the technology that deaf children may use can be
found in Appendix 4.
Hearing aids are programmed to help the wearer hear speech, but they amplify
all sounds, including background noise, so a deaf pupil wearing aids may still
find it hard to hear speech. This may be especially challenging for them in group
situations, in a noisy playground or open-plan break out space. A deaf pupil may
have problems hearing in a classroom, gym or dining hall with wooden floors as
sounds ‘bounce’ off hard surfaces making it harder to identify different voices.

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 Appendix 3: Personal hearing technology


For more information on hearing aids see our resource
Hearing Aids: Information for families at www.ndcs.org.uk/
hearingaidsguide.

Cochlear implants
This is a surgically implanted hearing device for severely and profoundly deaf
children when hearing aids are not powerful enough for them to hear the entire
speech range. A cochlear implant works by stimulating the auditory nerves and
bypassing the damaged nerve cells within the cochlea.


More information on cochlear implants can be found in
our resource, Cochlear Implants: A guide for families, or at
www.ndcs.org.uk/cochlearimplants.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Bone conduction hearing implants

A bone conduction hearing implant is designed for people who have a
functioning cochlea but the middle or outer part of the ear prevents the
information reaching the cochlea in the usual way. Occasionally older children
may wear the sound processor worn on a soft headband (for example when
they are trialing a device prior to surgery, or if they aren’t able to have surgery
for some reason). This allows sound waves to be transmitted directly to the
cochlea in the inner ear.


More information on bone conduction hearing devices can be found
at www.ndcs.org.uk/boneconduction.

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 Appendix 3: Personal hearing technology

Radio aids
A radio aid carries the teacher’s voice directly to the pupil’s receiver attached
to their hearing aid, bone conduction hearing implant or processor, or cochlear
implant. It reduces some of the problems presented by distance from the
teacher and background noise. The microphone/transmitter is worn by the
teacher and the receiver is worn by the pupil and attached to their hearing
technology. Some radio aids can be used by pupils without personal hearing
technology by wearing an earpiece receiver. This may be particularly useful
for pupils with unilateral deafness who wear the earpiece in their good ear.
Most pupils will have their hearing technology programmed to allow them
to hear from both the radio aid and their surroundings. This means they can
hear other pupils as well as the teacher. However, it’s possible to programme
their hearing technology to only hear the radio aid. Some radio aids have
a microphone function which switches from an individual talker to a small
group interaction mode, based on the orientation of the device. This is
particularly useful for group work. Otherwise the microphone can be passed
to pupils speaking in group work or class discussion to aid clarity. The radio
aid transmitter/microphone can also be connected to equipment such as
televisions or computers, via an audio lead to assist clarity.


For further information see our resource How Radio Aids Can
Help at www.ndcs.org.uk/radioaids or visit our web page:
www.ndcs.org.uk/schooltechnology.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Soundfield systems
Soundfield systems rely on a radio or wireless microphone worn by the
teacher and loudspeakers, which are placed around the room. They project the
teacher’s voice at a consistent level around the classroom. These systems can
improve the listening conditions for all pupils.
Portable systems are available that can be moved between learning spaces as
required. Some systems can link with other hearing technology such as a radio
aid, or classroom equipment such as smartboards.
A pupil may need to use radio aids alongside the soundfield system and both
can be set up to work side by side.

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 Appendix 4:
Communication options
The information below is a summary of the different communication options
for deaf children. It’s important to respect the deaf pupil’s preferred means of
communication.

Spoken language
Nearly all (more than 90%) of deaf children are from hearing families with no
first-hand experience of deafness which means that most deaf children are
brought up with a spoken language as their first language.
Not all deaf children who use spoken language will have English as their home
language. The Consortium for Research in Deaf Education (CRIDE) reported
that in 2019 14% of deaf children across the UK are EAL learners. In some areas
this figure was much higher.11
It’s important to remember that whichever language is used in the home, the
child could still experience a significant delay. In many cases, spoken language
will be supported by signing and lip-reading.

British Sign Language

British Sign Language (BSL) is a visual language that uses hand shapes, facial
expressions, gestures, body language and fingerspelling. It has a structure and
grammar different from that of written and spoken English. Some deaf children
will have BSL as their first language or preferred language but may also speak
English as a second language. Deaf children brought up by deaf parents, who
have BSL as a first language, will often start school with age-appropriate or near
age-appropriate language in BSL.
Some deaf pupils in Northern Ireland may use Irish Sign Language instead.

Sign Supported English

Some deaf children’s spoken English may be supported with signs taken from
BSL. When signs are used to support spoken English in this way it’s known as
Sign Supported English (SSE). It can be a way of making spoken English more
visual and is used to add clarity to what is being said, for example, in situations
where they may struggle with background noise or if they are too distant from
the speaker.

11.Consortium for Research into Deaf Education (CRIDE). Educational Provision for Deaf
Children in England (2017). www.ndcs.org.uk/CRIDE (accessed 28 March 2019).

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

Lip-reading
Lip-reading has an important role in helping children access spoken language.
Not every speech sound or word can be seen on the lips but lip patterns of
spoken words can help the deaf child identify what is being said, supporting
the interpretation of the speech sounds that they hear. Lip-reading is a learned
skill and evidence suggests that this skill is influenced by cognitive ability, good
language and vocabulary knowledge, good reading skills, normal eyesight
and good verbal short-term memory. On its own lip-reading has a number of
limitations but it’s a natural support to understanding spoken communication
and can be especially helpful to the deaf child.

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 Appendix 4: Communication options

Cued speech
Cued speech is a lip-reading tool that enables access to language visually. It
uses eight hand shapes in four different positions and accompanies natural
speech. Whereas some sounds can’t be fully lip-read (for example, ‘p’, ‘m’ and
‘b’ all look the same on the lips and sounds like ‘k’ and ‘g’ can’t be seen at all), the
cues make it clear exactly what sound is used so that the deaf child may see the
sound in each word as it’s spoken in real time. This enables the child to develop
a mental model of the spoken language regardless of whether they have any
hearing or not.

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

About the National Sensory

Impairment Partnership
(NatSIP)
The National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) is a partnership of
organisations working together to improve outcomes for children and young
people with sensory impairment (SI). The agreed purpose of NatSIP is to:

• improve educational outcomes for children and young people with sensory
impairment, closing the gap with their peers, through joint working with all
who have an interest in the success of these young people
• help children achieve more, and fulfil the potential of children and young
people who have SI
• promote a national model for the benchmarking of clear progress and
impact criteria for children and young people who have SI
• support a well-trained SI workforce responsive to the Government agenda
for education
• inform and advise the DfE in England and other national agencies on the
education of children and young people with SI
• promote collaboration between services, schools, professional bodies and
voluntary bodies working with children and young people who have SI
• promote collaborative working between education, health and social care
professionals in the interest of children and young people who have SI.
For more information about NatSIP and to access to resources, visit
www.natsip.org.uk – a major gateway for SI professional practice.

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 15 Our information
and support
Joining the National Deaf Children’s Society gives you access to a wide range
of services that can support you at different stages of your journey and your
child’s development. We want to do all we can to give you the confidence to
support your child and make decisions.

The right information, at the right time

We offer free, balanced information about all aspects of childhood deafness,
both on our website www.ndcs.org.uk and in our publications. Our online
content and information booklets can help you make some of the difficult
decisions you’ll be faced with.

Helping you make informed choices

Every deaf child is different and families should be able to make decisions that
are right for them. That’s why we give independent support, setting out all
the options, so families can make informed choices about how they want to
communicate, or which type of hearing technology is best for them. We never
promote a particular approach, and we’re always clear about the impact it will
have on a child’s life.

Support when you need it

Any questions? We’re here to help.
Freephone Helpline: 0808 800 8880
helpline@ndcs.org.uk
www.ndcs.org.uk/livechat

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Deaf-Friendly Teaching – Primary

About the National Deaf

Children’s Society
We’re here for every deaf child who needs us – no matter what their level or
type of deafness or how they communicate.
Visit our website www.ndcs.org.uk or contact our Freephone Helpline on
0808 800 8880 to find out how we can support your child at every stage of
their life.
Join us for free and you’ll be able to:

• download or order our free information

• come to our events
• be a part of our online community
• borrow equipment through our technology loan service
• read about other families’ experiences in our quarterly magazine and
email updates
• access support.

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www.ndcs.org.uk Freephone Helpline 0808 800 8880 (voice and text) 135
 We are the National Deaf Children’s Society,
the leading charity for deaf children.
Freephone Helpline:
0808 800 8880 (voice and text)
helpline@ndcs.org.uk
www.ndcs.org.uk

Published by the National Deaf Children’s Society © July 2020

Ground Floor South, Castle House, 37–45 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LS
Tel: 020 7490 8656 (voice and text) Fax: 020 7251 5020

NDCS is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 1016532 and in Scotland no. SC040779.
This publication can be requested in large print or as a text file.

Full references for this resource are available by emailing informationteam@ndcs.org.uk.

Give us your feedback by emailing your comments to informationteam@ndcs.org.uk