Deaf Pupil Provision
Welcome to the Deaf Pupil Provision (DPP)
The DPP (Deaf Pupil Provision) is a unit based within Philip Southcote School, which offers support for deaf pupils with all types of hearing loss from Mild to Profound, who also have additional SEND needs.
The DPP are committed to providing support for our pupils to ensure they can access the curriculum alongside their peers. We have a Total Communication approach and can offer support orally, in Sign Supported English and in British
Sign Language.
We work with our pupils to provide the best communication methods to meet their individual needs.
Our trained staff teach BSL Level 1 and Level 2 to pupils from the DPP and across the school.
STAFF
Mrs H Hughes Senior Communication Support Worker
Mrs H Peacock Communication Support Worker
Mrs C Robertson Communication Support Worker
Ms N Caswell Communication Support Worker / BSL Teacher
Mrs L Carty Communication Support Worker
Mrs M Perryman Speech and Language Therapist
The Philip Southcote philosophy is embedded in our motto "Learning for Life" where we place equal importance on:
- Academic Progress.
- Physical and Emotional Wellbeing.
- Enrichment and skills for life.
- The belief that a pupil’s hearing ability should not be a barrier to their ability to learn and achieve their potential.
Our curriculum provides a wide range of subjects to ALL pupils including; Maths, English, Science, PSHE, ICT, Art, Food Technology, RE, Humanities, Outdoor Education, Sports Leaders, Performing Arts, D of E and Sixth Form.
Every classroom has Soundfield Systems (Surround Sound) to enable all students to be able to hear as clearly at the front of the classroom as they can at the back. Our school is also fully wheelchair accessible and we have toilets with hoisting systems if required. Our dedicated sensory room supports pupils to improve their physical coordination, motor development emotional wellbeing and offers a range of sound activated ,cause and effect activities. We work hard at Philip Southcote School to ensure our physical environment is fully inclusive for our deaf pupils; all fire Alarms are fitted with the red flashing lights and classrooms have carpet and blinds to improve the acoustics for our pupils.
The school day is structured so that Pupils are able to attend the DPP first thing in the morning to collect their equipment and to carry out daily checks on their Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implant Processors. Pupils and staff check to see if devices are working correctly or if their tubing/batteries needs replacing. We encourage all our pupils to be independent and to develop an understanding of how to look after and maintain their own equipment. These are all vital skills for our
pupils to be able to look after themselves and their equipment outside of the school environment.
We recognise our pupils as individuals and this is reflected in the nature of the classroom support they receive. Some will require Communication Support Workers to sit alongside them to support, while others will need the CSW to interpret the class using British Sign Language. Pupils can also benefit from our 1:1 sessions with DPP staff or with our Teacher of the Deaf; this can be individually or in small groups.
All pupils have access to the Inspiro Radio Aids with Roger X Receivers which are provided and maintained by Surrey County Council. This provides our pupils with direct input into their Processors or Hearing Aids and helps to minimise the background noise. Pupils also have access to ipads and computers to enrich their learning with Apps to enhance their listening and communication skills.
Pupils are fully integrated into both the academic and social life of the Philip Southcote Community. They attend all classes with their peers, with support if needed and have a variety of sporting opportunities to take part in as well as residential school trips. Our pupils attend work experience, with support if needed and in KS4 participate in the college link courses provided to the whole year group.
All pupils at Philip Southcote, regardless of hearing ability, have access to British Sign Language lessons in a relaxed and fun environment to gain a valuable skill and also to promote an understanding of deaf awareness. We are fortunate at Philip Southcote to have two fully trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) staff to support the wellbeing of our pupils; one staff member is able to deliver support orally, while the other can deliver the sessions in BSL. This provides a fully inclusive approach that pupils can access with minimal additional adults.
Our Specialist SALT (Speech and Language Therapist) has many years of experience and expertise in working with Deaf pupils. We work closely with the SALT to enable our pupils to use their existing communication skills effectively and to incorporate this into their classes and literacy sessions.
All the staff at Philip Southcote have regular updates in Deaf Awareness to maximise their knowledge of how best to work with our deaf pupils and the wider community. We are also proud of our Headteacher and other staff members who have undertaken the BSL Level 1 qualification and continue to study for BSL Level 2.