Closure of specialist units hits provision for deaf pupils

A leading charity has described ‘shocking disparities’ in provision for deaf pupils across England, as research shows that 40 out of 150 councils now have no specialist teaching units for deaf children.

The research findings, from the annual survey of the Consortium for Research in Deaf Education (CRIDE), are accessible via a new interactive map from the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS). The CRIDE survey is based on responses from 132 services in England, covering 149 local authority areas. Among the findings is that 9 per cent of specialist teaching units for deaf children have closed in the space of five years - in 2021 there were 237 units compared to 260 in 2016. Such units are part of mainstream schools and support available can include one-to-one teaching, help from specialist teachers and help with technology. They can enable deaf children to be educated alongside their peers within a mainstream setting. Alongside the provision from specialist units, deaf children are also often supported by specialist Teachers of the deaf, who visit pupils, schools and families to provide support.

Nationally there is an average of one specialist teaching unit for every 190 pupils, and one visiting specialist teacher per 62 pupils. However the NDCS map reveals significant regional variations. For example Dorset, which has 843 deaf children to support, has no specialist teaching units at all. Meanwhile in Devon there are just two units for the county’s 1049 deaf children. In Derby there is one specialist teacher to support 151 pupils.

Looking at the local authorities covered by the Greensheets distribution area the picture is largely somewhat brighter. For example in the six unitary authorities of Berkshire – which are all part of the Berkshire Sensory Consortium Service – there are 5 specialist units at a ratio of one per 153 pupils, better than the national average. The ratio of visiting Teachers to deaf children in the area is also slightly better than the national average, with one per 61 pupils. In Buckinghamshire the ratios are even lower, with the county’s three specialist units catering for an average of 114 children each, while there is a visiting teacher of the deaf for every 50 deaf children. Less positively, in Hillingdon there are only two specialist units which each cater for an average of 172 children, with the ratio of visiting Teachers to deaf children in the area being one for every 212.

Mike Hobday, director of policy and campaigns at the NDCS, commented on the findings: ‘Every time a unit is closed, families in that area have fewer options for the future of their deaf child’s education and this is just one aspect of the shocking disparities that now exist. Support for deaf children has become a postcode lottery and some people don’t even get a ticket’. The NDCS is calling on the Department for Education (DfE) to improve support for deaf pupils and do more to make families aware of the support that is already available.

A DfE spokesperson said: ‘All children and young people, including those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, should receive the support they need to succeed in their education. That’s why there is a legal requirement for qualified teachers to hold relevant mandatory qualifications when teaching classes of pupils who have a sensory impairment. Initial teacher training also equips qualified teachers with the skills to teach and support all pupils, including those with special educational needs.’

NDCS interactive map: https://deafeducationmap.ndcs.org.uk/

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