Welcome to our school

Welcome to our school

My daughter has turned into a well rounded mature person, who is confident of her own self-worth, she s been well educated and above all she has been very happy at the Academy Parent

Tailored education and care Every student at Exeter Deaf Academy benefits from a tailored education and care package based on their individual needs and abilities. We want your children to not only reach, but exceed, their potential. We focus on the whole child, helping each student to develop socially and emotionally and we encourage all pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. Curriculum delivery The curriculum is taught through British Sign Language (BSL) and English. We value each language and aim for every student to be competent in both. Belonging Students enjoy being able to fully participate in a bilingual and bicultural community where they develop a real sense of belonging. This helps our pupils develop a positive Deaf identity and become successful independent learners. Our students finish school with confidence, being prepared for further education and having excelled at what they have learnt. I like that it s a place where people accept you for who you are Student When I came here I made lots of new friends Student Find out more on our website www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk To experience the Deaf Academy for yourself, book a visit or come to one of our Open Days www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/open-day For our latest news, scan here www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/news To use the QR codes in this leaflet, you will first need an app that can read them. You may already have one on your phone or you can search QR Code Reader in the store or download Google Goggles for free. Open the app and scan/take a photo of the QR code. A prompt will then appear asking if you want to go to the specific URL linked to that code. Press yes and the website page will load. Simple. Please note: you may incur data charges if connecting via a mobile network. You must check with the bill payer before downloading and using this app.

Early Years and Primary Our Early Years and Primary department makes learning fun and meaningful in a language-rich environment. We provide an interactive and visual curriculum that matches every child s individual style. Small class sizes and high levels of support strengthen each student s tailored learning provision. Speech and language therapists and an educational audiologist further contribute to programmes that develop individual student s communication skills. They ve been able to tailor my son s learning right from the very beginning Parent Find out more about our Primary School www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/primary-school

Secondary We have high expectations of our secondary students. Building upon their individual starting points, we strive for high academic achievement and personal development. The curriculum is centred on developing personal, learning and thinking skills through a relevant, interactive and enquiring learning approach. We support each student to become critical, creative and reflective thinkers who can co operate and collaborate effectively with others so they can succeed in life. A strong focus on supporting students to achieve to the best of their ability in both BSL and English is employed so they can interact positively with both hearing and Deaf people. Our secondary students are offered a full variety of courses adapted to their needs and abilities, ranging from GCSEs and Entry Level Certificates to vocational courses. Additional support is provided, where appropriate, with speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling. Equipping our students to participate in the wider world is important and links with the community and the world of work feature across the curriculum, including work experience and mini enterprise activities. Students also learn about Deaf culture, which helps develop self-esteem and a pride in who they are. Not only do our students leave with essential knowledge and skills, but also with a strong awareness that Deafness should not hold them back. He s done things sooner than he would have done normally in a mainstream school Parent Learn more about Secondary School www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/secondary-school

Specialist staff Our dedicated and specialist staff team are vital to enabling our students to excel. Students are taught in small classes with an appropriate adult-to-student ratio to ensure they are challenged in their learning and that their individual needs are met. As well as a team of Teachers of the Deaf, teaching assistants and Deaf instructors, students can access a range of other professionals who work together to provide effective, targeted support to help each student succeed. These include: an educational audiologist speech and language therapists clinical psychologist occupational therapist physiotherapist BSL counsellors interpreters communication support workers (CSWs) Discover more about our support staff www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/ supporting-your-child

Residential care Students can stay at the Academy for up to four nights a week. Residential students benefit from the support and friendship of Deaf peers. Evening social activities help develop sign language and communication skills. With the support of experienced care officers, our residential students participate in a 24 hour curriculum that prepares them to live independently in the future. Students, with input where appropriate, work towards realistic individual goals, from tying their shoelaces to budgeting their finances. The fundamental principle of care at the Academy is that all students are supported to become as independent as possible. This begins at the start of a student s placement and will progress until they leave. Find out more about our residential provision www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/care

Visit us If you want to find out more about Exeter Deaf Academy, please contact our Admissions Team to book a visit. Depending on your circumstances and individual needs, you will be invited to one of our Open Days that take place throughout the year and/ or invited to book a bespoke student and parent/carer visit. Assessment An assessment visit takes place following your initial visit to the Academy. It will include an overnight stay for any young people who will be attending on a residential basis. Assessments give young people a chance to spend time getting to know the Academy s educational and residential provision. It also gives our staff the opportunity of fully assessing your child s needs and support requirements. You will be involved in the feedback process. Admissions Team T: 01392 267029 E: admissions@exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk To book a visit online go to www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/open-day Find out how you can support Exeter Deaf Academy www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/support-us Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education 50 Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 4NF T: 01392 267023 E: info@exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk Registered Charity no. 1124523