Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
The school’s Mission Statement ‘Aspire, Grow, Succeed’ is at the heart of all we do. We have the highest of expectations of each and every student to secure the best outcomes for our young people. We work in partnership with students, their parents/carers and a range of professionals from Education, Health and Social Care to implement the SEND Code of Practice (January 2015).
We are committed to providing high quality teaching and learning which meets the needs of every individual. Our inclusive school is able to offer comprehensive support by highly qualified staff for students with a range of needs. Staff are trained to support and guide very specific individual care needs in a school building which was designed to meet a wide range of accessibility requirements. Every curriculum team has a nominated SEND Champion to pay particular attention to the learning needs and progress of these students and a team of skilled teaching assistants deliver effective support both in lessons and in targeted interventions.
The SEND Hub provides a central place where students can seek support and advice, build friendships, develop new skills and join a range of club activities. Hub Ambassadors take an active role as student leaders in the management of this provision and Hub members welcome the wider school community as visitors to this facility where inclusion, safety and the well-being of young people is paramount.
All SEND is overseen and managed by the Senior Leadership Team and is co-ordinated by the Curriculum Leader for SEND. The Senior Leadership Team evaluate all special needs provision on a regular basis throughout the year and report to the school governing body on how individual needs are being met and on how special needs funding is being spent. A peer review conducted in March 2017 by colleagues from Temple Moor High School and Cockburn School found that “The Headteacher has a clear vision of high aspiration and progress for all which is supported by all staff.”
Parents may be interested in reading the school’s SEND policy & SEND Information Report which further explains our provision. School policies, which can be found on the policies section of this website, reflect our commitment to inclusion, safety and the well-being of children.
Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for further information.
Leeds SEND Local Offer - click for more information.
SEND Team
SENCo: Mrs Michaela Child (michaelachild@allertongrange.com)
Tel: 0113 393 0304 (Ext. 305)
SEND Office
Tel: 0113 393 0304 (Ext. 374)
Deputy: Ms Jane Dempster, janedempster@allertongrange.com
Administrator: Ms Alisha Effendi, alishaeffendi@allertongrange.com
COVID-19 - BSL Interpreting Service: details about www.BSLHealthAccess.co.uk online on demand interpreting service
for UK’s Deaf Community
Welcome to the DAHIT section of the Allerton Grange School website
Allerton Grange is a resourced school for deaf and hearing impaired children. Children are taxied in from all over the city if they need more support than could be offered in their local mainstream school. Many of the children are bilingual using both English and British Sign Language (BSL)in their everyday life. We have a bilingual policy which develops the use and understanding of both languages, as well as using the languages to access the mainstream curriculum.
To book a personal visit please send an email using the following link: dahit@allertongrange.com
We look forward to seeing you.
Kim Davis, Lead Teacher of the Deaf
See our photo gallery at the bottom of this page
What does the service do?
The Deaf and Hearing Impaired Team (DAHIT) is a team of specialist staff, including teachers, communication support workers and deaf instructors, who work to promote the educational inclusion and achievement of children and young people with a diagnosed hearing loss.
We support children who are deaf or hearing impaired from the time of diagnosis to when they leave school. The team work with children at Allerton Grange School and in their homes. We conduct assessments and provide advice for Education Health and Care (EHC) Plans for children and young people aged 11 to 19.
The level of support offered to each child and family is based on the child’s needs in relation to their deafness, their stage of development and the knowledge and support that they have around them.
Teacher of the Deaf (ToD)
The role of a ToD is to provide specialist input for deaf and hearing impaired children enabling them to achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes. We plan, deliver and evaluate specialist teaching and provide support programmes for children. We assess and monitor the individual needs and progress of deaf and hearing impaired children and provide reports and on-going advice as appropriate.
At Allerton Grange School (resourced provision) we also provide training and ongoing advice to the mainstream staff, other professionals and families. We work in partnership with mainstream staff to promote the maximum educational access, inclusion, development and progress of deaf and hearing impaired learners. We promote the social and emotional welfare of children, including their independence, self-esteem and emotional resilience.
Deaf Instructor (DI)
The role of a Deaf Instructor is to promote effective communication skills for deaf and hearing impaired children, and to teach, develop and facilitate the use of BSL for deaf children and monitor and report the progress of these learners.
Deaf Instructors also provide additional teaching and support of mainstream curriculum material and concepts through the use of sign. They deliver and/or assist with the delivery of deaf awareness training to mainstream colleagues.MaM
Communication Support Workers (CSW)
The role of a CSW is to facilitate access for deaf learners through sign language; To provide communication support for staff, pupils and parents in a variety of situations and adapt materials and delivery of curriculum content.
Curriculum
Deaf students predominantly follow the same curriculum as their hearing peers and are taught in mainstream for most of the curriculum, additional support is also given to all Deaf children in base. English is taught discretely within base lessons by a qualified teacher of the deaf. As many deaf children learn English as a second language they need the time, pace, delivery and understanding of their specific learning styles to be delivered in bespoke sessions . Many deaf students struggle with their literacy as BSL has a different structure to English and no written form, so unlike other bilinguals their skills in their first language cannot be transferred into their second language.
The staff team is made up of different roles to facilitate this access
DAHIT staff 2021-22
- Henri Grumbridge – Teacher of the Deaf
- Sarah Scott - Teacher of the Deaf
- Karen Hunt - Senior Deaf Instructor
- Sidra Ahmed – Deaf Instructor
- Mohammed Basser - Deaf Instructor
- Dwain Read - Teaching Assistant
- Kathy Burgess – Communication Support Worker
- Naomi Todd - Communication Support Worker
- Rebecka Best - Communication Support Worker
- Josie Jokomba - Communication Support Worker
- Rose Priestley - Communication Support Worker
- Beth Cartwright - Communication Support Worker
- Abby Booth - Communication Support Worker
Useful links: (click to view)
- British Sign Language
- British Deaf Association (BDA)
- Signature
- The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS)
- Deaf Education: A New Philosophy
Contact us:-
Allerton Grange School
DAHIT
Talbot Avenue
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS17 6SF
Telephone:- 0113 393 0304
Email:- dahit@allertongrange.com
