Welcome to Augustine’s Deaf Student Provision (DSP)
At St Augustine’s Deaf Student Provision (DSP) all our students have equal opportunities to enjoy learning, develop holistically and to be the best they can be. Inclusion is at the very heart of our school values and is central to the well-being, development and success of our students.
We are unique because we are the only secondary school in the city of Westminster that has a Deaf Student Provision. Our aims are to remove barriers, support success and allow our Deaf students to flourish and lead happy and healthy lives. Our students are usually referred to us by the local authority’s service for sensory impairment and places are also made available to some pupils from out of borough schools. The City of Westminster has designated the Deaf Students’ Provision to cater for 10 students.
Our Auditory Oral Provision
At our School, we use speaking and listening approach to communicate with our DSP students and aim to support language and literacy development to their expected age level. We help to develop their life skills and prepare them for early adulthood. Our ultimate goal is for our students to become independent and confident communicators in order to achieve their goals, live rich and fulfilling lives and become active members of society.
As a Deaf Student Provision, we follow and support the school’s curriculum which is underpinned by the National Curriculum. We aim to ensure it is fully accessible to all deaf children, encompasses the full range of subjects and activities which are appropriately differentiated to meet the individual needs of each deaf child, and support the development of knowledge and abilities. Deafness in itself is not a learning disability, and given the right support, deaf pupils can make the same progress and attain as much as other pupils of a similar cognitive ability. Having high expectations of deaf pupils is vital. (NDCS, NatSip, DfE 2017).
In addition to the national curriculum, we also deliver Personal Understanding of Deafness curriculum (PUD). PUD is compulsory for our deaf students because it equips them with the knowledge and skills required to function in a hearing world. PUD sessions focus on;
- helping pupils have a greater understanding of their hearing loss,
- become independent in using their hearing equipment,
- gain confidence and understanding to ensure effective communication,
- develop social skills in different situations,
- develop positive self-image and self-esteem (self-concept),
- develop autonomy; preparing them for adulthood.
DSP in class support and curriculum
- Pre and post lesson teaching with Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs)
- Personalised timetables either fully integrated into mainstream with specialist support or mixed intervention and mainstream.
- Personal Understanding of Deafness curriculum delivered by Teacher of the deaf and Deaf Instructor.
DSP students are involved in school life by:
- Following the National Curriculum
- Attending after school clubs such as homework club, reading club, chess club, literacy support, revision sessions and sports activities
- Taking part in their own Annual Review process together with setting and reviewing targets
- Attending Parents evening twice a year
- Attending after school study support sessions for individual learning, pre and post teaching and homework.
- Attending BSL and PUD lessons
Parents are involved in their child’s school life by:
- Attending parental engagement meetings termly
- Attending parents evening twice a year
- Accessing their child’s lessons through Microsoft Teams
- Regular communication via Whatsapp messages and emails
- Attending Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language therapist meetings
DSP students social life at school
- DSP quiet area for socialising and reading
- Therapy room for SALT sessions and small group work
- DSP quiet classroom for teaching, studying, reading, homework and BSL lessons
- Trips
DSP support before and after school
- Homework and reading support available before and after school
- Access to computers, TOD and LSA’s
DSP parent Communication
- Teacher of the Deaf (TOD)- (direct line, WhatsApp group and email provided)
- Microsoft Teams (One Note)
- Annual parent voice survey
- Parents evening
Raising Deaf awareness in school
- Soundfield training for all teaching staff
- Deaf Awareness training for whole school
- Deaf Awareness week celebration
- Sign Language Week
- Sign of the week
- Sign Language Club
- International Week of the Deaf
- Sign Health, Empowering Deaf Society and NDCS workshops
DSP Equipment
- Soundfield system in all classrooms, the hall, drama and dance studio and sports gym (monitored on a daily basis, minor repairs on site)
- Personal FM system
- Acoustically treated Atrium (lunch area)
- Acoustically treated DSP area
DSP Staffing
- Teacher of the Deaf (TOD)
- Deaf Specialist LSAs
- Specialist Speech and Language Therapist SALT (Individual assessments and interventions)
- Intervenor (trained Deaf/Blind specialist)
- Deaf Instructor (Brent Local Authority)
- Teachers of the Visually Impaired (Bi Borough Inclusion service WCC and RBKC)
- Audiology Technician (Ewing Foundation)
- Specialists as required (Physiotherapy, School Nurse)
For more information please contact the Head of Student Support Service:
Sanja Semic at ssemic@stahigh.org or 02073283434 Ext 243
