Two out of three teachers don’t know how to teach deaf pupils effectively, survey finds

More than two thirds of teachers in England feel unable to teach a deaf child effectively, according to a Teacher Tapp survey on behalf of the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).

The results from a poll of 5,332 primary and secondary school teachers, published on Monday, found that 68% lack confidence around adapting the school curriculum and providing an effective education to deaf students.

Susan Daniels, chief executive of NDCS, said the finding “should shock everyone responsible” for funding the education of deaf children “to their core”.

“Teachers are battling incredible pressures every day and they can’t be specialists in every disability, so it’s crucial they get the expert knowledge and support they need. All too often, this simply isn’t being delivered.

“The Government has frequently spoken of record investment in special needs education, but clearly far too little is reaching the deaf children who desperately need it.

“The upcoming SEND review is the perfect opportunity to right this injustice. By investing in more specialist support immediately, we can give an entire generation of deaf children the chance to reach their potential.”

Around 35,000 deaf children are being taught in schools across England, and while 96% of survey respondents said they’d need “ongoing support” from a specialist such as a Teacher of the Deaf, 37% said they had received this support.

NDCS said that Teachers of the Deaf numbers have been cut by 15% since 2011, and that deaf children achieve less than their hearing peers at every stage of their school education.

At GCSE level, they gain an entire grade lower on average than hearing students, while in A-Levels, a third secure at least two qualifications or their equivalent – as opposed to more than a half of hearing children.

The Department for Education’s (DfE) review into support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) was first announced in September 2019, but has suffered repeated delays in terms of publishing its findings and proposals.

In October, the DfE told TES that they “remain committed to publishing proposals for public consultation as soon as possible”.

Speaking to The Limping Chicken on Friday, a spokesperson for the department said: “We know the last year has proven especially challenging for many children with additional needs, including hearing impairments.

“That’s why we are increasing high needs funding for children with more complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by over a third, to £8.9 billion in financial year 2022-23, compared to 2019-20.

“We are also providing £3 billion for education recovery, which includes funding that schools can use flexibly to support pupils with SEND,” they said.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.