Princess Royal joins Deaf Academy students to mark 200 years of Deaf education (BSL)

Two hundred years after opening its doors in Exeter as England’s first Deaf school, the Deaf Academy marked a major milestone this month with a royal visit, celebrations led by Deaf young people and a renewed focus on the future of Deaf education.

Her Royal Highness Anne, Princess Royal visited the Academy’s Exmouth campus on May 8 as part of the organisation’s bicentenary celebrations, spending time with students, staff, supporters and members of the wider Deaf community during a day that placed Deaf young people firmly centre stage.

The visit coincided with National Deaf Awareness Week and formed part of a wider programme of events celebrating the Academy’s 200-year history, Deaf culture and the organisation’s continuing role in shaping opportunities for Deaf young people across the UK.

For students, it was an opportunity not only to celebrate their school’s remarkable history, but also to share their own experiences directly with the Princess Royal.

Students took part in a series of creative activities throughout the day, including a British Sign Language poetry workshop led by award-winning Deaf poet Raymond Antrobus, African drumming sessions and activities in the Academy’s outdoor sensory play area.

The Princess Royal also watched a performance by the student BSL choir and viewed archive material charting two centuries of Deaf education. But according to staff and students, it was the conversations themselves that mattered most.

Student Hafwen Clarke, 21, said:

“It’s really important that people understand about Deaf awareness and it was fantastic to see Princess Anne interested in learning more during her visit.”

The Academy’s Chair of Trustees, Dame Angela Pedder DBE, thanked the Princess Royal for attending and reflected on both the organisation’s history and its future.

“We’re very proud to be celebrating our bicentenary and it has been fascinating to look back over our achievements over the last 200 years, honour our past and recognise the people who have brought us here,” she said.

“But importantly, we also look forward to the future, and we do that with confidence that it is a future shaped by the determination, talent, and spirit of our students.”

Originally established in Exeter in 1826, the Deaf Academy is recognised as the oldest Deaf school in England. Today, from its state-of-the-art Exmouth campus, it provides specialist education, care and support for Deaf young people aged nine to 25, the majority of whom have additional needs.

Alongside education, the Academy places strong emphasis on Deaf identity, accessible communication and preparing young people for independent adult life.

In recent years, it has expanded its support services, including the opening of Fearnside House in 2023 — a specialist provision for Deaf young adults aged 19 to 25 believed to be unique in the UK.

The organisation says its bicentenary is not only about celebrating the past but creating a lasting legacy for future generations of Deaf young people.

Principal and CEO Sylvan Dewing said the anniversary programme had been designed around students and the wider Deaf community.

“Our young Deaf people are at the heart of everything we do, so therefore it is only right that they are at the centre of our celebrations,” he said.

“These events celebrate our history, culture, creativity, and the vibrant community that makes the Academy so special. They also help shape our legacy goals as we look to the future.”

As part of the celebrations, the Academy has partnered with organisations across Devon to stage a series of Deaf-led and Deaf-focused public events throughout the year, including exhibitions, performances and community events celebrating Deaf history and language.

The Princess Royal’s visit also highlighted the Academy’s long-standing royal connections. She previously visited in 1993 to open a sensory room at the Academy’s former Exeter site.

Archive images shown during the event also documented earlier royal visits from the late Queen Elizabeth II, when she was Princess Elizabeth in 1946, and the Queen Mother in 1969.

The day ended with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and gifts presented by student ambassadors — including honey produced from the Academy’s own beehives.

Also attending the celebration was Stephen Timms, the Labour MP and government minister for social security and disability, who met staff and students and praised the Academy’s work over two centuries.

“The Deaf Academy has been transforming the lives of young Deaf people for 200 years and it was a privilege to join the celebrations for such a significant milestone,” he said.

For many attending, though, the most powerful part of the day was seeing Deaf young people confidently leading conversations about their own lives, futures and community — exactly the kind of legacy the Academy hopes to build on for the next 200 years.

For more information about The Deaf Academy please see their website here.

Photography credit: GRW Photography / The Deaf Academy