Memorandum submitted by the British Association
of Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD)
1. BATOD is the sole professional association
of Teachers of the Deaf in the UK.
2. BATOD's members work in all sectors of
education and are frequently involved in inspections where deaf
children are concerned.
3. BATOD has had a long history of close
cooperation and regular meetings with Ofsted. This has become
more difficult as a named person with responsibility for sensory
impairment was for a number of years not identified.
4. We are currently finding it difficult
to maintain good links with Ofsted.
5. We have provided and are currently revising
a number of documents to support the work of Ofsted inspectors
when they are inspecting provision where there are deaf children
and young people. These are attached.
6. In particular we are concerned that in
many cases significant judgements about the provision for deaf
children and young people are being made by inspectors with no
knowledge, understanding or skills in this aspect of education.
7. Furthermore it sometimes seems that the
standard and quality of evidence used to make such judgements
is not as robust as is the case with other aspects of inspection.
This applies to both negative and positive statements.
8. We strongly recommend that—as is
usually the case for the small number of schools for deaf children—an
inspector is included on the team with knowledge and expertise
in this area where schools under inspection have units or resource
bases for deaf children and young people.
9. In order to assist and support inspectors
with or without such experience we have drawn up a number of questions
which we feel should be considered and posed by inspectors in
schools when inspecting provision where some of the children or
young people are deaf. If Ofsted feels that deaf awareness training
is needed, BATOD would be willing to help.
April 2008
Annex A
1. SEE ALSO
BATOD GUIDELINES.[2]
2. TYPE OF
FACILITY/PROVISION
(a) Basic information about the facility should
be available, eg type of provision for deaf children—mainstream
school/nursery, special school/nursery (not for deaf children),
mainstream school/nursery, unit or resource base, numbers of deaf
children, special staffing (qualified Teachers of the Deaf [ToDs],
Teaching Assistants [TAs], Communication Support Workers [CSWs].
(b) Who decides where deaf children are placed,
eg local school, unit?
3. MANAGEMENT—QUESTIONS
WHICH NEED
TO BE
RAISED
(a) How is the facility managed, eg Does the
Head of School or the Head of the Specialist Service have management
responsibilities for the ToDs?
(b) Is the facility a delegated unit/resource
base?
(c) Who is responsible for the appointments of
ToDs, TAs, CSWs? Who undertakes the interviews? Are support staff
expected to have additional training and skills?
(d) Who decides on the level of support which
the deaf child needs?
(e) What are the administration arrangements?
(f) Who has the responsibility for the maintenance
and development of the facilities for deaf children?
(g) How is Performance Management (PM) undertaken?
Who appraises or monitors the work of the ToD(s)? Does the person
have any knowledge of deaf education?
(h) Is there a written School—Service agreement?
(i) Within schools with a unit/resource base
facility are there clear definitions of roles and responsibilities?
(j) Do such units/resource bases have representation
on the school's Governing Body?
(k) Who decides on the allocation of funds for
deaf children, eg for the TAs/CSWs, equipment? How are the use
of such funds monitored?
(l) Who decides on where deaf children receive
their education, eg in a mainstream class, within a unit, in other
withdrawal settings?
(m) Is opportunity given for liaison between
mainstream teachers, ToDs, TAs/CSWs?
(n) Who has responsibility for liaison with parents—ToDs
or mainstream teachers?
(o) Who liaises with outside agencies, eg Health
Trusts, Social Services, Connexions, Educational Psychology Services—ToDs
or mainstream teachers?
(p) Who has the responsibility for arranging
and conducting Annual Reviews, and formulating Transition Plans
and IEPs (Individual Education Plan)?
4. CURRICULUM
(a) Who decides on what is taught? Is there provision
for specialist teaching in listening, signing, language development,
articulation, social skills?
(b) Who decides on the form of communication
used in the facility?
(c) Where deaf children are withdrawn are they
engaging in activities as in "a" above, or are they
being prepared for mainstream lessons, or having follow ups to
mainstream sessions? Who undertakes this withdrawal work—TAs,
ToDs?
(d) If withdrawn from mainstream lessons which
subjects are the deaf students missing? Who decides on the level
of mainstreaming/inclusion?
(e) How is progress recorded and analysed? Who
has the responsibility for this? Are the assessments appropriate
for the level of development of the deaf child?
(f) Who decides on which forms of accreditation
deaf children undertake?
(g) Who has responsibility for disapplication
from, or moderation of, examination papers?
5. TRAINING
(a) Who provides the training for TAs/CSWs?
(b) Is Deaf Awareness Training part of mainstream
staff's INSET programme?
(c) If "sign" is used within the school,
are there opportunities for mainstream staff and other pupils
to learn how to use this form of communication?
(d) Is an induction programme in place for new
staff (both mainstream teachers and specialist staff)?
(e) If an unqualified ToD is appointed are there
funds available for mandatory qualification training?
(f) Do the ToD(s) have the opportunity and funding
to undertake appropriate and relevant Continuing Professional
Development (CPD)?
2 Not printed. Back
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