I recently had the absolute pleasure of visiting Doncaster School for the Deaf, and what a brilliant day it was! From the moment I stepped in at 10am, I was warmly welcomed by some very friendly students and their teacher - what a lovely start to my day! First off, I was given a tour around the school. It was fantastic to see the vibrant learning spaces and meet so many enthusiastic faces. After my quick tour, I joined some brilliant KS3 pupils for an important and eye-opening discussion about Deaf Awareness Week, which we're all looking forward to beginning Monday 5th May! The pupils shared some fantastic insights into what they wish hearing people knew about the Deaf community. Here are some key points that stood out for me: “We’re not being rude!” – This one really resonated! Both students and staff shared experiences of hearing people mistakenly thinking they were being ignored, when actually, they just hadn't realised someone was speaking to them. Here are some quick Deaf Awareness tips that everyone can use: Get attention first: Wave, gently tap a shoulder, or even stamp your feet—vibrations through the floor are a fantastic attention-grabber! Visibility matters: Ensure good lighting and maintain face-to-face conversations without covering your mouth or face—especially important for lip-readers. Express yourself: Deaf people use body language and facial expressions a lot. Hearing people might not rely as heavily on this, so it's helpful to be expressive! Keep it simple: Clear, basic language goes a long way. Struggling? Write it down: Use notes or a voice-to-text translator if needed. Patience, please: Like anyone else, deaf individuals appreciate a bit of patience and understanding. Everyone’s unique: This was beautifully summed up by the pupils: "All deaf people are different!" Some lip-read, some use BSL (officially recognised since 2017—brilliant!), others may speak or not. It's all about respecting individual differences. Did you know? To ‘whisper’ to a friend, deaf people sometimes sign secretly under the table? Later, I met with some wonderful teachers who regularly use our Picture News resources. Their feedback was invaluable - huge thanks to them for their time and ideas! Finally, I had the privilege of watching a Picture News session in action with KS2. This week's topic was role models, and the students were buzzing with ideas! It was heartwarming seeing the children engaging so well, using widgets to explore new vocabulary, and even sharing who their personal role models were. Big shout-out to their fabulous teacher! Thank you to everyone at Doncaster School for the Deaf for such a fantastic, insightful, and inspiring visit. I really hope to be back soon! //b667e803ea5399501dccf24f2b415eee.cdn.bubble.io/f1746196978667x593932063736515600/richtext_content.png Pupils at Doncaster School for the Deaf. //b667e803ea5399501dccf24f2b415eee.cdn.bubble.io/f1746197027053x325033372674440100/richtext_content.png KS2 Picture News session in action! //b667e803ea5399501dccf24f2b415eee.cdn.bubble.io/f1746197694971x338606786628862200/richtext_content.png Chloe learning to sign ‘what’s your name?’
