CSSC partner with Action Deaf Youth

The Controlled Schools’ Support Council (CSSC) secured funding for the second time from the Department for Communities’ Sign Language Partnership Group to deliver its programme of sign language workshops (January 2020). 

Sign Language Programme

In January 2020, CSSC was delighted to announce Action Deaf Youth as the organisation who will work with CSSC to deliver the programme ‘Engaging with Sign – a language for you and me’ to 10 controlled primary schools. The 10 controlled primary schools participating included:

  • Seaview Primary School, Belfast 
  • Carr’s Glen Primary School
  • Jones Memorial Primary School
  • Kirkinriola Primary School
  • Cregagh Primary School
  • Victoria Primary School, North Down and Ards
  • Bloomfield Primary School
  • King’s Park Primary School, Lurgan
  • Hart Memorial School
  • Edenderry Primary School

Each school will receive four hours of sign language tuition along with a 1.5 hour workshop for parents which will enable controlled schools to share the learning with the wider school community. Schools can choose to have the four hours tuition delivered to one class or share the 4 hours tuition between two classes of up to 30 pupils. 

The programme will also include delivery of a regional building capacity workshop of two hours duration delivered at five venues across Northern Ireland. This will increase awareness of communication strategies to meet the needs of deaf children in mainstream schools while delivering basic sign language skills. Controlled primary schools and post-primary schools educating children with mild/moderate or severe/profound hearing loss will be invited to participate.    

Action Deaf Youth has supported deaf children, young people and their families since 1988 and are experts in early years provision, particularly in the use of play therapy as a means of increasing the communication skills and emotional resilience of deaf children.  Action Deaf Youth believes that children learn as they play and most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn.

CSSC School Support Officer Tracey Woods commented that:

‘It is great that CSSC is able to deliver the programme to controlled primary schools once again and to expand the programme by introducing the five regional building capacity workshops.”

Caroline Doherty, the Director of Action Deaf Youth added:

“Action Deaf Youth is delighted to be working with CSSC to deliver an exciting programme of workshops to promote positive inclusion for all children.”

 

27 January 2020