Hearing Loss

Hearing impaired pupils come to the resource base each morning before the start of school to check that their hearing aids, speech processors and radio aids are working properly. We encourage as much pupil responsibility as possible to ensure the efficient functioning of their equipment. This is a good time to meet up with the resource base staff and to talk through any particular concerns before the day gets underway.

It is important that our pupils follow the same rules as their hearing peers regarding behaviour and appearance. Please refer to "Behaviour: Our Expectations of our Pupils" in the Cove School Prospectus.

Our pupils are supported in mainstream lessons by Learning Support Assistants or the Teacher of the Deaf. New language may be clarified or explained and new vocabulary noted down. Brief notes of the lesson may be taken to assist if reinforcement is needed in the Resource Base. A check will be made to ensure that any home learning tasks have been accurately recorded and understood.

Pupils attend withdrawal lessons in the Hearing Loss Unit according to individual need, for language development and tutorial support. Sessions may be used to reinforce new subject vocabulary which is recorded in a yellow book and taken home each evening. Parental assistance in checking through this vocabulary is very helpful. Pre-teaching of new concepts before the start of a lesson and follow up of areas which may have been found difficult provide valuable support.

At all times personal responsibility and independence skills are encouraged. Self-esteem and self-confidence develop when our pupils are able to demonstrate these skills to each other. Older pupils can be powerful role models and provide valuable peer support to younger ones.

The Teacher of the Deaf will monitor receptive and expressive language skills, reading accuracy and comprehension and understanding and use of grammar.

It is important that home learning tasks are completed on time. Normally two home learning assignments are given each evening.

Hearing impaired pupils attending the Hearing Loss Unit are entitled to access arrangements during their GCSE examinations. These normally include additional time, the use of a separate room and a modified script, where appropriate. Some pupils may additionally qualify for a reader.

Finally, the teenage years can be a challenging time and pupils may undergo many changes of emotion and attitude, particularly as the demands of the work increase. Please let us know if there are any social or educational difficulties so that we can work together to support your child.

Our aim is that our hearing impaired pupils be fully included in all aspects of the life of the school and derive full benefit from the experience which Cove School provides.

Our pupils attend registration and assemblies with their tutor groups. They are included in their mainstream classes for approximately 85-95% of their curricular time, according to individual need. They receive in-class support from specialist Learning Support Assistants and the Teacher of the Deaf. Mainstream staff receive training in strategies to support the hearing impaired and work in close liaison with the Resource Base team.

Advantage is taken of a wide range of opportunities to develop confidence and self esteem alongside hearing peers:

• Lesson time offers whole class learning, small group work and paired activities allowing both academic and social inclusion.
• Tutor time and PSHE lesson allow further exploration of issues and ideas.
• Extra curricular activities in the form of clubs, visits and school trips (some abroad) provide additional experience, education and friendship opportunities.
• Opportunities to participate in school plays and presentations.
• Opportunities to take responsibility within the school community as prefects, 'buddies', members of the School Council, library assistants or guides to show visitors around the school.

We are proud of the close links that exist between the Hearing Loss Unit (HLU) and the main school. Our team liaise regularly with mainstream teachers to ensure that the needs of our hearing impaired pupils are met. Heads of Year and Form Tutors are all involved in the support structure offered at Cove School.

Liaison with parents is of vital importance, both formally and through Parents’ Meetings, Information Evenings and Annual Review Meetings and informally at school social events. In addition, parents are welcome to make an appointment to see the Teacher of the Deaf at anytime throughout the year if they have any queries or concerns that they would like to discuss.

We foster and maintain good working relationships with a wide range of associated professionals including Audiologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Local Authority Specialist Teacher Advisor and the Cochlear Implant Team at Southampton University. Contributions from these professionals may be included in the Annual Review report.

Close links also exist with the Hearing Impaired Resource Base at Manor Junior School. The Teacher of the Deaf attends the Year 6 Annual Review meetings of the pupils who are expected to transfer to Cove School and also visits the pupils at Manor prior to transfer where pupils have the opportunity to spend a morning shadowing a Hearing Impaired pupil to get to know the staff and pupils in the HLU, as well as to experience some of the lessons at CoveSchool.

Later in the Summer Term Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to attend a Liaison Day at Cove and parents are invited to a Liaison Evening.

Year 6 parents are always welcome to make an appointment to see the Teacher of the Deaf if they need further information or have questions they would like to raise.

Links are fostered with local Further Education Colleges, including Farnborough Sixth Form College and Farnborough College of Technology, and representatives are invited to Annual Review Meetings where appropriate. Year 10 and Year 11 pupils may take advantage of vocational training courses at Farnborough College of Technology.

It is vital that each pupil’s personal hearing aids are working properly and we encourage all our pupils to be responsible for the management and maintenance of their own equipment. For the fitting of new ear moulds and the repair of hearing aids parents should contact their local hearing aid clinic.

Cochlear Implants

There is close liaison between the Resource Base and the South of England Auditory Implant Service at Southampton University. Each pupil’s key worker is invited to make a written contribution to the Annual Review and to attend the Annual Review Meeting.

Radio Aids

All hearing impaired pupils at Cove School have access to wireless radio aids.

Radio aids are used in conjunction with the pupil’s own hearing aids or cochlear implant, the transmitter being worn by the teacher and the receiver worn by the pupil. In this way, the receiver picks up the radio signal from the transmitter and converts it back into sound which is amplified by the pupil’s hearing aids or implant.

The use of a radio aid ensures that the teacher’s voice will always be louder than any background noise which may be present in a mainstream classroom. Even when working in the Resource Base our pupils continue to use their radio aids because of the improved reception of speech (known as signal to noise ratio).

Soundfield Systems

We are fortunate that the Hall, gymnasium and the vast majority of our classrooms are fitted with soundfield systems. A soundfield system is an amplification system which provides an even spread of sound around the room. Four to six speakers are located around the periphery of the room, allowing all the pupils to hear equally well wherever they are seated.

As classrooms with Soundfield Systems offer improved ‘speech clarity’ for all pupils, everyone benefits and as the classes are generally more attentive, background noise levels may be reduced – a further advantage for our hearing impaired pupils.