§ Jon TrickettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what steps are being taken to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing children can access the deaf accommodation model of inclusion in education; [83160]
(2) what steps are being taken on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing children to ensure that they are placed in mainstream schools with a significant deaf peer group. [83161]
§ Mr. Stephen TwiggLocal education authorities make provision for deaf and hearing impaired children in a range of settings appropriate to their own needs and preferences and the preferences of their parents. Placement can be in a mainstream class, with or without a learning resource base for the deaf and hearing impaired, a maintained special school, or an independent or non-maintained special school.
Specialist teachers and support staff play a key role in ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils. The law requires specialist teachers of the deaf to have an additional qualification equivalent to the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People Stage 1 qualification. Tools such as the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education's Index for Inclusion, which was sent to all schools in April 2000, can be used to identify barriers to learning and participation. Early indications are that schools adopting this sort of approach have seen standards rise for all their pupils.
Suitable accommodation must be available. The Department has already published Building Bulletin 94, Inclusive School Design, which provides guidance on accommodating pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools. Consultations are currently taking place on a further building bulletin focusing on the acoustic design of schools.