Inde/State Schools with experience of Hearing Impairment

[happyfrogger]

We are looking to move from London to Surrey with DD (21 months) and DS (4 months). DD has a moderate hearing loss and wears hearing aids. She speaks well and is on track for her age, and doesn't sign. She's unlikely to get a statement (or equivalent by then). Currently open minded about state/independent but key factors are good acoustics (ideally not big echoey classrooms, carpets and well decorated walls are great) and experience of working with children with hearing loss or an enthusiastic willingness to accommodate where she sits, looking at her, class layout etc. We would love smaller classes for many reasons, but with her hearing this is even more important for us.

Co-ed is important to us as is strong pastoral care. So far have considered and driven around Cobham / Oxshott (LOVE), Esher, Claygate and also Farnham and would be open minded about anywhere in between those. Don't know much about Guildford, Godalming, Ockham, Horsley or West Byfleet but would like to learn more. Leafy suburbia and a detached house with a garden is what we are hoping for, so we don't necessarily want to head into the centre of a busy town or feel we are living among rows of terraced houses (this is what we are moving away from.)

However, we would need to commute to London (at least one of us) and a station inside of a 1 hr train into central London with ability to park at the station without it being full up by 6.30am is useful!

So far had a great response from Feltonfleet prep and going to their open day, but haven't heard much back from others / been bowled over by any responses wrt hearing.

Also so much to think about re state infant and then to prep at 7 (the likely scenario), but we may consider inde pre prep and haven't even thought about what to do about 11 or 13 and which route to take then. Seems to be so much to process and we just don't know where to start.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Colchester has lexden primary which has HA unit, and then Philip Morant secondary also with well established hearing impaired unit.

My do commutes colchester to London Liverpool Street and it takes 50mins

They're both state

Thank you, Branleuse. Will check out.

Bumping for more suggestions!

i know it's a long way off but friends had good experiance with the hearing impaired unit at Epsom and Ewell high

OP, an acquaintance of mine was telling me her child had a hearing impairment, and she'd chosen an independent school with a special kind of system installed to help hearing-impaired children (sorry, I don't know what the system was called, but it sounded innovative). The school was in Hampton Hill - possibly either Twickenham Prep or Denmead - so might be worth looking at their websites. It's definitely leafy there. Right next to Bushy Park, with a nice High Street, lots of independent shops and children's activities, and probably about 35-40 mins on a stopping train into Waterloo. It's Middlesex, but Surrey's just a short hop over the river to West Moseley if the county name is important to you.

Newbury has a plethora of primary schools that are experienced with hearing impaired children due to Mary Hare school being based here. Many children at primary spend sometime at Mary Hare and sometime in mainstream.
Train from Newbury 53 minutes to Paddington car park rarely fully as most people walk to the station.
Of course then if she needs it your are prefectly placed for Mary Hare Grammer school.
My DD has a substantial hearing loss, but does not wear hearing aids or have a statement as she lip reads very well and finds the aids make everything too loud for her. She is in a private school and the classroom layouts have always worked for her. She has always been placed where she has direct line of sight to the teacher, all classrooms have been carpetted and loads of work on the walls. PE can be difficult team sports are fine as she is looking around for her team and the coach, however, gymnastics is terrible as she is in her own little world.

My DC has moderate hearing loss in both ears, wears hearing aids and is at state school in Reception. We took him/her out of independent school near Farnham because their level of attention to it was absolutely appalling, plus the council and the school both told me it would get a greater degree of attention in state school. It has in the sense that they do adjust seating to compensate, acoustics are good, they have an IEP (no statement needed as ahead if anything) and they are working on social interaction - often a place where hearing impaired children can lag. I am generally happy with the level of care within the state infant and plan on sending DC to state junior as well as the state schools in Farnham are very good.

In Essex there are quite a few UHIs/ resources bases for HI children.

Besides the ones at Lexden/ Philip Morant mentioned by another poster, there are also excellent units in Rayleigh ( Nursery/ Primary- Glebe, secondary- Sweyne Park) about 45 mins commute from Liverpool st. Both schools have acoustically favourable environments.

Chelmsford also has good units (Primary- Mildmay and secondary- Great Baddow.) also around 45 mins into Liverpool st.

Both Towns have nice leafy parts. Might be worth a look.

If you like Cobham/Oxshott what about St Matthews school at Downside? Very friendly small nurturing state infant school, very good local reputation and recent outstanding OFSTED. I know a number of current/former parents who are really happy with it. They have a very good reputation for being inclusive although I could not comment on specific experience re DC with hearing loss.

Thanks springrain, have actually just got off the phone with St Matthew's to arrange a visit. Very helpful, so keen to see what the acoustics will be like there. As they only go up to 7, I'd be keen to see where they send pupils after that or how many go into independent from them. One of the more positive phonecalls from those I've just rung.

Will look into the other areas suggested, thanks everyone. (Newbury & Mary Hare a great suggestion too)

Much appreciated, everyone. Thank you.

Happyfrogger, pm me

Also heard good things about Broomwood Hall-carpeted rooms, small classes, and Wandsworth Sensory Support will also support in Indie Prep.

Children I know from St Matthews moved onto Raleigh (Horsley) and St Andrews (Cobham) and I believe a fair number also go onto local independent schools. It would depend on where you decided to live though. There is also Eastwick Junior school in Bookham.

Holy Trinity Guildford has a hearing loop and teachers can/often do use microphones. It has experience of teaching those with hearing loose.