Award Winning Virtual Learning

In April 2020, the Academy implemented a groundbreaking online learning programme that met the varied, and complex needs of every student. We made sure to consider their language acquisition, additional needs, including visual impairments and autism, along with the heightened levels of anxiety due to the pandemic. Our Online Academy was a platform that offered community, connection and learning. 

 This was all during a period of homelessness for us as an Academy.  In April 2020, we were due to move to our brand new, purpose built Academy in the beautiful seaside town of Exmouth, but due to the pandemic, the building was not finished in time. Our old site, already sold and demolition plans on the way, the Deaf Academy faced a whole spectrum of challenges.

It was essential that every child received the quality education that they deserved. With the help from In-Focus who kindly donated their classrooms and residential flats, we were able to run a successful Spring Camp for the children and young people of key workers. Spring Camp ran simultaneously with the online platform providing every child bespoke learning, therapy and catering for their social and emotional needs.

Providing wellbeing and support was a key element to the Online Academy. Students were provided supervised ‘hang out’ Zoom sessions at break times to ensure friendships could flourish and no child was left isolated. To combat zoom fatigue, students were given no-screen Wednesdays whereby the Academy sent them activity packages where they could explore their creativity and independent learning skills. Every student was given new tasks each week or given the choice to develop their sense of self and explore their own interests.

Providing equal access for Deaf children across the UK

The beginning of the pandemic was an anxious time for everyone, more so for the tens of thousands of Deaf BSL users who did not have direct access to the crucial information announced at briefings. The lack of BSL interpretation meant many Deaf people did not fully understand what coronavirus was and how to keep safe.

Matt Jenkins, who is an enthusiastic teacher with a wealth of innovative ideas applied solutions to this problem commonly faced by deaf learners. Driven by a desire to ensure that deaf learners had equal access to information and learning around COVID, Matt created the ‘Ask Deaf teachers’ YouTube channel, developing online resources in sign language that were fun, engaging and accessible to all deaf children and young people. 

September, 2020 was a very special moment in our history. We opened our doors to our new campus in the vibrant seaside town of Exmouth, Devon.

Designed around the principles of inspiration, visual communication and inclusivity, this truly 21st Century Deaf school and college campus places the Deaf Academy at the cutting edge of Deaf education in Europe.

Inspired by US-developed DeafSpace architecture, light and colour permeate the Academy building; clear sight lines and wide corridors enable signers to communicate and acoustics are carefully managed. Meanwhile, large classrooms and modern therapeutic facilities are designed to complement each other and provide state-of-the-art education for Deaf young people, whatever their additional needs might be.

The Award-winning, Academy has been purposely designed to enhance the learning of Deaf young people with additional needs.