Award Winning Education

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 and the University of Exeter 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.