British Sign Language (BSL)
- Since 2020 we have been developing our BSL and Deaf provision for our pupils, parents and staff who are Deaf.
- BSL is used throughout the school in most collective worship sessions and school performances.
- All staff have had deaf awareness training and been enrolled on a 10 session introductory BSL course (including office and premises staff).
- We now have 2 fluent signers (one profoundly Deaf ), 4 members of staff have gained the Signature level 3 qualification. 2 members of staff have passed their level 2 qualification, 5 have gained a Signature accredited level 1 qualification.
- We work closely with the Teachers of the Deaf from the Local Authority, who are in school supporting students and staff most days.
- We are an educational member of the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) and have good working relationships with all the Cornish interpreters registered with the NRCPD.
- In classes with Deaf pupils, their peers learn BSL along with them and use sign when playing outside or communicating in class.
- There are Deaf bases in both the Infant and Junior Departments, these rooms provide distraction-free areas rich in visual resources to develop attention, vocabulary, signing, and English skills, needed to access the whole curriculum.
- More about BSL at St. Michael's
Jannine Clemence, our Deaf Champion
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Teachers of the Deaf
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Rainbow Academy staff and student choir signing and singing at Truro Cathedral
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We run several interventions at St Michael's. Interventions are decided based on the need of the children each year. So can vary each year.
Phonological awareness is the ability to tune in to the spoken word and recognise, identify and manipulate the individual sounds in words (which are called ‘phonemes’). This also includes combining, or ‘blending’, these sounds into words. Phonological awareness and literacy are closely linked, which makes it a crucial skill.
Phonological awareness starts to develop before children come to school, it is the foundation for learning phonics, reading and writing. This group supports those children who need extra help with areas such as rhyming (the same sounds at the ends of words), alliteration (the same sounds at the start of words), phonemic segmentation (separating words into individual sounds -vital for writing), and phonemic blending (putting sounds together to make words -essential for reading)
Phonological Awareness Group playing a listening game.
Touch typing is multi-sensory -it links sight and hearing to touch. The tactile element of pressing the keys helps with remembering the sounds that make up tricky words. Touch typing also develops muscle memory, very useful when learning letter patterns and spelling.
This group develops keyboard recognition and fluency. Some children find it easier to record their ideas and organise their thoughts by typing rather than handwriting. These skills are increasingly important as more editing skills are learnt as students progress through education or in the workplace.
Touch Typing Club