Online SEND and Teacher CPD courses

“The training has given me a greater awareness of the social and emotional impact of deafness, and a greater appreciation of the educational challenges deaf students may face as a result of gaps in language, knowledge/abstract concepts. I also found the section explaining the different ways hearing losses are ascertained, and the biomechanics of the ear very interesting and it has given me greater confidence in the terminology I should use when describing a hearing loss or talking to a student with a hearing loss. Overall, I have found this course thoroughly interesting and would recommend it to any staff supporting deaf students.

“This has really given an insight into ways to assist the VI child in our setting so that they can become more independent both in and out of school. There were lots of tips and advice within the useful videos that have been put into practice straight away. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic has disrupted the face-to-face sessions as normally there would have been more and we could, as a collective, learned more from each other and discussed our ongoing learning. I have enjoyed this course, gained a lot from it and would recommend it.

“The training has extended my knowledge and understanding on dyslexia further.

“The first section of the course with information about hearing loss and levels, the different types of hearing aid equipment and ways of assessing was useful and interesting. The case studies were interesting to watch and to hear the opinions and thoughts of young deaf people, however, I found this section to be less relevant to my role. The children in the examples were all older and more capable, whereas many of the deaf children we see have more complex needs. However, I did find it particularly useful in this instance to hear the parents’ views and to be reminded of how overwhelming it can all be at this stage and the number of professionals involved within a child's life. It has made me think about the environment in home visits and currently video calls, and the importance of joint visiting with specialist teachers and working together.